Split Batch - Adding Chocolate

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

yournotpeter

Supporting Member
HBT Supporter
Joined
Feb 3, 2007
Messages
258
Reaction score
9
My plan is to do 10 gallons of Porter and split it - one with chocolate and one without. I use a Therminator chiller, so my plan is to run 5 gallons through the chiller and into a fermenter. Then, with 5 gallons left in my boil kettle and still at about 200 degrees, I was going to add my unsweetened cocoa.

Do you think it will be OK to add that cocoa to the 200 degree wort, or do I need to bring it back up to boiling when I add it? Or perhaps boil it up in a small amount of water and then add it? All the chocolates I have done I have added the chocolate at flameout...is 200 degrees close enough to just add the cocoa powder? What do you folks think?
 
@200F I think you should be fine. If you truly are worried you can boil a 8-16oz of water (depending on how much cocoa you have) mix the cocoa in while the 2 cups are boiling and throw the hot cocoa into the kettle.
 
I ended up doing exactly that....I just dumped it into 200 degree wort. I'll post back when the beer is done with a report!
 
Are you using cocoa nibs or powder?

Note that raw cocoa has quite a bit of oils that will ruin your head retention. Basically, the oil occupies the nucleation sites on the surface of each beer so the CO2 can not.

Cocoa powder already has that oil processed out, but doesn't give quite as good of a chocolate flavor as nibs.

If you are using nibs, most people will roast/broil them in the oven to cook out the oils before using them in beer. Do a search to figure out the appropriate roasting/broiling procedure.

GOOD LUCK!
 
Are you using cocoa nibs or powder?

Note that raw cocoa has quite a bit of oils that will ruin your head retention. Basically, the oil occupies the nucleation sites on the surface of each beer so the CO2 can not.

Cocoa powder already has that oil processed out, but doesn't give quite as good of a chocolate flavor as nibs.

If you are using nibs, most people will roast/broil them in the oven to cook out the oils before using them in beer. Do a search to figure out the appropriate roasting/broiling procedure.

GOOD LUCK!

Great info! I used powder...but I like the idea of the nibs. Thanks for sharing!
 
Back
Top