Which is better? Vodka soak or nibs in secondary? 4 oz enough per 5 gallon?
OK, some one out there has experience with these. Right? 
I did a search, found Drew suggests the vodka soak and Gordon says add to secondary and remove and rack when taste is right.
Anybody? Bueller?
I have only done the Vodka Soak. I did 4oz in my Mild, and I got more aroma than flavor. I haven’t tried adding to secondary.
I used nibs in the secondary for a NB milk chocolate stout extract kit a couple years ago. It was the worst beer I’ve ever brewed. So I wouldn’t use it as a measuring stick.
Yeah… Not sure why I posted anything. I guess I wasn’t much help 
Five ounces of nibs in a bag added to the keg and removed after 4 or 5 days worked great for me in a Doublebock.
I used cacao nibs in an experimental Chocolate Porter last year. I split the batch into 4 one gallon jugs for secondary and pitched a different level of nibs in each.
To start with I bought raw nibs before I learned that they should be roasted to bring out the flavor. So my first task was an experiment in roasting cacao nibs. After trying three different temp/time combinations this is where I landed. One roasting method suggested roasting at 150 F for 10 minutes then 120 F for 10 minutes. I may be wrong but that does not sound much like “roasting” for me, so I assumed that the temps were really in C instead of F. This translated into the following:
- 300F for 10 min.
- 250F for 10 min.
After roasting I weighed out the nibs for the following pitching rates:
- 1 oz./5 gal. = 0.15 oz.
- 2 oz./5 gal. = 0.30 oz.
- 3 oz./5 gal. = 0.45 oz.
- 5 oz./5 gal. = 0.75 oz.
I added just enough vodka to cover the nibs and let it soak for about 10 days. After soaking the vodka/nib mixture was dark brown and smelled awesome, like chocolate cake. I pitched the vodka and nibs into each secondary jug.
Initially after carbonation the 3 oz./5 gal. was the best in terms of chocolate aroma and flavor without bitterness; 5 oz./5gal. was a little bitter. However, after a month or so the bitterness in the 5 oz. sub-batch subsided and it became the favorite.
I used 6 oz in a Porter during secondary and I thought it wasn’t enough. I like the keg idea.
I treat the nibs the same way I do coffee - in the keg in a nylon bag with a string which I pull when it gets where I want. Cold steeping in beer is pretty underrated, and you can control the flavor pretty exactly.
Interesting about the toasting. Anyone else tried this?
Do the brewers best Cacoa Nibs come pretoasted? This sounds like a great way to get that roasty chocolate aroma in beer!
I don’t know about brewer’s best, I ordered mine off Amazon. Pretty sure they were “raw” so I’ll probably toast them. Think I’m leaning toward the vodka soak. Did this with vanilla beans and worked great. Thinking about adding 1/2 a vanilla bean too to bump up chocolate flavor.
So I’m thinking (for 10 gallons) 8-10 toasted nibs and 1/2 vanilla bean in vodka for 3-4 days.
assume you mean 8-10 oz of nibs?
All this talk about cocoa nibs makes me want to go buy some just for eating. mmmm chocolate walnuts.
Yeah, Trader Joes sells dark chocolate covered cacao nibs that are like crack. I can’t buy them or I’ll eat the whole tin in like 2 mouthfuls.
yes. ounces.
I just tossed 6 ounces of crushed nibs into my secondary. 5 gallons of a 7.3% ABV Stout. I’m not sure if you need to worry about sanitizing with vodka unless it’s a flavor thing. They just fall out like hop pellets. Cold crash and they all drop. 14 days in the secondary. Good flavor but subtle. Next time 8 ounces. Unless I just got lucky, it’s been 6 months and there is no sanitation weirdness…