Cocoa beans

[laurelbibs]

I had a friend pick some cocoa beans from hawaii, can i use these in my boil with the grain? if so do i need to crush them or not, i need some advice they smell great but very bitter tasting.

 

[ronclark]

When I used them, it was after the fermentation was complete. I soaked them in whiskey over night and then added them to the brew. I poured the beans, whiskey, and all directly into the primary and let them sit for about a week.

Some will say to add them to a secondary and rack onto them.

You also might want to strain whatever liquor you use to bring out the flavor before adding.

Hope this helps.

 

[Wocka_Wocka]

When I used them, it was after the fermentation was complete.

Were the beans that you used raw, or did you roast them? Also, how did the taste turn out?

 

[jessup]

can i use these in my boil with the grain?

i hope you're not boiling your grain

i would definitely wait until after the vigorous fermentation is over to add them since the agitation of the primary fermentor will likely drive off the aroma. definitely crush them to get more surface area. soaking them in any liquor will extract the flavor better than boiling or letting them just sit. use vodka if you don't want the bourbon flavor that i personally prefer. cocoa nibs were what I used in the past which I believe are just roasted cocoa beans. that said, perhaps you want to roast them if you're not happy with the flavor of them right now. chew on one and see if they're worth roasting, and if you roast, check often so you don't overdo it.

 

[bosbill]

I just bought some cocoa beans to add to my 2nd batch (didn't take long before I turned to chocolate). Anyway the store clerk (at Modern Homebrew in Cambridge) recommended that I crush the beans, then soak in a glass of vodka for a few days then add to the fermentation a few days in. Similar to what Ron said basically except vodka not whiskey. He didn't mention anything about roasting them so I plan on skipping that this time around.