Adding cacao nibs to a stout

[tyrub42]

Hi everyone,

I have a stout brewing and will be adding some Nicaraguan cacao nibs that a friend brought back for me. After reading through several threads, I ground them to a powder and have them soaking in vodka now (for about 3 days so far) along with some vanilla beans in the same jar. I only added enough vodka to cover the nibs, and they have since reabsorbed it, so its just a jar of mush now, but I'm thinking that the vodka is still doing its job extracting flavor since it's been absorbed into the nibs (and I've already added 5 oz of vodka which is about as much as I'm comfortable with in 7.5 gallons).

Anyway, it'll soon be time to add that slurry to my beer, which I'm thinking I'll likely do in another day or two, once fermentation is still active, but has died down.

My question is, would it be better to add the nib slurry in a mesh bag (dry hopping sack)? I know that the general recommendation is to just dump them in, but they seem to be heavy enough to just sink straight down to the bottom and I'm worried it'll all settle under the yeast cake and contribute less flavor.

My options here are basically:

1. Just chuck it into the fermenter
2. suspend it in a hop bag
3. suspend it in a hop bag for a week, then dump the contents into the fermenter afterward before bottling.

What do you think would get the best flavor?

Thanks a lot!
Tyler

 

[day_trippr]

Timely, I just launched 11 gallons of a big ass imperial chocolate stout today...

This is one of the only recipes that I ever use a "secondary" vessel, and that's entirely to keep the cocoa nibs from disappearing under the trub.
In about 7-8 days I'll rack these into fresh carboys on top of a half pound each of cocoa nibs with a pair of stripped and smushed vanilla beans, all marinaded in dark rum for a week, slap S-locks on them and let them sit for a week before kegging and setting aside until the nitro faucet needs a freshie

Cheers!

 

[tyrub42]

Sounds delicious! I am not able to do a proper secondary due to space constraints in my chamber. Sounds like the hop bag would be my best bet.

Btw that's a half pound in 5.5 gal? I'm wondering if I'm going too light. I'm doing 125g ground nibs and three scraped beans (not an imperial, just about 7-7.5 abv). I have another 125g but was afraid the chocolate would be overpowering. Decisions decisions.....

Thanks so much for the reply btw!

 

[JDXX1971]

I recently used almost 1/2 pounds of roasted nibs in three gallons of 6.5% stout. I soaked the nibs in bourbon and dumped the whole lot into a hop sock tied it shut and threw it in the serving keg. Yummy goodness, while it lasted, which was not long.

 

[tyrub42]

I recently used almost 1/2 pounds of roasted nibs in three gallons of 6.5% stout. I soaked the nibs in bourbon and dumped the whole lot into a hop sock tied it shut and threw it in the serving keg. Yummy goodness, while it lasted, which was not long.

Wow sounds like I have severely undershot my nib numbers haha. Thanks for letting me know!

 

[Rob2010SS]

I have one sitting on nibs and vanilla beans as well. I didn as @JDXX1971 did, half pound of nibs and 5 grade A madagascar vanilla beans. Mine is 5 gallons as well, but it's an imperial.

You say you're a bit strained on space in your chamber so you can't do secondary. EDIT: I could be wrong, but if fermentation is complete, you don't need to keep it in your chamber, as long as where you keep it isn't scorching hot or freezing cold. I have mine sitting out of my chamber in my basement which is in the high 60's, but fermentation has been complete for a while. I would just dump them in secondary and transfer on top of them, IMO.

I'm obsessed with chocolate flavor in stouts so I would have went heavier. However, a friend of mine did 125g in one of his milk stouts and it came out fine. I think you'll be ok with what you got.

 

[smurfjuice]

Timely, I just launched 11 gallons of a big ass imperial chocolate stout today...

View attachment 562658

This is one of the only recipes that I ever use a "secondary" vessel, and that's entirely to keep the cocoa nibs from disappearing under the trub.
In about 7-8 days I'll rack these into fresh carboys on top of a half pound each of cocoa nibs with a pair of stripped and smushed vanilla beans, all marinaded in dark rum for a week, slap S-locks on them and let them sit for a week before kegging and setting aside until the nitro faucet needs a freshie

Cheers!

Nice set up BTW.

 

[mggray87]

Timely, I just launched 11 gallons of a big ass imperial chocolate stout today...

View attachment 562658

This is one of the only recipes that I ever use a "secondary" vessel, and that's entirely to keep the cocoa nibs from disappearing under the trub.
In about 7-8 days I'll rack these into fresh carboys on top of a half pound each of cocoa nibs with a pair of stripped and smushed vanilla beans, all marinaded in dark rum for a week, slap S-locks on them and let them sit for a week before kegging and setting aside until the nitro faucet needs a freshie

Cheers!

So with about 6-6.5g into a unitank.agter ferm. Drop trub and yeast. While cold crashing then drop nibs and vanilla bean slurry right in? How much dark rum for 8-9oz nibs and 2 whole vanilla beans stripped?

 

[day_trippr]

I'd be guessing - I use enough dark rum to cover the half pound of nibs in a sealed plastic container.
Maybe a cup, cup and a half?

Cheers!

 

[mggray87]

I'd be guessing - I use enough dark rum to cover the half pound of nibs in a sealed plastic container.
Maybe a cup, cup and a half?

Cheers!

Is there a carbonation chart for nitro or beer gas

 

[mac_1103]

Is there a carbonation chart for nitro or beer gas

Yeah, it's in the other thread you just posted to. #16. I think most people would say to carbonate on straight CO2 and then switch to beer gas to dispense.

 

[mggray87]

Yeah, it's in the other thread you just posted to. #16. I think most people would say to carbonate on straight CO2 and then switch to beer gas to dispense.

I saw it but it's a zip file. So I'll have to wait till I get home. Don't think my phone will open that.

 

[mac_1103]

Well, you probably won't be able to carbonate your stout until you get home either.

 

[mggray87]

Well, you probably won't be able to carbonate your stout until you get home either.

It's not even made. Researching on getting a 1 tap beer gas but doing all the research. If I need a special keg. Carbonating with my CO2 first to 1.2 at 36*. What is that like 1psi lol even less. I can carb it in my unitank at a warmer temp to make it easier and pressure transfer. That might be the way to go.

 

[mggray87]

It's not even made. Researching on getting a 1 tap beer gas but doing all the research. If I need a special keg. Carbonating with my CO2 first to 1.2 at 36*. What is that like 1psi lol even less. I can carb it in my unitank at a warmer temp to make it easier and pressure transfer. That might be the way to go.

do I need a special pony keg cap with the diffuser that lays at the bottom of keg or does a regular keg gas post still work for Nitro and getting the cascade and such?

 

[mac_1103]

do I need a special pony keg cap with the diffuser that lays at the bottom of keg or does a regular keg gas post still work for Nitro and getting the cascade and such?

I don't think you need that if you have a proper stout faucet or a nukatap faucet with a stout spout.

 

[mggray87]

I don't think you need that if you have a proper stout faucet or a nukatap faucet with a stout spout.

ok cool i plan on getting a perlick stout/nitro faucet. sounds good.

 

[day_trippr]

Perlick stout faucet on Amazon is $193.
https://www.amazon.com/Perlick-63927-Stout-Faucet-304Ss/dp/B00ZE6JOHA
Otoh, Taprite faucet on Amazon is only $116. It's what I use. And there's a really good chance it's what Perlick is selling.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Y9LGRH
You do not need a special keg to dispense stout on beer gas.
And you'll find it's easier to carbonate stout at room temperature to the low level (~1.2 volumes) needed for blasting through a stout faucet at 30-35psi...

Cheers!

 

[mggray87]

Perlick stout faucet on Amazon is $193.
https://www.amazon.com/Perlick-63927-Stout-Faucet-304Ss/dp/B00ZE6JOHA
Otoh, Taprite faucet on Amazon is only $116. It's what I use. And there's a really good chance it's what Perlick is selling.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Y9LGRH
You do not need a special keg to dispense stout on beer gas.
And you'll find it's easier to carbonate stout at room temperature to the low level (~1.2 volumes) needed for blasting through a stout faucet at 30-35psi...

Cheers!

so if im not cold crashing a stout like my normal process for beers. after ferm just let it all settle, and i can carb at 68" or whatever my yeast ran at.. and do it in the unitank. I actually have been using my spunding valve and pressure fermenting. I wonder if I pressure ferment at 68* at what PSI will be 1.2. or 60* i gotta download a beer gas carb chart.

thanks for saving money on that spout. My othe taps are all perlick so I was just gonna swallow the funds. but ill save some money on here and put it towards a small nitro tank to get filled. kegco or something

i wish my 7cu keezer can squeeze another 5g keg... i gotta find a small 5cu chest freezer just for a dedicated stout kegerator. 1 single tap lol

 

[day_trippr]

I also have a six-pack of Perlicks - first-generation 525SS faucets to be precise - but looking at that stout faucet it's more likely than not both Taprite and Perlick sourced the same manufacturer - I doubt either company built that faucet...

Cheers!

 

[mggray87]

Yeah, it's in the other thread you just posted to. #16. I think most people would say to carbonate on straight CO2 and then switch to beer gas to dispense.

So the pressure gauge and partial. U mean if I was to use straight CO2 for initial carbing in unitank. Set CO2 to 5psi if I wanted to carb it with the beer gas. I use 20psi? For like 7-10 days? In this case I'll probably do my standard pressure ferm and have spunding valve set at 8 psi At 68* for the 14 days. That should put me 8psi to get 1.3v

Then I would pressure transfer in keg. Pull the pressure relief valve then beer gas in kegerator as it chills to 36* and set beergas reg to 37psi? To maintain it?

Am I understanding this ?

 

[skunkape]

I wouldn't have pulverized the nibs, but that's just me. Might be the trick for getting the most out of them. Probably wont stay in a bag very well tho.

 

[day_trippr]

I ran nibs through a Cuisinart with a steel blade. Once. Which was enough to teach me not to do that again.
I fought that batch the whole way as tiny bits of nibs would plug the holes in my stout faucet restrictor plate
Major pita...

 

[mggray87]

I ran nibs through a Cuisinart with a steel blade. Once. Which was enough to teach me not to do that again.
I fought that batch the whole way as tiny bits of nibs would plug the holes in my stout faucet restrictor plate
Major pita...

Thanks to day_tripper, I just ordered my organic raw cocoa nibs, organic cocoa powder and extract. Got me all energized for this test. Trying to figure out how to scale the powder for 7.25g post boil. And 8oz nibs for 5g. After trub/yeast dump after ferm ill have about 6g in unitank so maybe 9.5oz nibs roasted and 2 vanilla beans or 2.5. To kind of keep it scaled to his famous stout. CocoaPowder maybe 10oz at flame out maybe .

Ordered the stout tap extra keg and nitro tank/reg. Let's just say. I bought my Christmas gifts for myself. Lol. Good news is my girlfriend is excited to try it. Other than the cry of calories lol.

My question is soaking in dark rum u guys shake shake shake all week. Do I pour it all in unitank. Or strain and only the liquid? I'd think I just dump it in my dry hopper under pressure since I have a dump port

 

[mggray87]

You do not need a special keg to dispense stout on beer gas.
And you'll find it's easier to carbonate stout at room temperature to the low level (~1.2 volumes) needed for blasting through a stout faucet at 30-35psi...

Cheers!

I'm used to crashing my beer and carving up at the same time for 7 days. I dump everything out the unitank dump port. Since I need to be precise on stout 1.2volumes. Easier to do it at the ferm temp. Can I crash and dump and let the yeast all settle dump and when the bottom sight glass is clear can I let.it rise to room temp again to do the nibs and vanilla bean and carb. Or just let it settle for a couple weeks at room temp. Then put nibs in once it cleared and I'm able to dump it. Its easy to dump when it's cold it comes out thickkkkk

 

[day_trippr]

Honestly you would know what will work for your gear better than I. I ferment in carboys - there's no dumping trub or yeast - so I rack to a fresh carboy with the nibs 'n' beans 'n' stuff already loaded. And yes, when this stout gets cold the trub turns into chocolate pudding which doesn't want to move easily. So I typically don't crash the primary, I just let it settle for a few days once the yeast are exhausted and rack off the top...

Cheers!

 

[mggray87]

Honestly you would know what will work for your gear better than I. I ferment in carboys - there's no dumping trub or yeast - so I rack to a fresh carboy with the nibs 'n' beans 'n' stuff already loaded. And yes, when this stout gets cold the trub turns into chocolate pudding which doesn't want to move easily. So I typically don't crash the primary, I just let it settle for a few days once the yeast are exhausted and rack off the top...

Cheers!

Ahah and a lot of it high gravity. I can only imagine how much more than my standard ipa

 

[mggray87]

FedEx never showed so Saturday is now brew day for my first high gravity. And first stout thanks to @day_trippr. I have my recipes at 75% efficiency, should I roll with it for my BIAB or rescale at like 70% and have more grains added to make up for lower efficiency with high gravity beers?

If anything I can keep it all the same and add some extra 2 row and keep the dark grains where they are at?

On the other hand, I wouldn't really be mad if his recipe came out at like 8-9% instead of the 10+% the 1.104 OG is expected to come out to