10 replies to this topic

[neddles]

A local brewery here produces a chocolate porter. It has a nice mild but clearly distinguished chocolate note to it. I asked if they used any actual chocolate in the recipe and was told no, the flavor was derived from the malts used. This fall I'd like to make a porter attempting to reproduce that flavor. Looking around the web a bit I saw nothing too definitive. Some recommended the pale chocolate over regular, others recommended a specific maltster of chocolate/pale chocolate malt, a few others said a good portion of brown malt, or combinations of all three worked best. One other thing I saw was a recommendation to used chocolate malt in conjunction with a little bit of vanilla to bring out the chocolate flavor.

 

So I thought I'd tap the collective experience here... how do you get chocolate flavor without the use of real chocolate/cocoa? Has anyone had success doing this?

[davelew]

Creme de Cacao

[SchwanzBrewer]

My stout has some chocolate malt in it. I used the crisp which is 350 ish lov. Had a bacon meaty flavor in combination with the roasted malts when cold and turns to dark lightly bitter chocolate when it warmed. Really tasty.

 

I just made an Am Brown Ale with Briess Chocolate malt. We'll see where that goes in a few weeks.

[denny]

I make an Am. brown with chocolate and crystal malts that tastes a lot like chocolate.  Just had someone say that to me the other day.  Here's the recipe so you can see what's in it...

 

https://wiki.homebre...rg/NotiBrownAle

[neddles]

My stout has some chocolate malt in it. I used the crisp which is 350 ish lov. Had a bacon meaty flavor in combination with the roasted malts when cold and turns to dark lightly bitter chocolate when it warmed. Really tasty.

 

I just made an Am Brown Ale with Briess Chocolate malt. We'll see where that goes in a few weeks.

Thanks Schwanz but I'm confused. Rebel Brewer lists Crisp chocolate @630L and Crisp Pale chocolate @220L. Breiss is @350L.

 

 

 

I make an Am. brown with chocolate and crystal malts that tastes a lot like chocolate.  Just had someone say that to me the other day.  Here's the recipe so you can see what's in it...

 

https://wiki.homebre...rg/NotiBrownAle

Thanks Denny. Is your chocolate 350L from Breiss? Who is your preferred maltster for this flavor?

[realbeerguy]

I am a big fan of Dingmann's Belgian Chocolate Malt in my Porter.  Gives a nice round chocolate flavor that American and Brittish chocolate does not.

[SchwanzBrewer]

From Crisp's website...

 

https://www.crispmal...loured Malt.pdf

 

700 EBC is about 350 lov.

 

There is an 1100 EBC variety too. My LHBS had the 350 lov stuff. I uesd the briess 350 lov in this last beer.

 

My best guess would be to get 1/4 pound of all the chocolate malts you can find and steep a controlled amount in a specific volume of your brewing water. Like say steep 4 oz of malt in 6 floz of water. Put them in the fridge and let them steep for a day. Take them out and try them. Use whichever you like best.

[Big Nake]

All of the 'chocolate' malt I have used has given me more of a coffee-like flavor, not chocolate.  Also, brown malt did something similar when I used it in an English Northern Brown... really coffee-like.  In fact, I have never tasted any grains that tasted like actual chocolate.  Any beer I have had that tasted that way (mostly homebrewed stuff) was made with cacao nibs in the secondary or some other part of the process.

 

Creme de Cacao

But the brewers at the local place said it was all from grain. Although I like this idea.  If I truly wanted a chocolatey-tasting beer, I would not hesitate to add crème de cacao to the secondary.

Edited by KenLenard, 10 September 2013 - 01:33 PM.

[neddles]

From Crisp's website...

 

https://www.crispmal...loured Malt.pdf

 

700 EBC is about 350 lov.

 

There is an 1100 EBC variety too. My LHBS had the 350 lov stuff. I uesd the briess 350 lov in this last beer.

 

My best guess would be to get 1/4 pound of all the chocolate malts you can find and steep a controlled amount in a specific volume of your brewing water. Like say steep 4 oz of malt in 6 floz of water. Put them in the fridge and let them steep for a day. Take them out and try them. Use whichever you like best.

Thanks. That's interesting. Their website doesn't even list the 220L Pale chocolate that Rebel Brewer says they are carrying. I'll look around for the 350L stuff then. I have liked Crisps malts when I have used them.

 

And your steeping idea is a good one. But I'd have to order a bunch of malts online from several vendors.

[denny]

Thanks Schwanz but I'm confused. Rebel Brewer lists Crisp chocolate @630L and Crisp Pale chocolate @220L. Breiss is @350L.

 

 

 

Thanks Denny. Is your chocolate 350L from Breiss? Who is your preferred maltster for this flavor?

 

IIRC, it is the 350 from Briess.

[chadm75]

Do they use cacao nibs?