Chocolate Stout

[Mike]

I am looking to brew a chocolate stout. I tried a homebrew a while ago which had lovely chocolate and liquorice flavours but that was a full mash brew. I am not up to that level yet so am after a kit plus perhaps a few additions to make it something special. Any suggestions of good success stories from off the shelf kits? I have heard the Muntons Chocolate Stout is ok.

[Grant R Baker]

hmm tricky one there.  I have not used the Muntons Chocolate Stout and have only made such a beer from grains....

 

Try this (assuming 23l batch)

1. Good Stout or Porter kit
2. Make it up as per normal (don't add yeast yet)
3. Put 1 liter of the wort from your fermenter into a pot and slowly heat it up.
4. At about 50C add 200grams of dark chocolate and 200grams of milk chocolate.
5. Keep heating slowly and stir it constantly.  Don't let the chocolate burn on the bottom of the pot.
6. Let it come to the boil then add pout pot contents back into the fermenter. (maybe let it cool a little first).
7. Pitch yeast and seal.

 

Use good chocolate (Whitakers is pretty good)

To make it even better, teabag 10gr of Fuggles or East Kent Golding hops into 50ml of Hot water 10 minutes, then pour the lot into the fermenter (teabag and all) before pitching the yeast.

Also a good English Ale yeast may improve it a far bit (or Muttons Gold dry yeast).

Good luck.

[Mike]

Thanks for this - much appreciated. I will pick up some Fuggles and yeast tomorrow and make up the batch mid week. I have the rest of the ingredients to hand.