Currently just moved a Brew's Best Kit RIS to secondary...and it will probably stay there for 3 weeks, possible 4. This is my 5th brew and ready to try a little experimentation after doing IPA, Belgian Stout, Belgian Dark Ale, DIPA, and another IPA with no real issues. I have seen other threads concerning adding vanilla soaked in vodka or rum or bourbon in oak chips or by themselves. I've seen cocoa nibs and coffee added. My questions are: -Is there something else you might add? I am open to any suggestions!!! -When is the best time to add and how do you add to maximized the flavors you seek and of course, how much for a 5 gallon batch? -How the heck do you get whatever you are adding into the carboy with such a small opening? (sounds like a stupid question, but when I was trying to dry hop my DIPA I had no idea how to get that much hops into the carboy for the secondary and ended up just shoving them in with the hop bag and hoped for the best!) Thanks in advance!!!
One popular addition for a stout that you didn't mention is cherries. That is the only fruit beer that I've ever brewed, and it was one of my earliest brews. I think I used a quart of concentrated sour cherry juice added into the wort at flame-out. It came out okay, but had a bit more bitterness/sourness than what I was expecting.
I've done this kit before a few years back when I still brewed extract and it is indeed a good kit. I added 2 oz oak cubes soaked in bourbon to secondary and let that sit for almost 2 months. Other than that I didn't do anything else to it.. Turned out great though. I don't think I'd mess with this one too much, but maybe you could experiment with some molasses in the boil? Just a lb or 2.. But yea it can be tough to get some of that stuff in the carboy without touching it.. Just use a funnel!
Since I am already in secondary with this brew, sour cherries are out...but I love the thought and may think about that for a future brew!!!
Right now I am making a tincture for a mexican chocolate stout. In a large mason jar I have... 2 diced ancho chiles 3 roasted 3" cinnamon sticks 2 mexican vanilla beans 3 oz cocao nibs toasted 3 oz espresso coarsly ground 1 diced cayanne pepper 2 cups spiced rum the rum is going to make an extract for me, all I have to do is add this to my bottling bucket to taste and bottle it up.
So you just drain off the rum into the bottling bucket? Have you used that ratio before? Seems easy enough...
I'm going to drain the rum off and add to taste at bottling. I'll probably go a little heavy then though. When I bottled my vanilla stout it was super aggressive and in your face with vanilla, after sitting for 3 months it has become subdued but still noticeable.
Thanks for the replies, I really like the idea of the spicy, coffee and chocolate taste. Taking notes for future brews!!!
Yea... I had missed when you said you had already done the boil and ferment, so disregard my 'molasses in the boil' reply, but I hear it can add some good flavors for any future stouts that you may brew.
If youre up for cleaning, i would really recommend a "dry-hop" of toasted coconut. I use about 4 lbs in a 5 gallon batch, broil them on a cookie sheet until golden brown and slightly cripsy, itll be a mess to clean out of the carboy, but its great. for bonus points add a few chopped vanilla beans. cheers
Put a tbs of my extract into a glass of ten fidy. Seems ok, kinda sweet though. I may only treat half my batch with this just to see where it ends up after bottle conditioning.
What would the ratio of the tincture to your batch? How many TBS/Gal? And you add this after fermentation and before bottling?
Right now I'm going to add 1 tbs per pint of finished beer, I will be adding to taste at the time of bottling.
Doesn't seem like you'll get 40 or so pints/tbs (5 gallon batch assuming) out of the 2 oz of rum, especially after absorption from everything in your mason jar. Are you just adding that to a few of your bottles or all of them? I add everything (rum + all contents) into the secondary, but I also keg instead of bottling most of my batches. EDIT: I misread as 2 oz, not 2 cups, but will 2 cups still provide enough for a 5 gallon batch? Just curious for my own future batches.
I don't know how I missed your other post explaining you were going to split the batch...my bad for having you repeat that. So, what changes do you think you'd make to lessen the sweetness? Or do you think it may have something to do with Ten Fidy as a base vs your own stout? I've been looking for Mexican cake recipe/tincture and yours sounds pretty solid. Sorry for the thread hijack
I'm not sure I would use cocao nibs again. My base beer already has a lot of chocolate notes anyway, so I don't think I need the cocao in my beer. The vanilla also brings a perception of sweetness to the beer anyway. Maybe next time I will leave out the vanilla. I did use a coffee that had a super dark roast to offset the sweet flavors. This is my first time trying to extract using so many adjuncts, I think I may make a few versions to get my ratios correct before I get too gung ho about treating a full 5 gallon batch. I also used a spiced dark rum, next time I'm going with something with less residual sweetness. And lastly, I subbed out the cayenne for dried habanero, I like the heat from it. Leaves a slight burn that plays well with the sweet and cinnamon.
I just bottled my imperial stout aged on 4 oz. toasted coconut (unsweetened), 1 vanilla bean and 2 oz. cocoa nibs for a 2.5 gallon batch. Let it sit in secondary for roughly 1 week, and it is exactly what I wanted and so tasty (on the sweet side) mimicking a 7 layer bar (coconut, graham, vanilla, chocolate). I threw all the ingredients in secondary loose, and my god the coconut clogged everything! Should've slipped a mesh over the end of the auto-siphon.
