A Chocolate Milk Stout Recipe for Those Cold Winter Days

by Jason James Updated on January 20, 2017 Scottish Beer Brewing Recipes


I’m not the conventional beer drinker. Some like to think winter time is for darker beers, but I still enjoy lighter fruit beers when the temperatures drop.

However, not everyone is weird like me, so here is a chocolate filled stout you can really sink your teeth into. Whether it be after shoveling some snow or a day at the rink, this beer is better than any hot winter beverage.

This beer is full of chocolate flavor. This can be accomplished using specific specialty grains, however, I like to give the beer a little more punch by aging it on cocoa nibs after primary fermentation. The key to soaking cocoa nibs is to extract their flavor. Some people like to bake them first, but I found that a good soak in vodka does the trick. Also, the lactose gives a good sweetness to it.

Chocolate Milk Stout Recipe

Stats

OG: 1:099

FG: 1:030

ABV: 9.0%

IBUs: 10

SRM: 61

Grain Bill

6 # 2-Row

2# Munich

1 # Flaked Oats

1# Carafa 1

1 # Pale Chocolate

1 # Chocolate Wheat

4 oz Crystal

1 #  Honey

3 # Lactose

Hops

1oz Liberty @ 40 Minutes

Yeast

Safale 04           

Yeast Pitch Rate: .79M cells /mL / °P

Starter: No

Form: Dry

Attenuation 74%

Fermentation Temp: 67F allowed to free rise to 72F.

Brewing Notes

I cold steeped the dark grains for 48 hours (Carafa1, Pale Chocolate, Chocolate Wheat, Crystal 120). This helps make the beer smoother at a faster rate instead of having to allow if to age. Check out the technique.

  • Mash @ 160F for 60 minutes.
  • Soak 4 oz of cocoa nibs in 6 oz of vodka in a mason jar for one week.
  • After primary fermentation, add the cocoa nibs and vodka to beer. Let it age for another 2-3 weeks.

 

The Final Product

 

If you are looking for a roasty beer with hints of dark chocolate, this is it. You could also add lacto sugar in the boil to produce a nice Milk Chocolate Stout. I have brewed this beer a bunch of times and it was an instant hit. I recently brewed a 5 gallon batch for a buddy’s wedding and it did not last the night. Brew it up and let me know how it goes, hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I have.

Cheers!

Here’s a link to the brewing recipe without the chocolate part: Milk Stout Recipe