Cocoa, Coffee and dry hops in my secondary

Hey there, next week I will be racking my stout to a secondary and was wondering about a few things. I am adding just a bit of cocoa and coffee for some flavor. Do I steep it in a bag in there or just throw it in and let it rest on the bottom? I will be dry hopping it with a bit of simcoe pellets as well...do I steep those? This is my first batch and don't want to jack anything up, but since will will be racking again to a bottling bucket when it's finished, I am thinking that all of that sediment won't matter much.

My second question is about the coffee? do I grind and cold press it before adding it to the secondary in a bag or just throw the beans it.

Has any body ever done that with cocoa nibs? Like, grind them up and steep them in a bag? Thanks for your thoughts. This is my first post here, but I appreciate that fact that experienced brewers on this forum are always willing to take the time and share their knowledge in a non-condescending manner.

Thanks.

Cold press the coffee and then dump the cold press, the cocoa and the dryhops in the bottom of the secondary. Just rack on top of it.

Another route is the cocoa nibs. I like these and am planning on using them in my next oatmeal stout. I soak them in vodka for a few days at least. Just add them with the cold press and hops. Everything should settle out in the secondary.

I always cold brew my coffee and add it at bottling time. That way I can taste it as it goes. If you add to secondary you are sort of guessing how much to add. Of course you can always make adjustments when you finish that 5 gallons and start the next. Also I don't do any thing to sanatize it, just use a clean measuring cup and pour, mix gently so as not to add o2.

Thanks for the input guys. This really helps me out.

Why does everyone use vodka or rum with their cocoa nibs?

mewithstewpid said:

Why does everyone use vodka or rum with their cocoa nibs?

Click to expand...

1st: Not that I think it's a huge deal but it sanitizes them with the alcohol
2nd: Because last year when I posted this question multiple people told me to. Something about the alcohol extracting more of the flavor or something if I remember correctly.

Anyone ever try grinding or cracking the nibs for a better release of flavor?

inhousebrew said:

1st: Not that I think it's a huge deal but it sanitizes them with the alcohol
2nd: Because last year when I posted this question multiple people told me to. Something about the alcohol extracting more of the flavor or something if I remember correctly.

Click to expand...

i guess its the same this with vanilla beans then. people say to do that to get more vanilla out of it, makes it into a vanilla extract.

makes sense, i just sprinkle cocoa nibs on which is why i asked.

fwiw, store-bought vanilla, coffee and chocolate extracts are typically one-third alcohol, so it follows to get the best bang, use some booze...

Cheers! (hmmm....that works on at least a couple of levels )

I did a vanilla coffee stout that came out amazing. Took 4oz of coffee beans and course ground them. Sliced 3 vanilla beans and scraped them. Tossed the whole shebang into the secondary and racked the beer on top of that for 10 days. It was like having an alcoholic coffee in the evening after work.

I bought a 375ml (1/2) pint of cheap vodka, and poured it over 4oz (actually 6 in total with 2oz added previously)) of crushed & roasted cocoa nibs. They didn't taste like much until after I roasted them, just like every chocolate producer you can think of. Anyway, I put the nibs and the vodka in a sealed container, and let it go for 4 or 5 days as well as being shaken every day. The flavor and aroma were amazing. I added both the vodka and the nibs together into 5 gallons into my secondary. I swirled (I didn't shake) the secondary every day for 6 days. The samples tasted the same on both of the last days, so I cold crashed it for two days, and the beer was clear, and the nibs were almost glued to the bottom it seemed. 375ml of vodka added to 5 gallons raises the alcohol by 0.7% or so, if it matters to you.
I almost forgot to mention; I added 3 tablespoons of pure vanilla and 8oz of Lactose before I cold crashed the beer, and on bottling day the flavor was great. I'll let you know in a month when I crack one open.