Toasted coconut in vodka?

[mikejmiller71]

I'm getting ready to drop my cacao and toasted coconut in the fermenter. I have let my cacao soak in vodka for the last few days but I just wanted to make sure I don't need to sanitize the coconut.

thx,
Mike.

 

[m00ps]

I toasted 4lbs of coconut and just assumed that the toasting process made it pretty much clean. Added all 4 lbs in a bag and it worked fine. Are you adding the vodka too? because it mightve stolen a lot of the flavors

 

[mikejmiller71]

I just read about adding vodka to cacao nibs and assumed it was for sanitation. Maybe it just helps bring out the flavor and does not sanitize? Just wanted to be safe before I added the coconut.

 

[m00ps]

when I add cacao nibs, I put them in a flask with ~150ml water and boil it for less than a minute. It sanitizes them and really extracts their chocolate flavors. I just dump that mixture into the fermentor and it works great

I toasted my coconut in the oven and put it straight into a sealed container. I figured the toasting made them sanitized enough plus you are adding it once the beer has a good bit of alcohol so you safer too

 

[mikejmiller71]

Well...truth be told I am taking a shortcut. We are having a b-day party next weekend and I don't have time to secondary so I threw it in the primary after only one week. There is probably at least some alcohol at this point though. That's the concern behind all the sanitation.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Fun trick: Get a whip cream maker. Put the nibs and vodka in where the cream goes. Hit it with the No2. Boom! Nitrogen Cavitation. The vodak will instantly (read 30 seconds) be infused with the flavor. Add to keg and go.