Sweetening with Splenda

[Sir Law]

Bear with me here, I recieved an Imperial Stout kit for xmas but since I'm not a big Imperial Stout fan, I thought I would try turning it into a chocolate stout by backing off the hops and adding chocolate (obviously). The recipe is below, I boiled 8 oz of bittersweet chocolate chips for 60 mins as well.

It's been fermenting for about a week now so I gave it a taste and I'm not getting any chocolate taste, which is what I was afraid of since it's such a big beer. It also has very little residual sweetness. I'm going to add some cocoa powder before bottling but I would also like to add sweetness. Poking around the forum, I've seen some suggestions of Splenda. If I were to add Splenda, does anyone have any opinion as to how much I should add? As a target, I would like a sweetness similar to Young's Double Chocolate Stout. If you have any better ideas for adding sweetness please let me know. Thank you in advance for any information.

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 10.60
Anticipated OG: 1.076 Plato: 18.37
Anticipated SRM: 49.7
Anticipated IBU: 26.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Actual OG: 1.071 Plato: 17.19
Actual FG: 1.020 Plato: 5.08

Alc by Weight: 5.20 by Volume: 6.70 From Measured Gravities.
ADF: 70.4 RDF 59.2 Apparent & Real Degree of Fermentation.

Actual Mash System Efficiency: 33 %
Anticipated Points From Mash: 9.30
Actual Points From Mash: 4.14


Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
62.3 6.60 lbs. Muntons LME - Dark England 1.037 27
18.9 2.00 lbs. Generic DME - Dark Generic 1.044 20
4.7 0.50 lbs. Roasted Barley Great Britain 1.029 575
4.7 0.50 lbs. Black Patent Malt Great Britain 1.027 525
9.4 1.00 lbs. Crystal 60L America 1.034 60

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.50 oz. Columbus Pellet 12.20 26.6 60 min.


Yeast
-----

Danstar Nottingham

[cul8rv8]

I'm not really going to help, but I will chime in on using Splenda. I used it in a cider I made a while back to try and sweeten, and was disappointed. It did have some sweetness, but it had that artificial sweetner taste like diet soda.

Not sure how to combat that, nor am I sure what other options there might be, but just giving some info from my personal experience.

[markaberrant]

With only 26 IBUs there should be plenty of sweetness. What is the gravity at?

I'm guessing it tastes a little green at this point, so I would leave it alone and bottle as is. The flavours will round out over time and there should be plenty of sweetness.

Boiling chocolate chips for 60 minutes is probably not a great way to add chocolate character. As well, roasted barley and black patent are going to have more roasted/burnt/coffee flavour than chocolate... if you were to go for more of a chocolate flavour, you could have replaced some of these grains with chocolate malt.