Dark Chocolate Ale
Mark on Dec 4th 2005
Today (4th Dec), I put on a new brew, intended for next Winter. It’s a Cooper’s Dark Ale, with Cooper’s Brew Enhancer Type 2, and most of a block of Lindt 85% dark chocolate melted in. (Jill thought this was a bit of a waste, and that I should have just thrown in some cocoa powder instead.) “Chocolate” beer (especially chocolate stout) is usually made with “chocolate malt” (dark brown malted barley), not real chocolate, but chocolate in beer is a common home-brew recipe, and I see a few commercial chocolate beers are available now.
I tasted a second bottle of the Chilli and Lime Lager too. It’s smoother now after a few months in the bottle, but the taste of the chillis (not the heat) is pretty overwhelming. (I’m not sure if I can taste the Lime flavour at all.) So, I think next time back to my original recipe of just one hot chilli. But it’s still fit to drink. 
Filed in Homebrew | 7 responses so far
liming Feb 10th 2006 at 06:57 am 1
I usually find slasfood a quite entertaining and informative read.
http://www.slashfood.com/2006/02/09/pairing-chocolate-and-beer/
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/food/6847950/detail.html
Mark Staples » ASWEC 2006 Apr 24th 2006 at 01:59 pm 2
[…] After Ian’s closing address, a crowd of organisers and others kicked on to the after-party to celebrate what had been the biggest and perhaps best ASWEC ever. The after-party-goers enjoyed my homebrew (or at least politely feigned enjoyment of it! ) - a good way to finish a great week. […]
Mark Staples » Orange Coriander Ale Aug 27th 2007 at 04:25 pm 3
[…] good things come to an end, and so it is with my Dark Chocolate Ale. My stores are generally getting low - now I’m left with only a couple of bottles of Spicy […]
Abba Dec 17th 2007 at 09:15 pm 4
The chocolate ale that you made is quite similar to a beer I’ve currently got bubbling away in my laundry…I started with a Coopers Special Irish Stout pack though, added a 1kg tin of Chocolate malt, half a bag of a milk stout improver (basically a dextrose, dry hops and lactose mix), and 3 small blocks of organic dark 65% cocoa chocolate…How did yours end up? Mine has nearly stopped bubbling, and I’ve tasted it when checking specific gravity, and it tastes quite bitter, almost slightly vinegary (I guess bitter from the irish stout mix, a dark ale, or oatmeal stout kit may have been a smarter option?), and not THAT cocoay..Ive got some lactose that I’ll be adding in different amounts when I brew, to add some sweetness…I’m just interested to see what yours ended up like. I spent 2 years in the UK and LOVED Youngs Double Choc stout. But they stopped making it!
Mark Dec 18th 2007 at 08:04 am 5
Abba - the beer was fine, but the chocolate taste almost completely disappeared… I think if I did it again I’d just use good powdered cocoa (maybe in a fairly large amount), and eat the chocolate!
I’m lactose intolerant, so I don’t add that… I’d be happy with an unsweetened bitter chocolate beer.
Abba Dec 18th 2007 at 04:45 pm 6
Thanks for the quick reply Mark! Mine has a faint Chocolatey after taste, but not as chocolatey as I would have hoped…I used quite a bit more than you too it seems…I think if I did it again, I’d probably use only a Dark Ale kit (as you did), or at least a Porter kit..Something just that little bit less roasted than an Irish Stout. I think it is just too intense,and over powers the whole thing. I’d also probably add even more chocolate…
Mark Staples » Dark Ale Mar 2nd 2008 at 11:35 am 7
[…] for Winter - a Cooper’s Dark Ale, with their Brew Enhancer Type 2. I’ve used this kit before, but this time I’m not doing anything fancy - just making plain ol’ […]