Suggestions for Cocoa Nibs and Vanilla Bean Steeping?

[Pappers_]

We're taking an imperial porter out of a bourbon barrel tonight and want to try steeping some cocoa nibs and vanilla beans in it. Our portion is five gallons-ish. Any suggestion for amounts of nibs and vanilla and for how long to let it steep? I was thinking a handful of nips, three beans split apart, and leave it for two weeks. But that is just guess. What do you think?

 

[Upthewazzu]

Three beans in 5-ish gallons is appropriate (it was a little much in my 3.5 gallon batch of vanilla bourbon brown ale).

I did a chocolate porter with cocoa nibs a while back but can't remember how much nibs we added. I recall it being slightly under-flavored. I'm not sure you can go wrong with more nibs!

1-2 weeks for both is plenty fine.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, I use 8 ounces of cocoa nibs and two scraped and smushed vanilla beans per 5 gallons, marinated in dark rum for a week before dumping the works in a fresh carboy and racking on top. This is an 11% imperial chocolate stout I've been keeping on tap for so many years I've lost track. I have a short pour for my bedtime snack nearly every night

Cheers!

 

[danielthemaniel]

Sounds like an appropriate amount. I do 5 vanilla beans in a 10 gallon batch of coffee vanilla porter and it is about right.

 

[danielthemaniel]

I will say to make sure you scrap out the black tar looking substance in the vanilla bean then cut up the bean into inch increments and soak it in a liquor for a week or 2.

 

[Pappers_]

Thanks for the suggestions, very helpful. We decided to make a tincture with the nibs and vanilla beans in dark rum and add the rum when we keg it.