Kit O' Beer #28 Chocolate Dark Ale Redux

[Glass]

KoB #28.

This is a repeat of KoB #6. I just noticed I am using 1.25 light malt booster and no dextrose compared to 1kg dark dry malt and 200gms dex. 50gms less malts but I think these ones are fresher. Certainly smells stronger on the aroma.

I think looking back over the brews, #6 was a stand out. It was a bit more interesting to brew and the results were very good. It noticeably changed character several times. I enjoyed drinking this one a lot. I have a couple left and the weathers getting cold so am looking forward to having at least one of them.

Might keep the last one to compare to this one.

The recipe:
1 x 1.7kg Coopers Dark Ale extract
1.25 kg Brew booster - from the preferred LHBS
1 pkt LHBS brand ale yeast - 15gms
200gms Chocolate Malts - steeped

Changes:
OG 1.048

Brew temp: 22C - ambient
Pitch temp: 22C - wort
Current temp: 20C - wort

Notes:
Slightly less grains. Lighter dry malts. The grains were not cracked. Do we miss out on some sugars there? Cold steeped 24 hours. I think the aromas were good. Over all the wort smells and tastes are great. I planned to copy #6 but seems I didn't.

[Glass]

I forgot to mention I did a yeast starter. about 250gms of dry LME, boiled, cooled and then added the yeast. Swirl it around a few times during the day, keep the temp at the right level. 24 hours later added to beer.

The starter seems to generate a bit of heat on it's own so I haven't had to do too much other than insulate it.

I haven't tried a beer from this method yet but I expect it will be ok. The fermenting does seem to come on nice and robust and the feel I get is that it is a smooth increase in activity, rather than nothing for a while followed by an explosion of activity.

Aiming for less residual flavors in the beer. I think given the way the fermentation takes off I am doing this process ok.

[BrewTech]

I forgot to mention I did a yeast starter. about 250gms of dry LME, boiled, cooled and then added the yeast. Swirl it around a few times during the day, keep the temp at the right level. 24 hours later added to beer.

The starter seems to generate a bit of heat on it's own so I haven't had to do too much other than insulate it.

I haven't tried a beer from this method yet but I expect it will be ok. The fermenting does seem to come on nice and robust and the feel I get is that it is a smooth increase in activity, rather than nothing for a while followed by an explosion of activity.

Aiming for less residual flavors in the beer. I think given the way the fermentation takes off I am doing this process ok.

You will undoubtedly notice improved quality in the finished product as a result of doing a starter. Healthy yeast in the right numbers make great beer... no way around that.

[Glass]

This was a result of your advice also with the yeast numbers math. Looking at this beer tonight is more confirmation the yeast gets a good start and the effort is not that great. 24 hours is all you need. Just need to move it on as a good practice becomes habit thing.

The method I use in case anyone is interested is:
Heat a suitable glass or PYREX container in the oven.
100 - 110C/ 210 - 230F for 20 minutes
Let cool in oven
Making a mixture of about 1.25L - 1.5L (5 - 6 quarts) water and 250gms (9oz) dry LME
Bring to boil for some minutes
Cool - to about 34C/93F, water bath or something
Put in container
Add yeast, swirl to mix, cover, insulate
Swirl occasionally over 24hrs
That means mix up the settled yeast at the bottom
Don't let air in
Decant excess liquid when ready to use
Leave a couple ounces to mix up the settled yeast
Pour into fermenter so it mixes in well.
You could stir the wort a little before adding the yeast
Don't stir afterward. Back away. Leave it do it's magic

Dropped my Pyrex tonight. Both of us are shattered.

[Glass]

bottled this one today. Don't know how many bottles. A mix of all different shapes and sizes. I a using a lot of the bottles I scored with the 2nd hand gear I bought plus some of the sierra nevada I've been drinking. I figured they would be a good size for this beer. I tend to only drink one glass of this in a sitting. Big bottles means it might go back into the fridge for a day or two.

I got it into my head to actually add some chocolate flavouring. Reading up, the best time is when brewing or fermenting. As I missed the boat on those the next option was to add some liquid flavouring.

Someone suggested Trader Vic chocolate liqueur. Special buy around here with maybe 2 week wait. I might get some on order for another time. I went looking for some essence. I visited a specialty food store and found a "Pure Chocolate Essence" which I bought. Sounds what I wanted.

When I get it home and zoom in on the ingredients it includes vanilla. So not pure chocolate at all. Don't like vanilla flavour much. Some alcohol. I boiled maybe 1/3 of the bottle. 2 and some ounces or ~66ml. For about 5 minutes before adding the priming sugar. Further boil for ~5 minutes. This was mainly in case there were any fats from chocolate. I am confident there were none in the essence.

I dont think I actually took an OG on this brew. I haven't sampled it at all until bottling time. It's very bitter. Surprised. I didn't crack the grains used to steep. This could be it. It has also sat more than it needed to before I got around to bottling. It might be alcohol. It has a smell like a fortified wine.

I bottled this and sampled some at the end with the essence. It doesn't add sweetness but it moderates the bitterness well. The chocolate flavour is subtle. Like I said, its the flavour without the sweetness so the beer is still dry. It needs a bit more thickness and some sweeter flavours. Caramel or something. The vanilla is even less which is good after all.

I think it will be ok. I think adding the flavour was a good idea. I did not like the taste much at all. I'd like to see how a liqueur compares to the essence. I feel it should be sweeter.

Doing the numbers, the one was 17 days. Didn't realise it was that long.

[Glass]

12 days, cold weather so not expecting much. Slight carb. Aroma is coffee, thin chocolate and faint vanilla. Flavour is similar. Coffee is more bitter. Chocolate is about the right amount. You can tell its a flavour but it is acceptable. Vanilla is a bit more as a flavour. Is ok but you know its a flavour. We will see if it gets more intense with age. I hope it stays as is. Again it needs to be the real stuff vanilla next time.

Evolution. Ok, not amazing. Mouth feel is closer to what I'd like. Needs a bit more thickness. good second effort.

[BrewTech]

12 days, cold weather so not expecting much. Slight carb. Aroma is coffee, thin chocolate and faint vanilla. Flavour is similar. Coffee is more bitter. Chocolate is about the right amount. You can tell its a flavour but it is acceptable. Vanilla is a bit more as a flavour. Is ok but you know its a flavour. We will see if it gets more intense with age. I hope it stays as is. Again it needs to be the real stuff vanilla next time.

Evolution. Ok, not amazing. Mouth feel is closer to what I'd like. Needs a bit more thickness. good second effort.

Cellar some of those bottles for a few more months. It's amazing how dark beers can improve over time.

[Glass]

I've been drinking a few of these. Not much else on the shelf so it's not all going to make it to next winter.

The vanilla flavours in the chocolate essence are less prominent now and much better IMO. The chocolate was always playing second fiddle.

The choc malts are good, but I did not have them cracked when I bought them so the flavours are more a bitter and flame charred. I won't say roasted. It's a bit harsher than that.

I would be happy to do this one again but I would try and remember the following things:
Crack the grains/malts to get that sweeter coffee flavour
Use another method of infusing the chocolate, either a different essence or get some actual dark cooking chocolate - good quality stuff not supermarket stuff.
Use a darker dry malt like I did in the first version of this. In this brew I used the regular brew booster which is a light malt and dextrose mix. This should give a thicker mouth feel but it might also benefit from brewing it to 20L or 21L instead of 23L.

Regardless of this I have been enjoying one now and again. Not a session beer this one.

[BrewTech]

I've been drinking a few of these. Not much else on the shelf so it's not all going to make it to next winter.

The vanilla flavours in the chocolate essence are less prominent now and much better IMO. The chocolate was always playing second fiddle.

The choc malts are good, but I did not have them cracked when I bought them so the flavours are more a bitter and flame charred. I won't say roasted. It's a bit harsher than that.

I would be happy to do this one again but I would try and remember the following things:
Crack the grains/malts to get that sweeter coffee flavour
Use another method of infusing the chocolate, either a different essence or get some actual dark cooking chocolate - good quality stuff not supermarket stuff.
Use a darker dry malt like I did in the first version of this. In this brew I used the regular brew booster which is a light malt and dextrose mix. This should give a thicker mouth feel but it might also benefit from brewing it to 20L or 21L instead of 23L.

Regardless of this I have been enjoying one now and again. Not a session beer this one.

Are you saying you didn't mill some of the grains before using them?

[Glass]

yes, I bought 250gms of grains and they weren't milled. I cold steeped them for a day. Nothing too bad about the outcome. It has a flavour that reminds me a bit more of beers like guiness without the thickness of beers like guiness.