Using Chocolate Liqueur

[pdm1982]

I'm getting ready to brew a milk stout that will use cacao nibs in the secondary. In the past I've soaked the nibs in some vodka to sanitize and extract flavors. I was wondering if there would be any added benefit to using Dekuyper's Creme De Cocoa Dark Chocolate Liqueur instead of vodka. It's 48 proof. Anyone have any experience or advice on this?

 

[giraffe]

24% ethanol isnt high enough to be anti-septic, I believe it needs to be around 40%.

 

[pdm1982]

Ahh... thanks. I wondered if that would be the case. I hadn't heard that about the 40% ABV threshold so I had no idea. I suppose they make chocolate vodka if I really really insisted on adding more flavor but it's not a big deal.

I recently made a beer that had 1/3 cup of the Dekuyper's added in the boil. I was trying to find a way to use up the rest. Maybe I'll pitch a little into the boil on my next stout...

 

[Sleepyemt]

If they are raw cacao nibs you can roast them, then whatever you soak them in wont matter as much