Chocolate addition help

[cmeb22]

Hi all,

Going to be brewing a personal recipe milk stout this weekend. With the addition of cocoa nibs. For flavour, to obtain a sweeter chocolate taste is it better to add it during the boil or during secondary fermentation?

If you pros need the recipe i can gladly type it out. I just thought maybe there is a quick short answer to this.


Thanks

 

[rocketsan]

Shortest answer? Cocoa nibs will not result in sweetness...they add bitter chocolate - either way secondary will get you more flavour...

 

[RM-MN]

Sweetness comes from sugar that cannot be fermented by the yeast. Cocoa doesn't have this but you can add lactose.

 

[BeardedGentleman]

Thinking you're set on nibs? Read thru this last night. Gave some ideas on when to add cocoa power to beer. Might be more of what you're looking for if you're thinking sweet chocolate.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/experimental-chocolate-chip-cookie-stout-91689/

 

[Toga]

If using nibs I would add in secondary or toss into primary when the beer is about 90% done fermenting and let it sit for a couple weeks or so. Rather than nibs I prefer to use coco powder and add it to the mash. A little goes a long way. 2-4 ounces for a 5 gallon batch. I assume you will be adding lactose for sweetness and the "milk" portion

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

As already mentioned, add lactose (after all, it is a milk stout) for sweetness. Another trick is to add some vanilla beans, too. This gives the bitter nibs more of a milk chocolate flavor. Soak the nibs and some split and cut up vanilla beans in vodka for a few days and then dump the whole mess in the fermenter for the last few days before kegging/bottling.

 

[cmeb22]

Yes im adding 1 lb of lactose. I think ill try the nibs in the secondary. 4 oz to 5 gallon batch. I wanted sweet chocolate taste but ive decided then nibs should blend well against the sweetness of the lactose.

 

[Spinout]

I've made 2 chocolate stouts with nibs, neither had any kind of chocolate taste. I just bottled a chocolate ale that I used cocoa powder, very noticeable chocolate smell.....but it's still carbing so I can't comment on taste yet.
To answer your question though, nibs were added in secondary.

 

[gundarak]

Add the nibs to the secondary after letting them soak in vodka for at least 30 mins.. dont forget to add the vodka you used to soak the nibs in.. a lot of flavor will be in there.

Why not add or up your chocolate malt in the mash? It will help with a bit of body and add some good chocolate-esque flavors

 

[beerisking]

Just kegged a chocolate porter in which I soaked 4oz nibs in enough bourbon to fully cover for 2 weeks ( I think this may have been more than enough time, but I don't think I would go less than a week for sure). Pitched everything into the secondary for 3 week gestation and then kegged. Flavor was a beautiful. Not overpowering, but not subtle chocolate flavor. Can't wait for it to be carbed.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

I usually use about 4 oz of nibs in fermenter after fermentation is complete. I put them in a ziplock and crush them a bit and then put them in a small jar and just cover them with vodka for 3 days. The vodka extracts the flavor as a kind of tincture, which is why you dump it all into the fermenter. I've done less than 3 days but got less flavor. More than 3 days didn't seem to add anything more. I will also use 3 vanilla beans. I split them and expose the insides and the cut them into 1" pieces and soak in vodka. The vanilla seems to sweeten the chocolate flavor. I know some people add flavoring at bottling. I've never tried it so I can't really add any info about that method. I usually give the nibs/vanilla 5-7 days in the fermenter before bottling.