I brewed a one gallon porter brew and added chocolate. I have made this recipe several times, but this was the first time I have added chocolate. The problem I am having is that there was some initial fermentation, but the bubbling stopped after one day and was not as strong as usual. The total grain used was 1,078 grams and I added 45 grams of Hershey chocolate cocoa powder with ten minutes left in the boil. I initially added 7.5 grams of Safale S-04 yeast that I had hydrated, and it seemed to have responded before I pitched it. A few days after the bubbling quit, I added another 5 grams of yeast to see if it would help, but to no avail. The fermenting temperature was 70 degrees and may have dipped a little to 68 degrees, it was in the basement and it is cold here right now! I moved the jug to a warmer room in the house and it did not help either. Have any of you had an issue with the oils in the chocolate having an effect on the yeast so it is not able to ferment properly?
Have you measured the gravity of the beer? Based on what you have written it's not 100% clear to me that you have a problem.
^^^What he said. Don't get bent out of shape until you have checked the gravity a couple times and are sure it is too high and stabilized.
Your 70 degree temp may have speeded up the fermentation process, so your fermentation may be done. Are you fermenting in a carboy so that you can see evidence of krausen bubbles residue on the side of the glass? You don't mention a time frame since your brew day, but if you are close to two weeks I'd take a gravity reading a few days apart, and if you are close to your expected final gravity, then you're done. Go ahead and package your beer.
