I am making a Chocolate Coffee Stout and I will be adding Cocoa Nibs into the secondary fermenter. We have done this with a previous batch and got the gusher virus. Does anyone have a recommendation on how to sanitize these to eliminate any contamination issues. I have read soaking in Vodka… What about sanitizing with Star San?
no to star san… just use vodka.
Never had a sanitiation problem addining cacao nibs directly to my beer. I treat them just like dry hops. I suppose you could cold steep them in vodka. My guess is you had a sanitation problem along the way unrelated to the cacao nibs.
Another vote for steeping in vodka for a few days and then adding the whole thing to the secondary (including the vodka).
I’ve always soaked the nibs in grain alcohol for a few days before adding to the keg to “dry nib” them there.