5 replies to this topic

[passlaku]

I tried my hand at brewing a chocolate stout. Everything went okay until I found that I forgot to add the chocolate malt to the grain bill. I ended up brewing a dry stout, with 8# 2row and .75# of roast malt with coco powder added to the end of the boil. Once I kegged it I noticed it is very dry with a strong mineral taste. I am now thinking of tinkering with this beer. I was thinking of: 1. Adding a couple of Ancho Chiles to the keg and make it a "mole" beer. I've always wanted to try this but have no idea how to go about doing it, ie do I sanitize the chiles by boiling them first? Should I use a stainless steel tea ball and drop it in the serving keg?2. Adding imitation coconut to see if it improves or a spike it with a bottle of malibu.3. Spike the keg with a small bottle of Hershey's syrup and let it sit at room temp for two days to see if the yeast will reactivate and eat whatever sugar is in the syrup.4. Dump it and start over.What do you guys think?

[ChefLamont]

Does it have a mineral taste or does it have a dry cocoa powdery taste to it? How much cocoa did you add?Someone I know (who is on here from time to time) did a cocoa beer a while ago and added a BUNCH of cocoa powder to the beer. The effect was hard to describe but it made it "powdery" almost. It was a strange taste/sensation. It wasnt bad per se, but it was different. If you have mineral flavor that is one thing to address. If you have this powdery thing I am describing that is a whole different thing.Another option you might try, especially if this flavor is the result of the cocoa powder, is to back-sweeten it a little with a bit of lactose or something like that (non-fermentable). Just a thought.

[passlaku]

The way you put it sounds a lot like my dillemma. I used 8 oz of plain cocoa powder, the stuff that comes in a can. I suppose I should have used a crystal to offset the bitter chocolate. Lactose sounds like a good idea but doesn't lactose only affect mouth feel? Again, thank you for the response and the idea.

[Winkydowbrewing]

What about adding a little vanilla? Soak a bean in some vodka and put it straight into the keg...just something that popped into my head.

[ColdAssHonky]

I like the back sweetening and vanilla ideas. Can you let it sit around until you can blend it with another batch? You could mash high and make a sweeter beer, that once blended with this one, might even out.

[zymot]

You can cold steep some chocolate malt, filter in a coffee filter, boil and cool to sanitize and add to your beer.