Chocolate Vanilla Stout Round 2

[james1988]

Back last year I brewed a Chocolate Vanilla Stout (viewtopic.php?f=21&t=20939).

I'm going to be doing the same again but scaling the recipe down to 22L. I'm considering adding black treacle as I've heard it is quite good in stouts. I was hoping for some advice on how much to add and what qualities it will add to the beer and as it's a Christmas beer, it can't hurt for it to have a bit more oomph in the alcohol department . I've posted my recipe below:

Chocolate Vanilla Stout

Original Gravity (OG): 1.044 (°P): 11.0
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011 (°P): 2.8
Alcohol (ABV): 4.32 %
Colour (SRM): 17.4 (EBC): 34.3
Bitterness (IBU): 55.4 (Average)

79.15% Pale Malt
7.72% Flaked Barley
4.83% Chocolate
4.44% Amber Malt
3.86% Caramalt

2 g/L Target (9% Alpha) @ 90 Minutes (Boil)
1.1 g/L Fuggles (5.7% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)

4.5 g/L Cocoa Powder @ 10 Minutes (Boil)

Single step Infusion at 68°C for 90 Minutes. Boil for 90 Minutes

Fermented at 20°C with SO4

Notes: 100g Bournevill Cocoa powder
2 X Vanilla pods
Can use Golden Syrup / black treacle

Recipe Generated with BrewMate

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
James

 

[RobWalker]

I'd mash as high as possible and maybe add lactose. Chocolate sucks in dry beer, much better in sweet.

Looks great though. Hope it goes well mate :thumb:

 

[Aleman]

I'm considering adding black treacle as I've heard it is quite good in stouts.

DON'T!!!

It will completely overwhelm any chocolate and vanilla flavours you are putting in there

If that was me I'd up the Gravity to 1.052-1.058 using pale malt, and drop the bitterness. Remember hops are not a characteristic in stouts

 

[james1988]

Thanks gents, that's that solved! :

James

 

[Cononthebarber]

I'm planning something similar and this sounds awesome, do you add the vanilla pods to the boil at the beginning? I only have one pod, do you think one is enough or should I get another?

 

[Kinleycat]

I'm considering adding black treacle as I've heard it is quite good in stouts.

DON'T!!!

It will completely overwhelm any chocolate and vanilla flavours you are putting in there

If that was me I'd up the Gravity to 1.052-1.058 using pale malt, and drop the bitterness. Remember hops are not a characteristic in stouts

I can only comment from a food point of view, but if balanced black treacle works very well with chocolate.
If you can get the balance right you're on to a winner.
Not too much to kill the subtle chocolate and vanilla notes, but enough to make it worthwhile and add the extra depth of flavour although looking at the variety of ingredients do you need it?

 

[RobWalker]

any news james? I've been drinking a rum and raisin stout I made the last few nights, and it's lovely and smooth. would love to know how this turns out to maybe have a bash at a small batch later in the year, don't drink a lot of stout, but when I do I like them to be interesting and keep you wondering until the end of the bottle...

the lactose in there is REALLY good by the way. it smooths out the beer and adds a delicious light sweetness on the tongue that really knocks out the bitterness and makes you want more. the first few sips are pretty harsh and intense, but 1/4 way down the first bottle you get used to it and it's beautiful :

 

[james1988]

Sorry all, I've been up to my eye balls in work so not had much down time.

I seem to remember that I put the vanilla in at the beginning of the boil (2 pods) and then steeped another 2 for a few days in the primary FV.

My notes are back in Wales (I'm in Portsmouth) so I'll double check when I get home (Thursday night). If you do a search for the Goatreichs thread, the answers to most questions are in there.

I'm on my phone at the moment so pasting a link is hard work. Bear with me though and I'll answer your questions :)

James

 

[james1988]

The flavouring is wonderful, you have a guiness / coffee base that is very smooth on the palate and from there develops a subtle chocolate flavour, it's just there - not over powering.

The finish is the best bit - in my opinion - after swallowing (ooh errr) there is very subtle hint of vanilla that really does give it an extra bit of complexity.

All I can say is, get it done! I may do another 5 gallon batch; it's one of my favourites.

James

 

[james1988]

Sorry for the third consecutive post; rob, could you post the recipe up for the rum and raisin. It sounds awesome!

 

[RobWalker]

this is all great, cheers! i would love to overpower the vanilla and get a nice ice creamy stout :p

here's the rum and raisin brewed to 2 gallons using a ghetto method;

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=29414&hilit=rum+and+raisin

for 5 gals all grain;

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 23.00 L      
Boil Size: 26.33 L
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 27.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU      
3.22 kg       Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM)            Grain        62.2 %        
0.58 kg       Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)                Grain        11.1 %        
0.46 kg       Caramalt (30.0 SRM)                       Grain        8.9 %         
0.46 kg       Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM)                 Grain        8.9 %         
70.00 gm      Saaz [4.00%]  (60 min)                    Hops         29.6 IBU      
0.46 kg       Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM)            Sugar        8.9 %

2.5 shots Wood's Navy Rum
2.5tsp Vanilla Extract
2.5 large handfuls Raisins, chopped/pureed, boiling water poured over.

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 4.71 kg
----------------------------
Name               Description                         Step Temp     Step Time     
Mash In            Add 12.30 L of water at 74.4 C      67.8 C        60 min        
Mash Out           Add 6.89 L of water at 91.5 C       75.6 C        10 min

If I remember, I calculated so each pint had 1/16th of a shot of rum in - a shot to each 2 gallons I think, so you would want 2.5 to recreate it the way I did it. That's enough to add just a very subtle flavour as, well, I don't actually like rum much! hahah. Naturally, 5 shots would be 1/8th shot rum per pint, 10 shots 1/4 shot rum per pint, any more and I think you have issues.

Maybe go for a higher mash too. Can only be good sweet, but it's nice and smooth at that mash temp with a little dryness. Feel free to swap out the Saaz for any noble hops (or any hops you like, really) but I like them, nice earthy spicy body which suits a stout well imo!

 

[carl_saint]

Done this today! Can't wait to try it! Only thing I did different was use 2.5tbsp of vanilla extract instead of the pods. Not sure whether this is enough but it smelt immense! Used WLP004 to ferment!

 

[EskiBrew]

I've used vanilla pods a few times - never boiled them though, always put them into the FV - the first time after boiling in a pan with some water and the second time after steeping in neat alcohol for a few weeks.

I like the sounds of chocolate though so may have to try this :thumb:

 

[Cononthebarber]

I put one pod into the boil at the beginning and taste tests after 5 weeks in the bottle the results are awesome! Fantastic pint if I don't say so myself :)

 

[EskiBrew]

I like the sounds of chocolate though so may have to try this :thumb:

Well I did it (here) :thumb: