Tincture w/ Cocoa Nibs

[crjpilot]

Hi all-

First post for me

I've got an Oatmeal Stout in the fermenter and I want to add coffee and cocoa into the secondary. Coffee's pretty simple, but can anyone give me tips on how to best utilize the cocoa nibs? I was going to just through them into a mesh bag, but the LHBS suggests making a tincture to reduce the workload. I have no problem using the mesh bag, but I'm curious about tinctures (how much alcohol to use, etc.). Thanks!

 

[koopa]

I've added 1.5oz of nibs to roughly 4oz of vodka and soaked in a cool dark place for 21 days, then added the liquid only to 3 gallons of a plain brown porter and got a strong chocolate nose in the final product. Not much chocolate flavor other than perceived flavor created by the aroma. I also noticed that the chocolate aroma faded more than anticipated over time. Not sure if that really helps you but that is my experience. I've also read that roasted nibs are more pungent than raw nibs. I used raw nibs.

 

[crjpilot]

Thanks for your input. That is helpful. I'm hoping to retain some of the cocoa flavor, so maybe I'll stick with the bag. Interesting about the roasting too. That might be an option.