AG#3 Chocolate Vanilla Stout

[james1988]

I posted this over on Jims last night but thought I'd post it here too. If it's an issue feel free to delete :thumb:

Hello! I was feeling particularly adventurous this week so decided to have a shunt at a chocolate vanilla stout. I found the recipe on here but I'll list it below. It went somewhat well, although I missed my target volume (15l instead of 20l) and my gravity readings are all to cock. I do have some questions but I'll post them at the end not to detract from the brewday; anyway onwards to the pictures...

Chocolate vanilla stout (stolen off Fego (on Jims) but made one or two adjustments)
25 litres
4100 Pale
250 Choc Malt
230 Amber
200 Caramalt
400 Flaked Barley
100g cocoa powder - I used Bournville as it had the lowest amount of fat.

90 min mash @68C

2 X Vanilla Pods @90 mins
45g Target @90 mins
25g Fuggles @ 10 mins.

S04 yeast.

Equipment:

Grain, Hops, Vanilla pods, Cocoa, Irish Moss and Yeast:

Grain shot:

Mash:

Hops in the boil:

After boil:

I was aiming for a gravity of 1046 but I've ended up with 1068! I sparged to 0996 (61c in a trial jar) which when corrected gave 1010. I didn't want to go lower as I read that anything below 1008 starts extracting tannins. Is this 1008 the corrected reading or not? I.E 1008 at 61c or 0995 at 61c.
The temperature of the mash was 67c when I opened the lid but cooled over time when mashing out. I got 21L out of it but I was aiming for 25L.

I lose 2.5L to dead space in the mash tun and the same in the boiler so I can see where some of it has gone. After jugging it into the boiler and boiling I loose roughly 6L over the 90mins to Hops, boil off and dead space. Does that sound about right?

I think it's time to go back to basics and read everything again. It tastes good though, had a sip before pitching the yeast. :drink:

James

*Edit*
Found out where I'm going wrong. I'm only boiling my liquor to 78c the same as my strike temperature. I'll try upping that to 85C. Also I've only been mashing out to 1008 not 0990 so I'll do that for the next brew. It's a learning curve after all

 

[earthwormgaz]

What's this business of checking the mash gravity? I can't see how popping the hydrometer in the grain will work.

 

[james1988]

I was shattered when I posted the thread last night and copied and pasted it this morning. I meant when your running the wort out of the msh tun and checking the gravity as you're going along. Does that make more sense? It's been a long day lol

James

 

[graysalchemy]

I always go by colour and how sweet it is tasting. When it loses its sweetness I stop.

 

[earthwormgaz]

I always go by colour and how sweet it is tasting. When it loses its sweetness I stop.

I like the sound of that approach!

 

[kev]

I start my boils at 29L for a 20L batch.

K

 

[broadfordbrewer]

I've had the same confusion with gravity checks during mash run-off. I think I may scrap that idea and go for the taste/look approach :)

 

[james1988]

I'm going to bottle the beer this afternoon and probably open it Christmas day. The flavouring is incredible. There's a sort of coffeeish taste along with a subtle chocolate undertone which leaves a more prominent vanilla after taste as the beer slides down. I am impressed! This has to be the most rewarding hobby!

After doing some maths, my OG would work out as 1040.8 after being topped up with water and providing there was a 100% infusion of flavours, alochol and all the other bits that go with it. My FG was 1010 leaving me with 4.1% ABV. To make reading that easier...

OG: 1040.8 after top up
FG: 1010
ABV: 4.1%

James

 

[james1988]

I felt I should probably update this thread after Goatreich posted up a similar brewday. I first tasted the beer after three weeks and although it was drinkable it certainly tasted young. There was very little head too. Fast forward 10 weeks later and it tastes much more refined, it has more character and a definite head. There is a chocolatey taste combined with what I can only describe as a Guiness / coffee type of background with a subtle vanilla after taste. Friends of mine have also commented on how much better it tastes now compared to back then. All in all roughly 16 weeks from the brewday to drinking seems to be the best time to start drinking; that being said I'm sure the longer you leave it the better it will get.

If I remember I'll post a picture of a pint on the weekend as I'm trying to stop drinking on school nights.

James