Stout Recipe... OK?

[AlanManley]

So I'm going to have a second attempt at a stout range. My idea is to make a 20L batch of a chocolate stout and then for secondary fermentation put 3 x 5L into demijohns and mix in different flavours (vanilla, Chilli and orange) then bottle what's leftover as a standalone chocolate stout.

My recipe is as follows

Grain
Pale = 7kgs
Dark Crystal = 500g
Flaked Barley = 150g
Roasted Barley = 150g
Chocolate = 150g
Black = 100g

Hops
Cascade = 45g @ 60 mins & 20g @ 30 mins
Simcoe = 10g @ 60 mins & 10g @ 30 mins
Amarillo = 20g @ 15 mins
Cocoa Nibs = 25g @ flame out
Coffee = 25g @ flame out

Yeast

Wyeast 1227 American Ale II

I'll then add the following to all in secondary
Cocoa Nibs = 10g
Coffee = 10g
Oak Chips = 5g

Then will work out the flavour additions later.

Does this seem about right? Should I add anything for a rounded mouthfeel? Should I add in some actual chocolate too for extra flavour?

Any advice/input would be appreciated.



Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Slid]

Hi Alan - if it were me I might:

Use something high Alpha for bittering and save my Cascade for another day?
Leave out the cocoa nibs and coffee from the main brew and add separately to the 5L part brews?
Add coffee as a brewed ingredient to just one demijohn?
Simplify the grain bill to just Pale, Crystal, Chocolate and Roast Barley?
Not add any actual chocolate containing fat as this will kill the "head"?

But a lot of this is preferences and what seems to work for me, and it looks like a fair idea, although you are going to have to be patient waiting for your four 1 gallon batches!

 

[strange-steve]

Not add any actual chocolate containing fat as this will kill the "head"?

This is good advice, I used cocoa powder in a stout once and even it completely ruined the head retention as it's 20% fat.

 

[AlanManley]

Thanks for the feedback. The brew went on last weds. I left it as is bar changing the coffee for cocoa Powder.

I'm only going to do a 1 gallon and add orange and a 1 gallon and add vanilla. The rest I'll bottle as is after primary as long as it tastes ok.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk