Chocolate Stout Using Real Cacao

[Andy_P]

A co-worker brought me some cacao from the Dominican Republic. There are 3 types, shows in the pics. The beans I can shell and use as nibs I think, the larger one which may be a chunk of the beans all roasted together, he said I can run over a grater and use that also use as nibs. The other I guess is used in chunks to make chocolate milk, coffee, etc? Anyone have any experience with these and know about how much of each to use? Are the nibs same as the packaged stuff I usually get at the local store?

I am using a pretty basic recipe for this but really want to use the cacao he gave me instead.

5 gal batch
11.75 lb Domestic 2 Row
1 lb Rolled Oats
1.6 lb Chocolate Malt
8 oz Carapils
8 oz Caramel 120L
8 oz Roasted Barley

1oz Chinook
1.25 oz Spalt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 oz cocoa nibs
13 oz PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter

 

[Jag75]

Check this out . I thought it was interesting.

Watch "Bean To Beer: A Cacao Story" on YouTube

 

[Dgallo]

A co-worker brought me some cacao from the Dominican Republic. There are 3 types, shows in the pics. The beans I can shell and use as nibs I think, the larger one which may be a chunk of the beans all roasted together, he said I can run over a grater and use that also use as nibs. The other I guess is used in chunks to make chocolate milk, coffee, etc? Anyone have any experience with these and know about how much of each to use? Are the nibs same as the packaged stuff I usually get at the local store?

I am using a pretty basic recipe for this but really want to use the cacao he gave me instead.

5 gal batch
11.75 lb Domestic 2 Row
1 lb Rolled Oats
1.6 lb Chocolate Malt
8 oz Carapils
8 oz Caramel 120L
8 oz Roasted Barley

1oz Chinook
1.25 oz Spalt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 oz cocoa nibs
13 oz PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
View attachment 655330 View attachment 655331

That’s a steep amount of chocolate malt IMHO. For me it starts get getting burnt and astringent. I would drop it to 8 oz and do a lb of Carafa 3 debittered. I also think your fine with the 4 oz of nibs. You could certainly up it to 6 oz. Coco powder kind turns into a mess in my experience.