Chocolate Imperial Stout – All Grain Recipe Kit

Chocolate Imperial Stout – All Grain Recipe Kit

Rich, silky, dark and seriously chocolatey. This is an unapologetically big Imperial Stout, built around layers of roasted and chocolate malt, with cacao nibs and vanilla adding even more depth.

The recipe takes inspiration from Chocolate Achromatic Stout, the American Imperial Stout recipe developed by Neil Fisher of WeldWerks Brewing Co. It's a malt-forward, full-bodied beer where chocolate, roast and dark caramel character take centre stage, rather than relying on huge hop additions.

Expect a deep, complex stout with rich chocolate and roasted malt character, a smooth mouthfeel from the oats and plenty of malt depth to balance the bitterness. The addition of cacao nibs and vanilla (not included)gives you the opportunity to push those chocolate flavours even further.

*This is a big old grain bill at 9.41Kg. If you are considering buying the kit make sure your mash tun is big enough*

Brew Facts

I've scales this to my Grainfather G40 & WHC LAX

• Batch Size: 19 litres
• OG 1.105
• FG 1.022
• ABV: 11%
• EBC 131
• IBU: 45

Yeast:- make your choice 

• 2 × 12g WHC LAX vacuum packed yeast .
• or

• 2 × 12g Verdant IPA vacuum packed yeast 

What's in the Kit?

The substantial malt bill (9.41Kg) combines Best Ale malt, Chocolate malt, Pale Chocolate, Chocolate Rye, Double Roasted Crystal, Crystal malt, Flaked Oats and Roasted Barley.

Magnum provides the bitterness, keeping the hop character restrained and allowing the darker malt flavours to do the talking.

Protafloc is included, along with your choice of 2 × US-05 or 2 × Verdant IPA yeast.

Cacao nibs and vanilla are not included with the kit. The recipe calls for roasted cacao nibs and vanilla during once fermentation is complete.

This is not a beer to rush. Once fermentation is complete, the cacao nibs and vanilla can be added before giving the beer another 2–3 weeks of conditioning.

With time, the flavours should come together into a big, smooth Imperial Stout packed with dark chocolate, roast, caramel and vanilla character.

Fancy Taking It Further?

With a beer this big and full of flavour, barrel ageing is well worth considering. A clean, well-prepared spirit barrel or oak ageing can introduce layers of vanilla, toasted oak and warming character while allowing the stout's chocolate and roasted malt flavours to develop further.

If you're feeling adventurous, give the beer plenty of time to mature before deciding whether it needs anything else. A few months of careful ageing can turn a very good Imperial Stout into something genuinely special.

It's the sort of beer that rewards patience — and probably deserves a decent-sized glass rather than a quick half at the bar.

Grain Over Sands – proper ingredients for brewing seriously good beer at home.