Chocolate Cherry Stout advice

[natebanks7]

I'm trying to make a chocolate cherry stout and this is my second attempt at a partial mash and I was hoping I could get some advice on the recipe.


Batch size: 5.5 gal
Boil volume: 3.5 gal
OG: 1.051
FG: 1.013
Bitterness (IBU): 35.2
Color (SRM): 38.8
ABV: 5.0%

Grain/Sugars:

4.00 lb Two-row (US), 40.0%
1.00 lb Amber DME, 10.0%
1.00 lb Amber DME, 10.0%, boil for 10 min
1.00 lb Milk Sugar, 10.0%, boil for 10 min
0.75 lb Chocolate Malt (US), 7.5%
0.75 lb Flaked Oats, 7.5%
0.75 lb Roasted Barley, 7.5%
0.50 lb Barley, Flaked, 5.0%
0.25 lb CaraPils, 2.5%

Hops:

1.50 oz Kent Golding (AA 5.1%, Pellet) 60 min, 22.3 IBU
0.40 oz Cascade (AA 6.6%, Pellet) 30 min, 6.0 IBU
0.40 oz Cluster (AA 7.7%, Pellet) 30 min, 7.0 IBU

Yeast:
Irish Ale yeast, 1.0 unit(s), Yeast


My plan is to add 1/2# unsweetened cocoa powder at knockout and add cherries and vanilla beans to secondary. Possibly more chocolate in secondary depending on taste.

BIAB Single infusion mash at 153* for 60 min. Recipe is assuming a 65% efficiency.

Any advice would be appreciated

 

[mendesm]

Make sure the cocoa powder you use has no fat. I've used both powder and cocoa nibs in the past. The nibs in secondary will give you a better chocolate aroma/taste than the powder will. I have not ever used the nibs in the boil, I think it would extract too much undesirable bitterness.

Check out the Chocolate Cherry Popper Sweet Stout in my recipes (to the left and below my pic).