I don’t have much experience with chocolate additions so I’m hoping to gain some insight from more experienced brewers. Yesterday I made up a batch of double chocolate oatmeal stout, the recipe I was following didn’t call for any cocoa. I really wanted to get a nice chocolate flavor (similar to Samual Smiths Organic Chocolate Stout). I read a few different things around the internet that adding cocoa nibs into your secondary does more to add aroma, rather than taste, and adding cocoa power to the end of your boil gives more flavor. I added 4 ounces of 100% pure cocoa powder (that I had made into a chocolate syrup) to my 5.5 gallon batch near the end of my boil. There was no noticeable chocolate flavor. I have also read other articles about soaking nibs in vodka for about a week and adding that to the secondary. Any tips on gaining that really rich chocolate flavor would be much appreciated.
I make a chocolate Raspberry Porter that is well loved
I add 4 oz of 100 % cocoa powder and 4 oz of cocoa nibs at 15 minutes left in the boil
I add 4 more ounce of organic nibs to the secondary at the same time I add my raspberries and a pound of honey. I purée the raspberries and nibs together in a food processor
The beer takes a week longer to clear due to the fine particles but the chocolate flavour is definitely present
I’ve been perfecting this recipe for 15 years and have found that yeast selection is important as well . Ale yeasts that add fruit flavours enhance the chocolate flavour as well I’m using the Trappist Ale strain now
This is my go to Valentines Day brew
My wife makes a chocolate orange stout and the first time through we did cocoa nibs in the boil, good flavor and aroma but (like dark grain) can impart some bitterness. The second time we did cocoa nibs in secondary. We did soak them in vodka for a couple days, which not only sanitizes the nibs but does seem to extract some flavors, basically like a extract.
I believe we added 4oz of nibs to a 3 gallon batch, so it’s a healthy dose of chocolate.
Thank you Nathan, and ethinson. So I might still be able to get the chocolate flavor I’m looking for by adding an additional 4 oz of nibs to my secondary? Does it help extract flavor from the nibs by crushing them, because of the additional surface area?
I think so It’s the only way I’ve done it so I have nothing to compare it too
Sounds like it should work. You may have to experiment with the amount of nibs you use. It’s gonna be a “to taste” sort of thing.
I’m pretty sure I used whole nibs, but I can’t think of any disadvantages to cracking them up a little bit.
Hello, I’ve been using nibs for some time but have had many problems with the beer foam. I used to add the nibs in the boil and now I’m using them in the mash which seems to help with the foam but it has no much retention.
I would appreciate any advice.
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The first time I brewed with chocolate I used baking square-dissolved in hot water
And let it cool slightly and skimmed the oils off too prevent them messing with head retention but I’ve had no trouble with the head on my porter using nibs it is a very big beer with 1070 oh and a lot of brown malt in the mix
[quote=“nathan, post:2, topic:25832, username:nathan”]
I make a chocolate Raspberry Porter that is well loved
I add 4 oz of 100 % cocoa powder and 4 oz of cocoa nibs at 15 minutes left in the boil
I add 4 more ounce of organic nibs to the secondary at the same time I add my raspberries and a pound of honey. I purée the raspberries and nibs together in a food processor
The beer takes a week longer to clear due to the fine particles but the chocolate flavour is definitely present
Sounds delicious!
I just recently happened across a product called “Cholaca” at my local brew shop I used it in my recent double chocolate oatmeal stout. It’s fantastic!
Is there a recommended usage with this product?
I was told to use the same amount by weight, as you would with nibs or powder. I’m still new to this product, but once I keg my double chocolate oatmeal stout I’ll get back with an update on how it turned out using the same by weight as nibs or powder.
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Yeah, I talke dabout it in an earlier post. I,ve been working wit it for a while.
Not necessarily. I had a conversation with the guy who makes it at HBC since we were sharing a booth. Basically, since it’s aspetically packaged you can add it to taste and not have to guess at the amount. He sid a half to whole bottle is the ballpark, but recommended tasting as you add. Or you can just add it per glass.
Does this product have oil/fat in it?
And who sells it online?
Brewcraft wholesales it so any shop that buys from them can get it.
Not to be a turd, but it’s CACAO nibs, not COCOA. Pronounced like a large artillery gun going off. Ca-COW!!
Back on topic, I’ve used the cacao nibs in secondary and they were ok, but I would agree with others that it provides more mouthfeel and some aroma, with little flavor contribution. Recently I brewed Jamil’s Chocolate Hazelnut Porter, and that recipe called for an 8 oz addition of cocoa powder at flameout. I got a lot more chocolate character from that than I ever have with nibs.