What kind of chocolate to use in a chocolate milk stout?

[kevindalyus]

I'm planning on making a milk stout tomorrow and I've read a couple of recipes that use chocolate; some use cocoa powder, some chocolate extract and some even use melted belgian chocolate bars. I'm not sure which kind to use, and when to add it; some recipes added cocoa powder to the mash, some boiled the chocolate for 60 minutes and some did a secondary addition.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Bugeater]

I've had best results by racking onto cocoa nibs in secondary.

Wayne

[kevindalyus]

So do you melt the nibs and then add them, or just drop them into secondary for a week. And how much do you use?

[ddgbrewing]

Like Bug, I've used cocoa nibs with good success. I ordered mine from more beer and put them in the secondary.

[Hoser]

+1 on the nibs.

Nibs are like coffee beans. They have not be processed yet into milk chocolate, white chocolate, etc. So, they do not melt.

They can be toasted, however. This releases their oils. I have been doing this lately with my chocolate beers and it really enhances the flavor, not to mention makes the house smell great! Nibs have a more natural chocolate flavor and aroma than the processed chocolate. I just judged a Belgian Dubbel at a local comp with cacao nibs, awesome beer!

Here is my process:
Take 1-2 oz. of nibs.
Lay flat on cookie sheet.
Bake at 300F for 10-15 minutes or until you are satisfied with color/aroma (Don't Burn!)
Stir occasionally
Remove and let cool
Add to sanitized hop sack in keg.
Taste daily to desired chocolate level.

[Thomas Fransson]

I agree, cocoa nibs is a good way to go if you want a cocoa aroma/flavor. It wont be youngs double chocolate.
The positive thing is that you wont be getting a lot of fat from the cocoa in your beer - better foam and mouthfeel.

Usually I do 6-8g/L, thats about 0.21-0.28oz per quart of beer.
Letting them sweat on a sheatpan @ 158F for a couple of minutes really brings out that flavor.
Contact time i usually like it after 7-10 days at a warmer temp (53-60F)

One thing to be aware of, those flavor components are heavy and likes to settle pretty quick.
Make sure to rouse the beer as gently as possible before transfering. Chances are that the first pints from a keg
is going to be really intense on the cocoa other wise, and the rest not so...

Sorry for the crazy numbers, I'm using metric over here.

[kevindalyus]

Thanks guys, just picked up some raw cocoa nibs and planning on baking them this weekend....does that 158F number sound right? I can understand baking at 300F, but 158F seems a bit low.

Second question: I was planning on adding vanilla bean to the secondary as well....just drop the bean in, or actually scrape the inside of the bean and add?

[Bugeater]

Second question: I was planning on adding vanilla bean to the secondary as well....just drop the bean in, or actually scrape the inside of the bean and add?

Definitely split the pods open and scrape them. Dump the whole works (pods and all) into the beer. You do get a little better extraction if you soak the stuff in some sort of alcohol (bourbon, vodka, rum, etc.) for a few days before adding the beans, scrapings and booze to the beer.

Wayne