Cocoa powder

[Welshwitch]

Hi has any one used cocoa powder to enhance the flavour of Edme Irish stout.

Cheers

 

[graysalchemy]

Hi welshwitch try this thread clicky

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[Stone Cold]

no but i did use it in a chili con carne last night and its a revelation.
I have worked in kitchens all my working life and seen choc go into some rather odd things, and odd things going into chocolate. bacon chocolate is to kill for as is chili chocolate!.
coco powder often goes into gravey in working kitchens.
so I wouldn't be surprised if it works very well in a stout .

 

[Welshwitch]

Thanks grays and stonecold I see I will be experimenting with the cooking as well as Mr Witch and the brewing will let you know how we get on.

 

[Kyral210]

In my honest opinion, I wouldn't go near the stuff! Not because coco is bad, but because I try to stick to the German purity law whenever I can. So what would I use?

Get a grain bag, add 250g of chocolate malt (crushed), tie the top and plunge into a pan of water at 66-77°C (no more, no less) for 30 minutes, then put on a sieve, sparge with another litre of water at 66-77°C, boil it up for 5 minutes to sterilise, add your tin of Irish Stout, pour into fermenter, top up to required volume with cold water and ferment as per usual. Good to give it 2 weeks in the fermenter untouched, then 2-4 weeks in the bottle before drinking.

If you do this you will DEFINITELY improve your stout beyond anything coco powder could do. You will not only add a chocolate taste but a genuine roasted barley flavour which kits I have tried have lacked. If its not chocolatey enough for you, next time just add more chocolate malt, say 300 - 400g?

This is a great way to take brewing to the next level for very little cash, and start brewing beers which are perfect for your taste. I personally find that far more satisfying than any single can kit can give me.

 

[richc]

Sounds reasonable but you need to get unsweetened cocoa powder for best results.