Chocolate Spearmint Ale

I have had some good chocolate stouts in the past and wanted to try my hand at some chocolate beer. So I started doing some research. Most of what I was seeing was using Hershey's chocolate syrup but that just goes against my principals, but I did find some places saying that you could use any form of chocolate from bean to nibs to powder to bar or chunk. Most recommended between 2 - 8 ounces and using less if using powder. I have read use in every stage of the process, bean in both the mash or boil, nibs and powder in both boil and just fermenter, the bar or chunk was typically suggested to be in the boil around the last half or so.
I want to point out the importance of the selection of a quality chocolate what every way you go because you never know what mineral oil will do to a beer. So the closer to the natural state you can get your chocolate the better.
I chose to go with Dutch process cocoa powder, bought from my local market. One whole pound of it. Thats right I did say earlier that most people suggest using less than a half pound and less for powder but nobody said you had to, also those guys were using hops. I used one ounce of spearmint bought from my local herb shop. And last but not least the ferment-able sugar, 7.75 lbs light malt extract.

Now to the process.
I brought 1.5 (ish) gallons of water to a boil, then removed it from the heat to add the malt extract. Once the malt extract was mixed in well I placed it back on the burner and brought it back to a boil. Then I added the Spearmint with cover on for 30 minutes. Then added 1/2 the chocolate stirring vigorously for about 5 minutes.
After the boil I poured the rest of the chocolate into the primary bucket and dumped the wort (mint and all) on top added about another gallon warm water and stirred that up, then added the rest of the water cold.
I snapped the lid on to the bucket and shook it for about 3 minutes to aerate (something I almost all-ways forget to do) then put a twin bubble airlock in the grommeted hole and let it cool till morning

Sat. Feb 19 2011
Starting gravity at room temp (64) was 1.064 and I poured the dry Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast into the bucket.

That night
Bubbling nicely, I cant wait to for the first racking so I can get my first tasting.

Saturday Feb 26
The bubbling of the twin bubble airlock slowed from once every 8 seconds to every 12 seconds to every 2 minutes (well I saw it bubble and waited 2 min till I said "It's done" and stopped watching). So I grabbed my hydrometer and took a reading 1.018. "Woohoo" I said and racked to the secondary carboy. This is where I tell you why everyone only suggests a couple of ounces of chocolate powder. The sludge was so thick that I was forced to start the siphon with the racking cane suspended in the bucket (meaning I could not just let the racking cane tip rest on the bottom of the bucket, I had to start with it off the bottom and slowly lower it to the bottom). I was able to suck off more of the liquor than usual but there was also about 3 times the troob.
I took a sample of it when it started to run "clear" (after the initial bout of troob pickup after setting down the racking cane but before the second troob pick at end of transfer) and it was really REALLY chocolaty with a very powerful hit of spearmint in the nose and on the front of the tongue. although there both really strong in their respective flavors neither is stronger than the other so it is balanced. the only problem really is that all the sweetness is gone. it is almost like eating dry mint leaves and bakers chocolate.
Its in my glass carboy down in the basement now, current ambient is around 50 but the weather is about to change now so it may be a little warmer but should not go above the upper 50's. I hope this cooler secondary fermentation helps drop some of the suspended matter because right now it looks like mud. Another week or three and Ill bottle this

Spiced Mead

Thurs. Feb. 17 2011
I am trying my hand at another mead. Its going to be kinda small but that will be okay. I have 5 lbs of raw honey from Honey Gardens and I'm making 3 gallons.

Recipe
10 3inch long pieces of cinnimon stick (broken)
3 nutmeg (chopped)
2 tablespoon (approx.) whole all spice

5 lbs honey (raw)

3 gallons water (VT well)

I boiled the spices in half the watter with top on for 1 hour then strained. Used the hot decotion to "melt" the raw honey. poured the mixture into the 3 gallon carboy and added cold water from tap (no I'm not worried about contamination) till full (well the top line at least, I need to leave some head room).

Starting gravity was 1.062

The next morning
I popped off the rubber cork and airlock off and just pour the dry Red Star Premier Curvee yeast straight in. I replaced the cork and went to work.

That night
Fermentation had officially started.