Beer #3 :) lets try again

[mike]

Christmas Chocolate Stout

10 lbs light malt extract
3 lbs British Chocolate Malt (350�L)
3 lbs American 2 row
3 oz Willamettes

1 oz Irish Moss
2 tblspoon Cocoa powder


Any idea's or recommendations?

Also --- i can't seem to remember mash in mash out procedures .....

[Johnny Max]

Where did you get that recipe?
As far as mashing, I would think 154F or even 157F would be a good mash temp for that style of beer. Then raise the temp to 168F to mash out. Keep us posted.

[Johnny Max]

Here is the clone recipe for Youngs Double Chocolate Stout:

0.5 lb Light DME
4 lb Light LME (late additions)
8 oz 2-row
11 oz Crystal 60L
13 oz Chocolate Malt
12 oz Lactose
8 oz invert sugar
4 oz cane sugar
6 oz cocoa powder
.33 oz liquid chocolate extract

7 AAU fUGGLES 60 MIN
1.25 AAU Kent Goldings 15 min
Wyeast 1318 London Ale III

Man! That is complicated!

[mike]

i kind of took a look at other people recipe's and meshed the idea in my head a little and made mental changes according to other dark beers i have tasted.


needless to say i am a bit worried if this will turn out drinkable.

this is what i got at Defalco's today


13.2 lbs LME
6 lbs British Chocolate Malt (smells really great)
4 oz Cascades Hops - 6.5 AAU
White Labs Dry English Ale Yeast (test tube try #1 for me WLF0007)
Whirlfloc tablets ( i have never used these either)


going to use 3 tablespoons Cocoa Powder.

I am afraid to use Lactose for some of the things i have read about yeast --- gonna wait till after i do my first all grain before attempting Lactose

gonna get it going tonight --- 9:00 to 11:00pm

if someone wants to call me and tell me not to f**k it up .... 883-6765

[Johnny Max]

Go for it man. I did not mean for you to change your recipe. I was just posting the clone recipe, because it was sitting here next to my chair. ;D
But that being said, I change recipes many time before I hammer them out. Keep us posted, so we know how they come out. better yet, let me taste it when it is done!

[mike]

I appreciate the input Johnny, i saw the one for Youngs Double Chocolate Stout too --- i just shied away from it becase of the lactose --- that stuff scares me .... I am always happy to get feedback from experienced brewers .... i am still tinkering with the stuff

I will most definately bring a bottle once i crack a good one open and decide it is ready.

i read into the yeast a little bit --- its gonna be 4 months before it reaches full maturity ---- gonna have a coffee/chocolate flavor with citrus undertones ---

5-hour starter --- baby wort + yeast (White Labs Dry English Ale)

30 minute mash - 6 pounds British Chocolate Malt (350L)

mash in 154
mash out 158

(stuff smelled gorgeous --- like fresh fresh coffee)


90 minute boil

60 - 2 oz Cascades (real citrus smell - lovely)
60 - 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
30 - 1oz Cascades
25 - whirlfloc tablet
15 - 1oz Cascades

i thought shaking that big jar was going to break me


now the good part

OG @ 80 Degrees
1.116

---------

woohooo went up another 0.044 from last batch




Does anyone have any good tips for getting the most out of this gravity?


Also ... what type of beer would this be considered?

[Johnny Max]

mike said:

Also ... what type of beer would this be considered?

Well at 1.114 OG... I am thinking it would be considered a BIG ASS BEER!
If you can get it too ferment down to 1.022 that will give you an ABV of 13.6% WOW!
But, I am thinking it may stop higher, maybe at an OG of 1.032 yielding 12.3% ABV
Honestly, I am thinking with a high OG like that the final beer may be a little sweet and have a big mouth feel and with the chocolate and coffee flavor this just might turn out to be a most excellent tasting BIG beer.

Keep us posted man!

[mike]

moved to fermenter at 1:20 am

i stayed up with it until i got my first bubble at 3:50 am

2:40 lag

10 hours later i am at 21 bubbles a minute


this one might take a bit longer than my usual 3-4 days in the fermenter



anyone know how to get "most" of the sweet taste out? i don't believe in sweet beers --- i might have gone a little over board in 13 pounds of LME



----- just realized ----

if the sucker stalls out -- i don't know what to do --- used all my starter last night......

[mike]

42 hours into the fermentation stage


swirled it around in the carboy (being carefull not to splash or aerate) --- it let out big gaseous fart --- lasted 2 minutes

waited 10 minutes and repeated the process

i will continue to do the same until i get most of the CO2 out of it and also get most of the yeast back into suspension

[Johnny Max]

mike said:

42 hours into the fermentation stage


swirled it around in the carboy (being carefull not to splash or aerate) --- it let out big gaseous fart --- lasted 2 minutes

waited 10 minutes and repeated the process

i will continue to do the same until i get most of the CO2 out of it and also get most of the yeast back into suspension

I just started doing that based on a scientific study I read a couple of monhs ago. The the conclusion was that both alcohol and CO2 in high amounts kill yeast and even if the CO2 levels are not too high it stresses the yeast and they do not live as long. I have never read it in a homebrew book though. But, it is still a fact.

[mike]

i must have stumbled across the same study ... assuming both stress the yeast, i assume that if i can minimize one i can get more of the other


I was also reading that if i get the yeast back into suspension I can get better attenuation (i think that is what it is called - getting the most alcohol from my sugars?)


(i am sitting here plotting on my beer and listening to your podcast)

[mike]

still bubbling away furiously --- it might finish early ---- must research diacetyl rest

[mike]

gravity is currently at 1.040
og was 1.114

11.1% ABV?

anyways --- really bitter --- zero sweet --- coffee type flavor --- pretty harsh


any tips to make it less harsh?

[Johnny Max]

mike said:

gravity is currently at 1.040
og was 1.114

11.1% ABV?

anyways --- really bitter --- zero sweet --- coffee type flavor --- pretty harsh


any tips to make it less harsh?

Store it at 68F-75F for 6 months.

[mike]

no bubbles for 3 days - still at 1.040

moved to the secondary i bought on Thursday


started bubbling again


tastes like a sweet stout porter (sweetness came back)

[mike]

man ... its really stout .... bitter too

tastes like a Boones Farm version of Guiness

without the thick texture