Cholaca Liquid Cacao

[Grod1]

So its been around for a while.who has used it? what ratios?
this is from an old post

I did a little more digging on the Cholaca website and it looks like they recommend a starting point of 1 gal/bbl. This would equate to ~ 21 oz per 5 gallon batch. Im going to give it a shot.

8 oz in 4 gallons is just about right! Super chocolatey without overdoing the flavor or making the beer harsh.

10 gallon batch of a Robust Porter and split it into two 5 gallon fermentations. After fermentation subsided, I added 16 oz of Cholaca to one, and just 16 oz of Cholaca to the other. Turned out fantastic! The cocoa character was just right IMO, without being too overpowering as to mask the flavor of the base beer.

I used 1/2 of a 32 oz bottle in my stout along with 1 lb of lactose in my 5 gallon batch. Was very happy with the flavor. So anywhere from 12-16oz should lend a good flavor for you.

im curious to hear from people who have used this product. and plese mention if you used the sugar/no sugar versions.

 

[BrewerBrad82]

Hello there!

I actually ended up using a pint (16 oz) per 5 gallons of Porter. The chocolate is certainly evident, but I think you can go with more Cholaca for a more pronounced flavor.

 

[day_trippr]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=593865
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=374198

 

[TandemTails]

I just brewed a stout today that will get 8oz of Cholaca in the keg. I have a 12oz bottle so if i feel it needs some extra chocolate flavor I might add all the way up to 12oz. I'm also going to put a little bit of vanilla extract in the keg as well to help promote the chocolate flavors.

I think it'll be hard to nail down a precise amount since everyone has different ideas of how much chocolate they want in their beer and the grain bill will play a big role as well.

 

[Grod1]

that is true but the more people that report back the easier it will be to pin point estimate amounts for different styles.
did yours have sugar or no sugar?

 

[TandemTails]

that is true but the more people that report back the easier it will be to pin point estimate amounts for different styles.
did yours have sugar or no sugar?

I bought a bottle of the unsweetened cholaca. I wasn't sure if the sugar in the sweetened version was fermentable and I didn't want an extra variable at kegging to mess with my carbonation.

I'm not adding lactose either.

 

[TandemTails]

Just to keep this thread updated and relevant, Cholaca has actually posted some advice for homebrewers using the product. The whole writeup can be found here: http://www.cholaca.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Cholaca-HOME-BREW-Dosage-Guidlines-2017-.pdf

In case the PDF disappears or something, here's what it says:

Cholaca Dosage rates
• For home brewers: add 18-32oz per 5-gallon batch, depending on how flavor forward you want your chocolate to be.

Cholaca brewing guidelines for the home brewer
When you’re transferring the beer into your secondary process your beer will be at an average temperature between 55-65 degrees, introduce Cholaca cold into this secondary process and then let it sit for a couple hours to a few days. Then crash, the beer and whatever particulates are left seem to drop out of suspension at that time. Some use filters, centrifuges etc., most don’t. In general, this process should result in a clean pour and easy clean up due to minimal residue left by Cholaca’s pure liquid cacao.

“The best way to incorporate the Cholaca would be to shake the bottle well to ensure it is all mixed well and then pour your measured volume into a clean and sanitized fermenter and then rack (Transfer) the beer on top of the Cholaca and let it continue in secondary for 2 – 3 days and then cold crash. If your hose is long enough just allow the beer to whirlpool slightly as it is racking and this will help to mix it all together without too much risk of oxidation.

When you are ready to bottle or keg your beer pull a sample from the fermenter and taste it, and if there is not enough chocolate flavor pour some more into the bottling bucket or keg and then rack the beer onto it and then give it a gentle stir prior to bottling/kegging.

Based off what I have read from other home brewers, a solid starting point for a 5 gallon batch of beer is about 18-32oz. I will be brewing a Chocolate Milk Stout and will be adding 16oz of lactose as a late addition during the boil and then 20oz of Cholaca in secondary. I want the chocolate to be quite pronounced and then the Lactose will provide a creamy mouthfeel along with a residual sweetness to counter the slight bitterness from Cacao.”

Cheers!
Jonathan Gibson

Jonny’s Home Brew Adventures
Home Brew & Review’s
www.JonnyHomeBrew.com
www.facebook.com/JonnysHomeBrewadventures

It doesn't mention using the sweetened vs unsweetened product. They have a separate PDF for pro brewers that mentions filtering or pasteurizing to prevent secondary fermentation using the sweetened version.