Cocoa addition - impact on gravity

[damoninja]

Hi all,

I did my first chocolate stout the other day with 190g of cocoa...
The OG was 1.052 (after the cocoa had settled).

My concern is my fermentation has stopped at 1.020 at day 4. I gave it a stir 36 hours ago, now at day 6 it's still stalled. It's been at about 20 degrees the whole time.

I'm using S-04 yeast and it's stalled on my once before... Is it garbage yeast? I'm beginning to think so.


Unless.... The addition of cocoa has this much of an impact on gravity? ~7 points?

 

[HBHB]

I'm thinking it's done all the same. 1.020 for a chocolate stout isn't out of the ballbark.

What sized batch was it and what was the rest of the recipe, mash schedule etc? If not all grain, what was the kit and bits?

I've got double chocolate stouts in the cupboard ranging from 1.022-1.015.

Will run up a test batch in the shop over the next day or so to see what the change of gravity is out of curiosity. (Never really considered it too much)

Martin

 

[damoninja]

What sized batch was it and what was the rest of the recipe, mash schedule etc? If not all grain, what was the kit and bits?

I figured it's not insane for it to have been this high based on Ian's spreadsheet.

It's a kit n bit's

1 x mangrove jack's irish stout
1kg DDME
250g brown sugar
200g choc malted grain
190g cocoa
50g fuggles hop pellets

 

[damoninja]

Strangely, the airlock started bubbling slowly about an hour ago. I might let this one ride out the rest of the week, take another reading say Wednesday evening...

 

[contrarian]

1.020 seems to be the magic number for s-04 to floc out and take a break. If a few swirls won't get it going again you can always try dissolving some sugar in water and chucking it in the fermenter. It has worked for me before in kicking a ferment back in.

 

[pressure_tested]

Off but sorta on topic:
I'm making a temptress style porter.
How much dutch coco should I add at end of boil? 23 L batch and it's malt bill is 10% chocolatey/dark type malts, 8% light crystal and the rest ale malt. 1 vanilla bean sliced in at end of boil too.

 

[damoninja]

1.020 seems to be the magic number for s-04 to floc out and take a break. If a few swirls won't get it going again you can always try dissolving some sugar in water and chucking it in the fermenter. It has worked for me before in kicking a ferment back in.

I've got a tube of the stuff sitting doing a 'fast fermentation', shook the crap outta it a few times about 12 hours ago, SG hasn't changed any. I might try the addition of a little sugar and another gentle swirl, if nothing happens in the next 48 hours we'll call it done.

 

[HBHB]

Off but sorta on topic:
I'm making a temptress style porter.
How much dutch coco should I add at end of boil? 23 L batch and it's malt bill is 10% chocolatey/dark type malts, 8% light crystal and the rest ale malt. 1 vanilla bean sliced in at end of boil too.

I'd be tempted to go with something like 125-150g and toss it in a few minutes before the end of boil. Sometimes a little is a lot.

 

[damoninja]

1.020 seems to be the magic number for s-04 to floc out and take a break. If a few swirls won't get it going again you can always try dissolving some sugar in water and chucking it in the fermenter. It has worked for me before in kicking a ferment back in.

Still stuck even after a fast fermentation, so I boiled up 200g of sugar in 400mL water, chilled it to 24C and threw it in.

New SG 1.022. Let's see what happens.

 

[HBHB]

Hi all,

I did my first chocolate stout the other day with 190g of cocoa...
The OG was 1.052 (after the cocoa had settled).

My concern is my fermentation has stopped at 1.020 at day 4. I gave it a stir 36 hours ago, now at day 6 it's still stalled. It's been at about 20 degrees the whole time.

I'm using S-04 yeast and it's stalled on my once before... Is it garbage yeast? I'm beginning to think so.


Unless.... The addition of cocoa has this much of an impact on gravity? ~7 points?

Actual test using the same dose you used came up at 1.002 in distilled water, measured at 20 degrees C.

See pic

Martin

 

[damoninja]

Actual test using the same dose you used came up at 1.002 in distilled water, measured at 20 degrees C.

Thanks a bunch mate!

Assuming you let the stuff settle? I found my reading changed about 5 points from just before I pitched my yeast to when I let it settle.

Either way it clears up my concern of the cocoa whacking my SG, I'll take another reading tonight and see if the sugar woke up the yeasties.

 

[HBHB]

No sweat. Was curious about it myself.

Martin