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Chocolate Bock -- Brew Log

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Marshmallow Blue

NewBee
Registered Member
Brew day on Saturday. I made a chocolate bock, hopefully something close to the Sam Adams one that comes in the Winter variety pack (And formerly in bombers) here's the final recipe.

4lbs muntons bock - hopped liquid extract
1# chocolate malt - steeped between 150-165 for 25 min
1# crystal caramel malt 60L - steeped between 150-165 for 25 min
1# dark spray malt extract (dry)
1# cacao nibs
12 oz sugar (its what was left in two of the open bags)
Muntons standard ale yeast

I don't have a big lobster pot to do bug boils in, so I had one gallon each in 2 pots. The grains were steeped in their own pot, and other pot was brought to a boil then taken off heat where the liquid and dry malts were added and dissolved. Then as suggested I brought it back to a boil for a few minutes. The two pots of wort, and the rest of the water were combined into a 5 gallon bucket to the five gallon line, maybe just a bit over it.

Starting gravity is 1.053 already temp adjusted. When the fermentation is done, ill rack this onto the 1 lb of cacao nibs.

This is already fermenting along. It's really hard to not being able to see the brew in process. I'm so used to glass carboys for my mead.
 

Marshmallow Blue

NewBee
Registered Member
Did a Gravity Check last night. It's at 1.021 meaning that it's a bit over 4% at this point. It should continue to drop over the next week where I'll rack it over to the nibs for a month and a half or so. Being patient for beer is so much easier than mead haha!

I also did some more research and this is actually a porter because I used an Ale yeast instead of a lager yeast. so it's new official name is:
Chocolate Mock
 

Marshmallow Blue

NewBee
Registered Member
This was bottled about three weeks ago. I've handing out samples and drinking. Very chocolate forward nose. Head retention is one of the best I've ever seen in a beer. It will stick around for almost an entire glass; and leave foam on the side of the glass as you drink it. The taste is more of a coffee / chocolate with just a very mild hoppiness, which I understand is bocks should be on the sweeter side anyways. It's the best beer I've made (but I've only made 4 beers).

IMG_1648_zpsc2042344.jpg
 

clone63

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 1, 2013
73
0
0
Belleville, ON
That's a sharp looking 'mock.' Can you tell any difference between the cacao vs. just plain chocolate?

Did you actually lager it? I think it would just be a stout if not, since it was ale yeast too.
 

Marshmallow Blue

NewBee
Registered Member
Yup, that's why its a mock and not a bock, because of the ale yeast and not lagering. The things I would do for a fermentation chamber. But I have a pretty small apartment and no room for such things.

As far as difference between cacao nibs and regular chocolate? Not sure, I wouldn't be throwing a Hershey's bar in there. Those are mostly wax and sugar. But cacao nibs are the beans before they get all those added oils and sugar etc. They really help in the aroma department. The chocolate flavor comes mostly from Chocolate malt in combination with the 60L Crystal malt; and even then its not over-powering.
 

Marshmallow Blue

NewBee
Registered Member
Found the last bottle of this behind some milk in the back of the fridge. It's all gone now though. Next time I may completely forgo, or half the amount of cacao nibs. There was more than plenty of chocolate aroma and they added a metallic taste to some of my bottles if one of the nibs slipped through the racking cane.

I may also make a chocolate extract form the nibs next time instead.
 

THawk

Crazy Martian Cat
GotMead Patron
Found the last bottle of this behind some milk in the back of the fridge. It's all gone now though. Next time I may completely forgo, or half the amount of cacao nibs. There was more than plenty of chocolate aroma and they added a metallic taste to some of my bottles if one of the nibs slipped through the racking cane.

I may also make a chocolate extract form the nibs next time instead.

Wherabouts in Boston are you? Lived there myself for 10 years (14 if you include college. Went to BU).
 

Marshmallow Blue

NewBee
Registered Member
Wherabouts in Boston are you? Lived there myself for 10 years (14 if you include college. Went to BU).

Allston, on Comm ave. So pretty close to BU. Kelly's (formerly marty's) is now gone, and Uno's is now a bank! What a waste of the Harvard and Comm intersection!

Edit: Also any moneybags enough to rent a property for a year with no income form it can turn Kelly's into the biggest meadery in Boston... The only Meadery in Boston. But with all the pub crawlers every weekend (Even during shit weather), build it and they will come.
 

THawk

Crazy Martian Cat
GotMead Patron
Allston, on Comm ave. So pretty close to BU. Kelly's (formerly marty's) is now gone, and Uno's is now a bank! What a waste of the Harvard and Comm intersection!

Edit: Also any moneybags enough to rent a property for a year with no income form it can turn Kelly's into the biggest meadery in Boston... The only Meadery in Boston. But with all the pub crawlers every weekend (Even during shit weather), build it and they will come.

OMG. I used to live at 1082 Comm Ave (Across shaw's). Marty's is gone?! Wow... Sunset's grill and tap (Brighton & Harvard Ave) serves mead, I believe...
 
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