Chocolate Malt Stout

Box of Rocks

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Am looking to brew a chocolate malt stout. Love the ice cream and Hershey’s syrup version, with great memories of enjoying them with family as a kid in the Midwest in the summer.
Am curious what I can create in a homebrew. Hopefully refreshing and tasty. I do enjoy a good Guinness or Murphy’s, so trying to merge two worlds.

I came up with the following for a batch of 3 gallons in the fermenter
FERMENTABLES:
6 lb - Pilsner (74.4%)
4 oz - Flaked Oats (3.1%)
1 lb - Pale Chocolate (12.4%)
2 oz - Caramel / Crystal 80L (1.6%)
2 oz - Roasted Barley (1.6%)
1 oz - Black Patent (0.8%)
0.5 lb - Lactose (Milk Sugar) - (late addition) (6.2%)
OTHER INGREDIENTS: 4 Days into fermentation...
1 lb - Malted milk powder
4 oz - Cocao Nibs
2 each - vanilla beans

Worth a shot?
 
Specifically, has anyone used malted milk powder in a brew? Figure I will “dry” malt it, but wondering if some should go into the mash or late in the boil.

I realize there are redundancies with the malt powder since it has malted barley and lactose, but the wheat is new, and perhaps the flavor gets amplified.
 
Specifically, has anyone used malted milk powder in a brew? Figure I will “dry” malt it, but wondering if some should go into the mash or late in the boil.

I realize there are redundancies with the malt powder since it has malted barley and lactose, but the wheat is new, and perhaps the flavor gets amplified.

Why wouldn't you just use the lactose?
 
Good question IAB, I am considering using both. Hoping the powder is additive, with the whey/wheat as a new component. Belt and suspenders, perhaps.
 
Fascinating what you learn researching a recipe. Just found out that the Horlick Mountains in Antarctica were named after the inventor of malted milk.

The malted milk powder has cocoa and regular dried milk, and both have fat, which can leave an oily sheen and may kill the head on a beer. Am leaning away from the powder now, and looking more closely at the components.

Cocoa nibs also have fat, so am focusing on lower fat cocoa powder as well. Missing whey and nonfat dried milk without the powder. And how much of each...
 
I would skip the milk powder. The lactose will give you the mouthfeel you need. Milk powder in the fermentor will just add more trub
I like the vanilla add.
 
Fascinating what you learn researching a recipe. Just found out that the Horlick Mountains in Antarctica were named after the inventor of malted milk.

The malted milk powder has cocoa and regular dried milk, and both have fat, which can leave an oily sheen and may kill the head on a beer. Am leaning away from the powder now, and looking more closely at the components.

Cocoa nibs also have fat, so am focusing on lower fat cocoa powder as well. Missing whey and nonfat dried milk without the powder. And how much of each...
Haven't found that not to be true. I brew a chocolate milk stout That is similar to yours and I use lactose and nibs. Comes out fantastic
 
The chocolate nibs add almost no fat, as it is insoluble in water.

Try Hershey's syrup.
 
Fascinating what you learn researching a recipe. Just found out that the Horlick Mountains in Antarctica were named after the inventor of malted milk.

The malted milk powder has cocoa and regular dried milk, and both have fat, which can leave an oily sheen and may kill the head on a beer. Am leaning away from the powder now, and looking more closely at the components.

Cocoa nibs also have fat, so am focusing on lower fat cocoa powder as well. Missing whey and nonfat dried milk without the powder. And how much of each...
I used cocoa powder in a cranberry chocolate stout once, it had a slight chalky mouth feel to it, which didn't ruin the beer.
The next time I brewed it I used nibs after soaking them in rum for a few weeks, nice clean result in the beer.
I also added a bit of pure vanilla extract to this one, I read that it helps bring out the chocolate flavor. I added a small enough amount that it was only very slightly detectable. In all I was very happy with the result.
 
Leaning back toward nibs, but haven’t ruled out the Hershey’s syrup. If I soak the nibs and vanilla beans in vodka overnight, and throw the mix into the fermenter after major fermentation subsides, will the alcohol mix with the brew sufficiently at that point? Worried it might stay separated.
Any reason to consider wheat or whey? Or the whey will just be more trub? Seem to be the only things missing from malt powder.
 
I only did the nibs once, and from what I recall the advice I got (right or wrong) was to soak them for a period of time. That I recall (it was close to a year ago), I strained the nibs and dumped the liquid in the fermenter with no ill effects from the added rum.
 
The alcohol will mix freely. Go for it.

Hershey's syrup has sugar, so it needs a little time to ferment.
 
Leaning back toward nibs, but haven’t ruled out the Hershey’s syrup. If I soak the nibs and vanilla beans in vodka overnight, and throw the mix into the fermenter after major fermentation subsides, will the alcohol mix with the brew sufficiently at that point? Worried it might stay separated.
Any reason to consider wheat or whey? Or the whey will just be more trub? Seem to be the only things missing from malt powder.
Never have soaked them. Put them in after 2-3 days. Let the beer age for 2 weeks, done
 
That'll work too! I honestly don't remember why I soaked them, but I will again next time!
 
Sticking with nibs, since the Hershey’s syrup has potassium sorbate, which might inhibit the yeast.
 
Just my $0.02. But chocolate milk stout is supposed to have a kind of chocolate essence.......not actual chocolate milk.
 
I only did the nibs once, and from what I recall the advice I got (right or wrong) was to soak them for a period of time. That I recall (it was close to a year ago), I strained the nibs and dumped the liquid in the fermenter with no ill effects from the added rum.
Nibs: Boil them. Chocolate "flavor" is not volatile. You're talking about cocoa and chocolate is cocoa and vanilla. Boil the nibs then at packaging add vanilla - use a good quality extract or make your own - to taste. Otherwise, chocolate syrup works fine as well, add it at high krauesen and simple, easy chocolate flavor is the result.

I'm agreeing with Minbari on this one: Chocolate flavor and lactose for sweetness. Mash high to give yourself dextrines and the perception of sweetness. Milk, well, you're adding milk proteins and other stuff you may not want. I think you'll get closer to your target by skipping the milk and using lactose.
 
Thanks everyone for the input, much appreciated.

Am dropping the malt powder, and dried milk, and the idea of whey, and will focus instead on the roasted barley, pale chocolate, nibs and beans for primary flavor. May do part of nibs at end of boil and part “dry nibbed” with the beans.

Considering a dark dehulled grain like briess midnight wheat instead of black patent to reduce bitterness. Wondering if I should shoot for IBUs in the 20s rather than 30s, since this should be sweet and not too bitter.
 
Thanks everyone for the input, much appreciated.

Am dropping the malt powder, and dried milk, and the idea of whey, and will focus instead on the roasted barley, pale chocolate, nibs and beans for primary flavor. May do part of nibs at end of boil and part “dry nibbed” with the beans.

Considering a dark dehulled grain like briess midnight wheat instead of black patent to reduce bitterness. Wondering if I should shoot for IBUs in the 20s rather than 30s, since this should be sweet and not too bitter.
I've found that Carafa II and Carafa III both give smooth, chocolaty flavor.
 

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