If you stopped by the Briess display at last week’s NHC Homebrew Expo, Dan was probably the one who poured you a Dark Chocolate Ale. Dan’s our pilot brewer and he developed this recipe for inspiration, since we were distributing free 8oz samples of Briess Dark Chocolate Malt.
Here’s the recipe which calls for, coincidentally, 8oz of Dark Chocolate Malt. This malt is sometimes difficult for homebrewers to find, since most recipes call for the more standard 350º Lovibond Chocolate Malt. So that’s what shops tend to carry. Briess Dark Chocolate Malt weighs in at 420º L, but its rich coffee/cocoa flavors are amazingly smooth for a malt that’s been so darkly roasted and it’s worth the extra effort to find it. We hope you do. It’s a popular malt with many of our craft brewing customers.
Dan’s Dark Chocolate Ale
- Type: Ale
- Recipe Type: All Grain
- Recipe Contributed By: Dan Bies, Briess Technical Services Team
- Original Gravity: 1.056
- Final Gravity: 1.017
- Alcohol by Volume: 5.2%
- IBU: 23
- Color: 50 SRM
| 5-Gal Batch | 1bbl Batch | Ingredient |
|---|---|---|
| 9 lbs | 44 lbs | Briess Pale Ale Malt |
| 1 lb | 5 lbs | Briess Barley Flakes |
| 8 oz | 2.5 lbs | Briess Dark Chocolate Malt |
| 8 oz | 2.5 lbs | Briess Caramel Malt 30L |
| 8 oz | 2.5 lbs | Briess Caramel Malt 60L |
| 8 oz | 2.5 lbs | Briess Caramel Malt 120L |
| 1 oz | 6.2 oz | UK Challenger (5.7AA)—60 minute boil |
| 0.5 oz | 3.1 oz | UK Challenger (5.7AA)—15 minute boil |
| Wyeast 1275 Thames Valley Ale Yeast OR | ||
| White Labs WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast |