Mocha Porter

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by crcostel, Oct 29, 2017.

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  1. crcostel

    crcostel Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2006 Illinois

    Thinking of Christmas Beers and this one will be a Mocha Porter. When one thinks of Mocha, the flavors are Chocolate, Coffee, and Milk. So how does this sounds

    Batch: 2gal BIAB
    60min Boil


    OG: 1.052
    FG: 1.017
    ABV: 4.56%
    IBU: 29.54
    SRM: 25.11

    Grain:
    52oz Golden Promise
    6oz Pale Chocolate
    4oz Brown Malt
    2oz Coffee Malt

    Mash 60min at 153

    Hops:
    14g Northern Brewer 7AA @45min

    Late Addition 8oz Espresso @bottle -2days

    Yeast:
    WY1084 Irish Ale

    Thoughts? I could always add chocolate extract but I worry about finding quality one.
     
  2. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    I haven't had this in a beer, but the tasting sample served up at HomebrewCon was promising:
    https://shop.brewcraftusa.com/en-cholaca
     
    #2 pweis909, Oct 29, 2017
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2017
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  3. EvenMoreJesus

    EvenMoreJesus Initiate (0) Jun 8, 2017 Pennsylvania

    I like the Nielson-Massey products:

    [​IMG]
     
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  4. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,276) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I would avoid using espresso and go for a cold brewed, non-fruity, medium roast as the espresso tends to add too much acidity. As for chocolate flavorings, the best I've found are the extracts from Amoretti (Oxnard, CA) for both flavor and aroma. They also make something similar to Cholaca (which I have on order but haven't tried yet) but I fear the cocoa from either product will either drop out or leave a very hazy beer. I should also note that I didn't find any extract flavor in their extracts even at elevated levels.
     
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  5. Bryan12345

    Bryan12345 Initiate (0) Mar 17, 2016 Texas

    No lactose?

    I use cocoa powder. The little bit of oil there kills the head tho.

    FWIW :slight_smile:
     
  6. crcostel

    crcostel Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2006 Illinois

    Oops - 4oz of lactose
     
  7. EvenMoreJesus

    EvenMoreJesus Initiate (0) Jun 8, 2017 Pennsylvania

    FWIW, if you add it to your mash, you won't have this issue.
     
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  8. crcostel

    crcostel Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2006 Illinois

    So Im getting set to brew this on Friday. I'm taking @NeroFiddled suggestion and using cold brew before bottling. I'm still pondering the chocolate part. My grain bill will have both pale and regular chocolate malt, but to amp it up even more I see 4 options

    1) Mash with cocoa powder
    2) Mash with cocoa nibs
    3) Soak cocoa nibs into the coldbrew or fementer at and of primary.
    4) Add chocolate extract with cold brew.

    Thoughts?
     
  9. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,276) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Won't anything in the mash get at least partially left behind? I'd avoid that, you might as well just put it in the boil. If you do that, however, you'll boil off some of the aromatics, and lose head retention. If you're going to boil then, add it late. Personally I'd soak cocoa nibs in the cold brew and then add the whole thing at the end of primary. Keep in mind, the cocoa powder or nibs will drop out so you might have to wait a little longer to rack it. If you have an extract then you can test it in small samples until you figure out how much you need and add it before racking to bump any lost aroma or flavor. Don't skip the testing part and just figure it'll be OK, too little and then what was it worth, or too much that gives that extract flavor ruins it and then what was the point? Good luck.
     
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  10. Yalc

    Yalc Zealot (501) Nov 5, 2011 Florida

    I just brewed a porter and split off 2 gallons to try adding this in secondary. Still fermenting, will be adding this weekend.
     
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  11. GormBrewhouse

    GormBrewhouse Pooh-Bah (2,111) Jun 24, 2015 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah

    Personally, I avoid extracts, just a personal flaw on my account.

    My vote is for nibs, but you will have plenty with the chocolate malts. Second place is coco powder.
     
  12. EvenMoreJesus

    EvenMoreJesus Initiate (0) Jun 8, 2017 Pennsylvania

    You'd think that, but it is, very often, not the case. Especially with spices. You do, however, have to use a little more to get the character that you want.

    This is a good idea.

    As is this.
     
  13. moonbrews

    moonbrews Initiate (0) Aug 11, 2010 Virginia

    Won't disagree, necessarily, but keep in mind that this means assuming you nail the right blend of coffee and cocoa flavors in your cold brew. adding them separately to the beer gives you a little more control, though the flavors in a porter, cocoa, and coffee may all be similar enough that it's not really worth worrying about that.
     
  14. hoptualBrew

    hoptualBrew Initiate (0) May 29, 2011 Florida

    Go nibs! In secondary, mix of nibs and coffee beans.
     
  15. machalel

    machalel Initiate (0) Jan 19, 2012 Australia

    obviously YMMV - but I have done 2 beers with coffee, and the one that was good was a Mocha Porter made with espresso shots, the one that was 'meh' was a stout made with cold-brew.

    IMHO, the espresso brew (which also had lactose) had a fuller and well-rounded coffee flavour & a much more intense aroma. The cold-brew beer was a bit 'flat' and tasted more muddied / dirty. Obviously this is only 1 data point, and the beers compared weren't the same style/recipe/etc, but I was very happy with the espresso addition.
     
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