Chocolate stout

[fobster]

Trying to get the balance right on this stout, I'm thinking Cocoa Wonderland by Thornbridge if anyone has had that special brew.

I'm including the Carapils mainly for head retention.

I can up the levels of lactose, oats and/or cocoa if necessary.

Cheers!

Style: Chocolate Stout   
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 21 litres (fermentor volume)   
Boil Size: 25.5 litres
Efficiency: 72%
Original Gravity: 1.080 Final Gravity: 1.027 ABV: 6.96% IBU: 31.97

Fermentables
Amt              Fermentable   Bill %
5.3 kg      Maris Otter   72.9%
0.5 kg      Lactose      6.9%
0.5 kg      Rolled Oats   6.9%
0.5 kg      Chocolate           6.9%
0.275 kg           Carapils      3.8%
0.2 kg      Black Patent   2.7%
7.25 kg      Total
           
Hops
Amt   Variety   Type           AA     Time   IBU
28 g   Magnum   Pellet   10.7     60 min   31.97

Other Ingredients
Amt        Name   Time
140 g    Cocoa   Boil @ 15 min

[Leann ull]

I've done Choclate Stouts where choc malt was up to 10% of bill.
Put your cocoa in at start of boil to avoid fats carrying over into fermentation which can kill head retention, (ok who's brave enough to say but promote yeast cell growth ) , what brand were you thinking of using?
You want one with a high cocoa and low cocoa butter content.
If its not chocolatey enough for you you can always boost with a fat free extract at bottling or kegging but I gather that's only a booster not a substitute. please post back to see how she turns out.

You don't mention yeast which is really important, look out for a post of mine in coming weeks where I entered into lamberts comp, same wort 56l, split across 3 yeasts fermented and kegged side by side and the scores they achieved

[fobster]

Sound man, yeah I've done more reading and I'm going to use cocoa nibs and vanilla soaked in vodka post-fermentation. Going to switch out the black patent for roast barley too. Bumping up the chocolate malt sounds like a plan.

Good article and discussion in the below link too.
http://barleypopmaker.info/2009/12/15/chocolatizing-your-beer/

The yeast is the secret ingredient! I'm going to use WLP300 Hefeweizen and ferment 22c to 24c to get a chocolate banana thing going on.

[Kevin O'Roundwood]

Chocolate banana stout!??   MMmmmmmm....

[Leann ull]

You don't mention yeast which is really important, look out for a post of mine in coming weeks where I entered into lamberts comp, same wort 56l, split across 3 yeasts fermented and kegged side by side and the scores they achieved

Very clever on the choc banana

http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/index.php/topic,10846.msg133786.html#msg133786