Question about cocoa nibs in secondary

[Constructivist]

Hello! I foolishly dumped in a small packet of cocoa nibs into my secondary without first consulting the wisdom of Homebrewtalk (now I know I should have soaked the nibs in some vodka for a while before adding). I put the nibs in yesterday and they are still floating on the top of the beer. I don't have much experience with dry hopping or otherwise adding stuff to a secondary, so I'm wondering if I need to agitate the beer a little to help the nibs to settle? Thanks in advance!

 

[signpost]

No, don't agitate it. That could cause oxidation. They'll soak up some liquid soon enough, and the beer will be extracting the flavor you're looking for.

The idea of soaking them in vodka is partially to extract flavor ahead of time, and partly to 'sanitize' the nibs to prevent infections. However, if the nibs were in a sealed bag, you'll probably be fine. The alcohol already in your beer will likely prevent any infection from taking hold. I have read a number of posts on HBT of people that added cacao nibs the same way you did and had no problems.

 

[Constructivist]

Thank you for the info, Signpost!