Cocoa nibs

I'm planning on doing a chocolate almond stout soon. I've done this beer before and gotten great feedback on it, but I've always felt that the chocolate character was too restrained, too subtle. The times I have made it, I've used cocoa powder right into the kettle a couple of minutes before flameout. In addition to not bringing enough flavor to the party, I don't like all of the crap in the bottom of the fermenter.

This time, I want to use cocoa nibs, but I'm not sure how much to use in a 10g batch:

Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 10.00 gal
Boil Size: 11.5 gal
Boil Time: 60 min

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
20 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 76.92 %
3 lbs Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 11.54 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5.77 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 5.77 %
3.00 oz Goldings [5.20 %] (60 min) Hops 24.1 IBU
2.00 oz Goldings [5.20 %] (10 min) Hops 5.8 IBU
4.00 oz Almond Extract (Secondary 6.0 weeks) Misc
??? oz CoCoa nibs (Boil? 5.0 min) Misc
2 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.068 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.062 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.016 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.77 %
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.79 %
Bitterness: 29.9 IBU
Calories: 276 cal/pint
Est Color: 37.3 SRM

Will 8 oz. be too much? Or not enough? Do I just toss 'em into the pot, or do I need to do some processing first?

Thanks!

I did 8oz in a 5 gal batch of milk stout and it is still wayyyyyy to strong on the chocolate 6 months later ... Id say try 4 crushed and soaked with a cup of vodka, then dump the whole thing in to the secondary.

My chocolate stout has cocoa in the boil and gets 8oz nibs in secondary with 2 vanilla beans. The vanilla really helps bring out the chocolate, so I'd suggest at least a little (one bean for 10 gallons should be subtle enough). I'd go for a full pound in your 10 gallon batch, but taste it frequently to make sure the flavor is where you want. I always soak my nibs with the vanilla beans in a good quality vodka to sanitize and extract a lot of flavor first.

For my Chocolate Porter I use 4 oz of cocoa nibbs and 2 vanilia beans in secondary. This gives me a nice chocolate aroma and a mild chocoalte taste. Allong with some in the boil it should be great.

daksin said:

My chocolate stout has cocoa in the boil and gets 8oz nibs in secondary with 2 vanilla beans. The vanilla really helps bring out the chocolate, so I'd suggest at least a little (one bean for 10 gallons should be subtle enough). I'd go for a full pound in your 10 gallon batch, but taste it frequently to make sure the flavor is where you want. I always soak my nibs with the vanilla beans in a good quality vodka to sanitize and extract a lot of flavor first.

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This, my Hazelnut Chocolate Stout(Nutella!) has 8oz in the secondary that you rack on top of in addition to about 1/2 cup of cocoa powder with 15 mins left on the boil.

I'd say if he really wants chocolate flavor and has 10 gallons to do 1#

I used 4 oz of cacao nibs for my 5 gallon batch of banana split stout. These nibs were added to secondary and left for two weeks. They imparted a very noticeable yet not overbearing chocolate bitterness.

Nibs are like aroma hops in every possible way. They add very little flavor, huge aroma and not much else. NEVER use the chocolate extract in your LHBS it will make you beer taste like hot cocoa in a bad way.

A little nib, a little dark cocoa powder and some some chocolate malt will make your face melt...

I used some nestle chocolate in the boil and then a few cocoa nibs in the secondary and it turned out great!!:rockin:

I agree with Zamial, My chocolate nibbed stout had little chocolate flavor but a good chocolate nose. Next time I'm definitely going to add cocoa powder and chocolate malt out the ying. It was very disappointing for me.

Beware - cocoa nibs add more knutty flavors than they do chocolate imo. They will work great and add a super good flavor, but don't expect southern tier Choklat from using the nibs. I heart cocoa nibs!!

Using Creme de Cocao will add a good chocolate flavor & add a little sweetness too! Give it a shot Or cocoa powder...

I boiled with a full can (8 ounces) of cocoa and then 8 ounces of Cocoa Nibs. It's not bad. I cut back on the roasted malt for my wife, who doesn't like the bitterness.

I'd have to agree that the nibs don't give that much flavor. If I had to do it again for me I'd add more roast malt, for the wife I'd consider adding some vanilla bean to help boost the chocolate flavor.

Still, it's a nice beer.

The other thing I will add to this post is I would steer people away from the LD Carlson chocolate flavor extract. It adds sweetness and cocoa (like hot cocoa) flavor NOT chocolate.

Where do you guys add your cocoa powder? I've always added it to the whirlpool right at flameout. Maybe at 10 left in the boil will give better results?

prrriiide said:

Where do you guys add your cocoa powder? I've always added it to the whirlpool right at flameout. Maybe at 10 left in the boil will give better results?

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I've done it both ways and not noticed a difference. The particles are so fine that I would imagine most of your extraction happens in the first few seconds anyway. I am going to stick with about 5 min left in the boil, though, because it gets really clumpy and the boil helps to break it up.