Adapted from a recipe by Mark Sullivan, Chesapeake Real Ale Brewers (CRAB) from "More Homebrew Favorites", by Lutzen & Stevens.
- 0.75 pounds Crystal 90L malt
- 0.5 pounds Roasted barley
- 0.5 pounds Chocolate Malt
- 0.33 pounds Black patent malt
- 4 lbs Dark DME
- 3.3 lbs Dark malt syrup
- 1-2 tsp Gypsum
- 2 oz Northern Brewer hops (7-11% AA)
- 1.50 oz Fuggles hops (4-6% AA), seperated into 2 equal piles
- 8 oz cocoa nibs, soaked in a neutral vodka for a week
- 5-6 cayenne peppers, cut into thin strips
- One package Wyeast 1318; London Ale III
- Steep grains in 2 gallons of 160 degree F water for 20 minutes. Remove the grains and discard, and bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat.
- Add the extracts and the gypsum, and bring the wort back up to a boil. Once it is boiling, set a timer for 60 minutes, and add the Northern Brewer hops.
- Boil for 20 minutes, and add 1 ounce of Fuggles hops.
- After 30 more minutes, add the remainder of the Fuggles hops.
- With 5 minutes remaining, add your cayenne peppers.
- Remove the wort from the heat and let the peppers steep while the wort cools.
- Pitch the yeast as standard after the wort has cooled.
- Primary fermentation should take about 7-10 days. Leave the peppers in the bucket during primary fermentation.
- Secondary should take about a week. Add the chocolate nibs before racking into the secondary.
- Prime with 0.5 cup corn sugar and bottle.
- Age as needed.
You might want to think about doing a secondary fermentation with cocoa nibs instead of using the Hershey's, or maybe using both. People say you get a lot of great cocoa flavor out of the nibs.