using Cacao ...anyone recently?

[Soulshine2]

I could very well have posted this in the GF brewing section but this is as good as any .
I've been pondering a chocolate coconut (coffee)porter and after seeing posts of the chocolate flavor additive being Cacao nibs , I found in the GF section of the grocery store (walmart) a bag of organic Cacao powder(16 oz). I'm wondering , how this would work in place of the usually used nibs. I've not used them before so if someone who has could tell me what exactly is a "nib"? I'm going to guess if I can in fact use it , I may not need all that much as a normal recipe would call for because of its powder state instead of a larger size so the flavoring may be more ...intense. When would you add this - to the boil ,last few minutes, at flame-out ,sometime during the ferment or as a secondary addition?
Heck , I could even try making my own YooHoo /Kayo for those that recognize either.
If not I'll just give it to my mom to make dessert stuff for my dad , since hes on the Gluten Free diet (celiac) .

 

[brownni5]

You bought ground up nibs. I use nibs periodically since they're pretty easy to work with. Mash, boil, primary, secondary, at packaging - it's up to you really. If I were using powder, I'd probably throw it in the boil, but not a full pound! I usually see around 4-5 oz of some sort of cocoa/cacao used toward the end of the boil, but search around and you'll find more.

 

[IslandLizard]

I would not boil it.

For most flavor, I'd make a pourable slurry with just enough water to suspend the cocoa powder. 8 oz should do it, maybe more? Then add to the fermenter after fermentation has finished. Give it a few days to extract the flavor, cold crash and package.

You could use a liquor, like bourbon, whiskey, vodka, rum to make the slurry. that would sanitize it at the same time . Perhaps let the alcoholic slurry sit for a few days to extract before adding to the finished beer.

 

[Soulshine2]

You bought ground up nibs. I use nibs periodically since they're pretty easy to work with. Mash, boil, primary, secondary, at packaging - it's up to you really. If I were using powder, I'd probably throw it in the boil, but not a full pound! I usually see around 4-5 oz of some sort of cocoa/cacao used toward the end of the boil, but search around and you'll find more.

I did , that's why I ended up asking here. Everything I read said nibs not powder. Or said cocoa not cacao...I don't know if they're interchangeable.

 

[couchsending]

Cholaca. It’s liquid cacao. You can buy it at a lot of grocery stores out west at least. 12oz bottles

 

[Rob2010SS]

Don't use powder in the boil. It leads to a bitter chocolate type flavor. I'd use it in the fermenter as @IslandLizard said.

In regards to cacao vs cocoa, i believe cacao is unroasted and once you roast it you get cocoa.