Chocolate vs Coco Nibs vs Cacao Powder

[BitterSweetBrews]

I am toying with making a KBS clone. All the recipes on line use both chocolate and coco nibs.

What is the difference? Is it just the oils in chocolate? I have made Chocolate Mint porters a couple times in the past and never seemed to notice a problem. I used 65% cacao chocolate chips and chunks. I know people that have used coco power.

I am just curious about what each of them brings to the table.

 

[Queequeg]

The bakers chocolate adds a significant amount of flavor and mouthfeel, but knocks out the head. Since KBS is an imperial then you won't get much head anyway. I have made a KBS clone with bakers chocolate and it worked well.

I have never used coco nibs. I have use low fat coco powder and i found that to be the best regarding flavor but you need to cold crash to get the gritty texture out. You also need to use a lot, 0.5lbs or there about.

I have used extract but finds this sours the beer slightly and detracts from the malt contribution.

Also use vanilla in very small quantities when you use chocolate, it will bring out the chocolate flavor. A small amount of extract say 4ml in 5G works well.

 

[BrianDorry55]

I’ve only used cacao nibs and was very happy with them. Won a gold medal with an imperial stout on nibs.

 

[socalboomer]

In my wife's chocolate oatmeal stout recipe, we use cocoa powder at flameout and nibs in primary, and vanilla bean in secondary.

We think the cocoa powder gives a lighter flavor, the nibs give a darker richer flavor and the vanilla elevates it all.

 

[triethylborane]

I use cholaca, liquid cacao. Rich, chocolate flavor in the milk chocolate stout that is constantly being consumed here. I used nibs for many years, produces a great chocolate flavor, but the cholaca has more flavor IMHO.

 

[day_trippr]

In my wife's chocolate oatmeal stout recipe, we use cocoa powder at flameout and nibs in primary, and vanilla bean in secondary.

We think the cocoa powder gives a lighter flavor, the nibs give a darker richer flavor and the vanilla elevates it all.

I do essentially the same - though I do the nibs and beans both in secondary so the nibs don't sink into the trub.

fwiw, for a 10 gallon batch I use a pound of low fat dark cocoa powder at flame out. After the yeast have done their thing I marinate a pound of roasted nibs and two whole smushed vanilla beans in dark rum for a week then dump the works into secondary and rack the stout on top. I let that sit for a week then keg - no cold crashing for this recipe.

I have a short pour every night...

Cheers!