Good results from a nice brew day

[Portreath]

I was planning to do a Mena Dhu clone, but did not have some of the ingredients to hand so I put together something I feel might be similar. I thought I’d shot for a brew house efficiency of 70% ( going on previous results) with targets of: OG 1.045, however I have an OG of 1.052 @22c. A lot higher than expected! I used brewers friend, plugged in the numbers and it reports back that the brew house efficiency is 82%. I’m not sure if this is a one off, or my new mash tun, which is a recycled 47ltr 12volt cooler box has improved my brew day results.
2900 g United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale - 72.5%
200 g United Kingdom – Chocolate - 5%
300 g United Kingdom - Roasted Barley - 7.5%
350 g United Kingdom - Crystal - 8.8%
250 g Flaked Barley 6.3%
4 kg Total
Boil time 90 mins (I normally just do 60 mins, but I thought I’d give this a go)
35g Fuggles @90 mins
20 ltrs liquor in the mash tun for 90 mins
Hot sparg with ~6-7 litrs (longest I’ve done so far)
Start volume in the boiler 25 ltrs
Total wort in FV 19 ltrs
BTW, I’ve topped up the FV to 20 ltrs and now have an OG of 1049/50, I’d be quite happy with an ABV of 5.1ish % MJ Liberty Bell yeast pitched now, so on with the other Sunday tasks.

 

[Dutto]

Like the look of that - with the exception of 5% Chocolate Malt.

It's a personal thing. I can taste the chocolate flavour in a Mild Ale (aka Dark Lager) that I brewed back in August and it only had 1% (o.04kg) of Chocolate Malt in it; so I hope you like your brews "chocolatey".

 

[Portreath]

Hi @Dutto Yes, I do like the taste. I made (and drank!) 19 liters of mild a few months back and that used 3.8% Chocolate. That was really nice and I plan on doing it again. As it was not too chocolaty I wonder if there is a big difference in the amount of chocolate taste derived form different suppliers?

 

[MyQul]

you'll be fine with 5% choccy. The last stout I made had 4.74% choccy/r.barley/crystal and it turned out great

 

[Dutto]

Hi @Dutto ........... I wonder if there is a big difference in the amount of chocolate taste derived form different suppliers?

I'm assuming there is a difference because when I used to buy pre-milled grain I can't remember any of my brews tasting of chocolate quite so much as the grain I have at the moment.

I ordered 2kg of the Chocolate Malt that I'm currently using, it went out of date sometime around March of this year, I still have about a kilo left and at the present rate of use it will be another year at least before I will need any more!

As already pointed out, I am down to 1% to make a standard Mild without it tasting like a Chocolate Stout ...

... but I will probably survive!