Beer Forum

My wife loves America's Brewpub Chocolate Blonde. I am using Jamil's basic blonde recipe and adding cocoa powder as Jamil suggest in his recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut. My questions is she thinks it is not sweet enough since using cocoa powder. How can I get a sweet chocolate taste? I have considered a chocolate extract, since that is what Mike at America's say he does. But how much for a 5 gallon batch?

Try adding a lb or so of lactose. That'll sweeten the beer, and let the cocoa really come through.

I've also heard Jamil say adding a touch of vanilla extract (real stuff) will help bring out the chocolate. I think he said at bottling, and to taste. Since its a blonde you prob don't want to add crystal malts. However lactose is not a bad idea either if your local LBS carries it.

I use lactose. any where from 8-16oz.

I've been using the TCHO cocoa nibs. Awesome flavor.

I've done 2 beers in the last 2 1/2 years using cocoa powder. The first was a porter with a vanilla bean added in the secondary, the second was a cream stout (1 pound of lactose powder.) Both were very tasty, but both started out very bitter. I think time is the best thing to truely bring out the chocolate flavor. Both beers are/were much less bitter after 6 months to a year of aging. I do think that both the addition of vanilla or lactose powder does help increase the chocolate flavor, but time is your friend on this one.

What works really well with chocolate is to make and American Rye beer and "dry nib" it with TCHO cacao Nibs in a secondary for 4-6 weeks. Since you were trying to make an American Blond ale to begin with, and American Rye would be similar. The Rye malt does not really give you a spiciness as everyone "claims" it does but gives you an amazing smooth mouthfeel that lends a level of sweetness that your wife is looking for to blend with your chocolate.

Recently my brother and I made a American Rye beer and an American blond ale and nibbed them the same. The Rye beer was/is perfect for cacao or chocolate the blond was lacking the supporting sweetness perception we all are used to with traditional chocolates.

Try adding a few drops of Coconut extract as well. It really blends well with the beer too!

Our RYE will be in the 2010 Sam Adams Longshot 6 pack next year! Just saying....