Lamington Dessert Stout - Feedback sought

[Bob_Loblaw]

Hi All

After trying my hand at a Brown Ale recently I'd like to move into a dessert stout and why not go big early huh?

I've bastardised recipes I've seen around the web namely the following:

* I've used the following as a grain base - https://byo.com/stories/issue/item/3184-dessert-stout

* Then I took cues from the vanilla coconut milk stout for adding flavour in secondary - http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2014/12/coconut-vanilla-milk-stout-recipe.html

* Finally I read this article about brewing with cocoa (specifically chocolate syrup in secondary) - http://allaboutbeer.com/brewing-with-cocoa/

So here is what I've come up with:

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Lamington Dessert Stout

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Sweet Stout
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 20 liters (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 32 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.034
Efficiency: 69% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.054
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 5.41%
IBU (tinseth): 28.84
SRM (morey): 36.88

FERMENTABLES:
3.9 kg - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (76.5%)
0.37 kg - Flaked Oats (7.3%)
0.23 kg - German - Carafa I (4.5%)
0.23 kg - American - Chocolate (4.5%)
0.23 kg - German - CaraMunich III (4.5%)
0.14 kg - American - Black Malt (2.7%)

HOPS:
14 g - Nugget, Type: Pellet, AA: 14, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 28.84

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 66 C, Time: 60 min, Amount: 20 L, Mash In
2) Infusion, Temp: 76 C, Time: 10 min, Amount: 20 L, Mash Out
3) Sparge, Temp: 78 C, Amount: 12.5 L, Sparge
Starting Mash Thickness: 4 L/kg

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 cup - Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, Time: 10 days, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary
450 g - Toasted Coconut, Time: 10 days, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary
2 each - Vanilla Beans, Time: 10 days, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary
500 g - Frozen Raspberries, Time: 10 days, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (custom): 75%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 12.22 - 25 C
Fermentation Temp: 20 C


If anyone has tried something similar it would be great to get your thoughts before I try this one.

Cheers

 

[Lionman]

Nail Brewery in WA do a really nice brew similar to this called a 'Flaming Lamington'.

It's a really tasty drop.

They add chilli (hence the flaming part) which adds a really interesting dimension to the chocolate/coconut theme. It really helps lengthen the flavour on the pallet which in my opinion is a good thing.

Never brewed one myself though so can't comment on your recipe, sorry. Good luck.

 

[mr_wibble]

I "dry nutted" a keg of porter with ~500g of toasted desiccated coconut, and after 4 days it's coconut city (pulled it out).
Although some people in my family reckon the coconut aroma & flavour are not so bold. *shrug*

Maybe it's one of those flavours some people are more attuned to than others.

 

[Lionman]

I "dry nutted" a keg of porter with ~500g of toasted desiccated coconut, and after 4 days it's coconut city (pulled it out).
Although some people in my family reckon the coconut aroma & flavour are not so bold. *shrug*

Maybe it's one of those flavours some people are more attuned to than others.

Taste is heavily impacted by perception too. You probably have a very different idea of what your porter should taste like than your family so you perceive it differently.

 

[rude]

Did you sanitise the coconut or just threw it in the keg bagged up

 

[mr_wibble]

Did you sanitise the coconut or just threw it in the keg bagged up

The coconut was toasted in the oven, then it went straight into a hop-bag.
It's too soon to tell if it infected the keg

 

[rude]

You're game hope it turns out well it certainly sounds nice

 

[droid]

sounds fantastic, I used coconut at whirlpool and got loads of flavour from it

 

[DU99]

craftbrewer did a similar beer

 

[nickxb]

I did a rum coconut porter for a case swap. I used 500g of toasted coconut "dry hopped" in a mesh bag. It had a hint of coconut aroma and flavour (and the rum really overpowered) but it wasn't the coconut bomb I was after. I would double the coconut for the next time I make it.

 

[klangers]

Does anyone know of a coconut essence/oil? Have they tried this? Sometimes it's easier and more effective when someone's already done the hard work of extracting the flavours, and one just drips a few drops into secondary.

 

[mr_wibble]

Perhaps use some coconut water / juice as part of your brewing liquid.

 

[droid]

Does anyone know of a coconut essence/oil? Have they tried this? Sometimes it's easier and more effective when someone's already done the hard work of extracting the flavours, and one just drips a few drops into secondary.

yessir

1ml/l of finished product coconut essence (put in at whirlpool) = strong coconut flavour

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Coconut essence sounds like a great idea. The less matter I'm throwing into secondary the better. Plus the article about brewing with coconut mentions much care must be taken to avoid the oils getting in the beer and ruining the head retention.

Now to find coconut essence.

 

[sp0rk]

I'm pretty sure it's available at Colesworth, there was a bloke who did a coconut liqueur at the Grafton Show a few years ago and said he just used coconut essence

 

[droid]

Coconut essence sounds like a great idea. The less matter I'm throwing into secondary the better. Plus the article about brewing with coconut mentions much care must be taken to avoid the oils getting in the beer and ruining the head retention.

Now to find coconut essence.

https://bakingpleasures.com.au/p9087/coconut-essence

I bought some extracts through these people but already had a coconut essence here. Theirs says it's oil based, I would have to find the one I used to be sure.
There was an oil slick left in the kettle but the flavour all came through into the beer, no problems with head retention.
I got one essence called cinnamon scroll - I reckon that a good dose in a stout or brown ale of some sort could be epic.

you are welcome to a beer of mine to evaluate the coconut level - just PM me your addy, it's all good, paying it forward and all that...

 

[klangers]

There was an oil slick left in the kettle but the flavour all came through into the beer, no problems with head retention.

Sounds awesome. I've brewed extensively with "oily" adjuncts, such as various citrus zests, coffee, nuts etc. I've never, ever had an issue with head retention. It's probably measurable, but no, I don't believe it to be significant enough to concern myself with. The "oil will kill head retention" argument is almost certainly an oversimplification. Maybe Lyrebird_Circles or MHB can add some nifty brewing science to this..

The cinnamon scroll one sounds delightful.

 

[Stouter]

This reads like a very sweet stout given the ingredients, and very tasty!
What are your addition techniques for the choc, coconut, raspberry etc? Hop sock, or sieve/tea bag enclosure type set up?

At risk of hijacking the thread but since we're in Stout flavour country here, anyone tried Sichuan pepper in a Stout?
Any links or redirection for this would be appreciated, I'm keen to try it and need some guidance for quantities.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

This reads like a very sweet stout given the ingredients, and very tasty!
What are your addition techniques for the choc, coconut, raspberry etc? Hop sock, or sieve/tea bag enclosure type set up?

If I end up going with coconut essence I'll add that to the end of the boil. For the Chocolate Syrup - goes straight in as is. I've had good success by simply racking a blonde ale onto frozen raspberries with no bag or sock so will probably give that a go. Cold crashing should mean it all drops to the bottom anyway.

 

[manticle]

This reads like a very sweet stout given the ingredients, and very tasty!
What are your addition techniques for the choc, coconut, raspberry etc? Hop sock, or sieve/tea bag enclosure type set up?

At risk of hijacking the thread but since we're in Stout flavour country here, anyone tried Sichuan pepper in a Stout?
Any links or redirection for this would be appreciated, I'm keen to try it and need some guidance for quantities.

I've no idea why you think they'd be a good marriage (love both but together sounds wrong) but try dosing a glass of base stout. Once you have a reasonable idea of desired level, scale up for the main batch proportionally.