Stout Kit Tweak - avoiding nibs

[TheStyler]

Hi all

Long time viewer, but new poster.

I’ve been scouring many a forum about tweaking a coopers stout kit, but can’t quite find the answer (possibly because it’s not a good idea) however I’ve seen a couple of threads about using actual chocolate rather than cacao nibs which is the route I’d like to go down. I suspect people may warn otherwise but I have seen some very positive things...

The aim would be to create a sweet chocolate stout using:
- Cooper stout kit
- 85% dark chocolate (xx grams?)
- lactose (200-500 grams?)
- 1kg of fermentable sugar (that would best compliment this - I’ve read Indian unrefined jaggery is good if you can find it - for something really different to try).

I’m presuming I would boil the chocolate, lactose with a 1l or 2l of water- for 10 mins? Before adding to the fermenter with the fermentables and can - But this is where I’m unsure...

My experience to date has been tweaking kits with teas and dry hopping (so fairly newb, but have been researching as much as possible). With lockdown in place it’s the perfect time to ferment and experiment but I just don’t want to completely waste a 3 weeks messing around with a kit that will turn out turd.

Open to suggestions/methods and ingredients!

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Patrick_Newing]

Yes, same for me, lots of reading on here, just started posting!

I've tweaked the Wilko stout kit by different ways, made it a few times now:

Using dark DME,
Making a mix of boiling water, cocoa powder and hot chocolate powder and adding at the start - about 25g of each,
Steeping 250g of crushed crystal malt and 250g crushed chocolate malt in water at 65°C for 30min (in a pan in the oven) straining into fermenter and some rinsing it through,
Combinations of above.

Worked pretty well!