Stuck Fermentation (Chocolate Espresso Stout)

[slothrob]

While the alchohol level is about right for a Dry Stout, the FG is more like what you would expect from an Oatmeal Stout. It would be a bit sweet, but not unlike some stouts. The coffee isn't going to add any unfermentables, but the chocolate might, I don't know. The Chocolate Malt will definately add unfermentables, as well as the Dark Extracts.

I've read that the beano can continue to work for some time. You might want to survey people's experience with it. The only time I've used amylase, on an Oatmeal Stout, I used it before the boil so that the enzyme would be denatured by the boil. Since you can't denature the beano you might see a persistant, slow drop in FG until there's nothing left for the enzyme to break down. I have no idea how low that will go.

[lgtg]

[quote="slothrob"]While the alchohol level is about right for a Dry Stout, the FG is more like what you would expect from an Oatmeal Stout. It would be a bit sweet, but not unlike some stouts. The coffee isn't going to add any unfermentables, but the chocolate might, I don't know. The Chocolate Malt will definately add unfermentables, as well as the Dark Extracts.

I've read that the beano can continue to work for some time. You might want to survey people's experience with it. The only time I've used amylase, on an Oatmeal Stout, I used it before the boil so that the enzyme would be denatured by the boil. Since you can't denature the beano you might see a persistant, slow drop in FG until there's nothing left for the enzyme to break down. I have no idea how low that will go.[/quote]

He has a cup of baker's chocolate in the recipe, shouldn't this be affecting it?

[slothrob]

Sorry, I have null experience with Chocolate in beer. My suspicion would be that any sugar would be fermentable, but Baker's shouldn't have much sugar in it. If all of the 1 cup was soluble into the 5 gallons, which I also doubt since the fat and fat soluble components of chocolate aren't going to be very soluble in beer, I'd expect only a couple points in 5 gallons.

So, at a guesstimate, I'd expect less than 2 points of unfermentables added by the Chocolate, probably more like 1. I expect it's negligible.

[moondog]

This looks right to me. I have made quite a few stouts chocolate, oatmeal, etc. they are supposed to be low abv. My final grav reading were always 18 to 21 and the beer tasted great.

Hi All,

I brewed a chocolate espresso stout 8 days ago and the gravity hasn't dropped in a few days. I prepared a yeast starter with 15 grams of dry yeast 3 days prior to the brew. After pitching, there was lots of activity. The OG was 1.050, then when I checked 3 and 5 days later the gravity was at 1.021. At that point I added an additional 6 grams of dry yeast. 3 full days later after adding the yeast the gravity hasn't changed (8 days after the original start). I transfered to a secondary and added another 6 grams hoping that somthing will get going. I also added yeast nutrient (2 tsp) at the start of fermentation and another 2 tsp after 5 days.

Here's the recipe specifics:
1/2lb Black patent malt
1/2lb Chocolate malt
3lbs Plain dark DME
3lbs Extra dark DME
1oz norther brewer
1oz fuggle
30 oz brewed espresso
1 cup dark bakers chocolate

Thanks in advance for any advice,
Jeff