Nutella Milk Stout

There seems to be very limited attempts at this and I've always been a nutella fan so I thought "why not?".







This will be an extract batch (still saving up for AG equipment).

1 lb. Black Patent (Give it that nice rich dark color)
0.5 lbs. Chocolate Malt
0.5 lbs. Roasted Barley

6 lbs. Light DME

2.5 oz East Kent Goldings Hops
1 lb. Lactose Powder
1 Whirlfloc Tablet
8 oz. (one container) of cocoa powder

Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale)

4 oz. crushed Cocoa Nibs
1 oz. Hazelnut Extract

1. Combine all grains and steep at 154 for 30 mins.
2. Turn off flame and let steep for an additional 10 mins.
3. Remove grain bag and start mixing in your 6 lbs. of DME
4. Bring to a boil. When boil starts to roll, add your 2.5 oz of Kent Goldings and lactose.
5. Boil for 60 mins.
6. At 15 mins left to boil, add your Whirlfloc tablet
7. At 5 mins left to boil, add your cocoa powder
8. Cool to <70°, aerate and pitch yeast.
9. Ferment for ~1-1.5 weeks then rack into secondary.
10. Wait roughly 3-4 months
11. Add cocoa nibs during last 1.5 weeks in secondary.
12. At bottling/kegging, add your 1oz of hazlenut extract.

That's about it! I just brewed this up last night and smelled fantastic at boil. It's currently fermenting very aggressively, and started showing bubbles at about 1 hour after pitching.

I will keep you updated with it's progress as it comes along.

Cheers!

That sounds about right except the 3-4 MONTHS on the nibs?? I left my milk chocolate stout on the nibs for two weeks and I thought that was too much! But hey, to each his own!! Good luck!

I was thinking the same myself. I've never worked with nibs before and didn't know how long it would take to saturate. I'll most likely throw them in during the last 1 1/2 weeks in the secondary.

How much was too much when you did two weeks?

I think mine was in the secondary for close to 2.5 weeks and the chocolate flavor absolutely took over! It's very much in the forefront and its all I can taste. I really only wanted it to be a component of the flavor. Not the ONLY flavor. So, I guess you should start tasting the brew after the first week the nibs are in the secondary. Then just rack off the nibs when it's where you like it. That's the part of the instructions I tend to ignore and gauge for myself.

Yeah, I may just do 1 1/2 weeks. I already have a strong chocolate presence with the cocoa powder, but we'll see. I'll update a week/week and a half from now when I rack to secondary.

I'll be interested to hear how it turns out! I e never put cocoa powder in the boil so I don't know what that effect it will have. I've heard it gives mostly the bitterness from the cocoa. But that's hearsay.

Looks like fermentation is going well. OG came out at 1.071!

Just a suggestion, but a vanilla bean in secondary would help bring out the chocolate flavor.

Oh snap! That's a healthy ferment! You might think about putting a blowoff tube on your future batches! That thing looks like it could blow if it gets clogged! I had that happen on my latest RIS. I even had a blowoff tube in. Although I had it attached to the wrong airlock. The airlock I grabbed had the little web on the bottom. It easily clogged and built up presssure. I came home from work to see beer and krausen splattered all over the floor joists in my basement!

Would love to know how this turns out.

planecrazy29 said:

Just a suggestion, but a vanilla bean in secondary would help bring out the chocolate flavor.

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Oh really? I've never heard that before. How much, and for how long?

Oh snap! That's a healthy ferment! You might think about putting a blowoff tube on your future batches! That thing looks like it could blow if it gets clogged! I had that happen on my latest RIS. I even had a blowoff tube in. Although I had it attached to the wrong airlock. The airlock I grabbed had the little web on the bottom. It easily clogged and built up presssure. I came home from work to see beer and krausen splattered all over the floor joists in my basement!

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Ouch! I just ran down the the hardware store and picked up some 1/2 inch tubing to make a make-shift blow-off tube. The fermentation was getting really agressive, so I thought 'better safe than sorry'.

ikoniak said:

Oh really? I've never heard that before. How much, and for how long?

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About the same amount of time the nibs are in there. That's how long I keep em in my vanilla porter. I use two beans in my porter though. I think in this situation, one should be enough. Experiment though! I suppose if you really want to experiment, put the nibs in for as long as you like, then rack. Ass the vanilla bean and leave it in for as long as you like. If after you rack off the nibs you like it where it is, then you have the option to not even add the bean and just bottle/keg from there!

ikoniak said:

Ouch! I just ran down the the hardware store and picked up some 1/2 inch tubing to make a make-shift blow-off tube. The fermentation was getting really agressive, so I thought 'better safe than sorry'.

Click to expand...

Good call. You got it set up just like I usually do. Just a question, does that airlock have a "webbed bottom or is it completely open (unobstructed)?

sub-a-dub-dubbed.

tyzippers said:

Good call. You got it set up just like I usually do. Just a question, does that airlock have a "webbed bottom or is it completely open (unobstructed)?

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It's completely open. I take it you're asking since some debris could get caught in the web and cause and explosion?

Also, thanks for the vanilla bean tips. I'll most likely be adding only one for the duration of the cocoa nibs.

ikoniak said:

It's completely open. I take it you're asking since some debris could get caught in the web and cause and explosion?

Click to expand...

You hit the nail on the head. I accidentally used one with the webbed bottom and it clogged. Hence the splattered beer all over my basement "ceiling"!:cross:

Alrighty! Racked the brew into a secondary, and the FG came out at 1.021 which gives the brew about a 6.02% ABV. Not bad!

This beer is DARK, like muddy puddle dark. I did the best I could to get a shot from direct light, it gives off a dark amber color when thinned.


When poured into my hydrometer cylinder you can see a bright mocha head slightly forming. The smell that it gave off was AMAZING. Of course I had to have a taste to see how much the chocolate came through and I was more than pleasantly surprised. The chocolate is PERFECT. Not too overpowering, the beer could stand it's own as is right now. Very velvety, dark chocolate cake feel to it.


Since so much additives went into this batch (I'm looking at you cocoa powder) we were left with a lot of trub. 1/2 gallon the be exact.


I think I will wait another two weeks, add the cocoa and let it sit for an additional week. Then when it's time to keg, I'll rack, add the hazelnut extract, force carbonate and enjoy. I'll see you guys then!

That sounds awesome! Can't wait to see how it finally turns out!

I did a batch over the winter. Turned out great, but my chocolate flavor didn't pop like I wanted it to. Gonna try the vanilla next time! And maybe up the hazelnut too...
Cheers and good luck!

Thanks! When I racked into secondary, I noticed a really strong chocolate presence. So hopefully this brew will be on par. Kegging on July 4th!

I am also thinking about doing a recipe similar to this.. I was looking into getting a vanilla bean or 2 and realized they are 4-5$ a pop! Vanilla extract would probably be ok too right? Maybe add it at the same time as hazelnut extract? Also- I was surprised to see 1lb of lactose powder being used. Is that a pretty normal amount?

printerroxx said:

I am also thinking about doing a recipe similar to this.. I was looking into getting a vanilla bean or 2 and realized they are 4-5$ a pop! Vanilla extract would probably be ok too right? Maybe add it at the same time as hazelnut extract? Also- I was surprised to see 1lb of lactose powder being used. Is that a pretty normal amount?

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Shop around a little. I got my madagascar vanilla beans on amazon. They weren't expensive and they shipped pretty quick

I've used pure extract and real beans. IMO the beans are worth every penny.

Do you take the seeds out and use those or just put the whole bean in secondary?

printerroxx said:

Do you take the seeds out and use those or just put the whole bean in secondary?

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Use everything! I will slit the beans, scrape the insides, and then quarter the pod and throw everything in. Waste not my friend!

Great thanks for the advice!!

I split em, scrape em, put everything in some 80 proof booze for 2-3 weeks and add at bottling.

that ounce of hazelnut could be a lot. i'd bottle a few without it for comparison and then add it slowly to the remainder.

So??? How was the final result? I am thinking this maybe my next batch. It was sounding pretty good, but no final results has me concerned...

I ended up adding a vanilla bean and a package of coca nibs, and then adding a bottle of hazelnut extract at bottling. Its still carbonating but I'll let you know in about a week!

Woooo doggies that's a lot of hazelnut! Wouldn't catch me complaining, I love the stuff. Still, the extract goes a long way. I only used one shot glass full for my hazelnut brown

Well this turned out the be the best beer i ever made!!!

The hazelnut is forward but I think its pretty balanced with the chocolate and some vanilla.

I think the nibs kind of hindered the head retention, which is something I might look into when I make it again but otherwise its a great beer!

More pictures, please!

How is the body? Any thick? What about head retention?