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  • Cacao Nibs in Mash

    I keep hearing different techniques on how to implement Cacao Nibs into the brewing process, yet I have not see much on adding during mash in. I assumed that would be the best stage to extract a roasted chocolate taste without bringing them over to the boil.

    Any thoughts?
    Keegan Malone
    Pinglehead Brewery

  • #2
    Some good info here

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by einhorn
      Einhorn,
      I read that thread, great information. However, no one mentions adding cacao nibs during the 'mash in'. That is where I am trying to find some information.
      Thanks for the help tho
      Keegan Malone
      Pinglehead Brewery

      Comment


      • #4
        Why not be the first to try it and post results. Good thing about adding it directly to the mash is that if it doesnt work you can simply add them in the tank where you know they will work. Might double your nib cost though!
        Big Willey
        "You are what you is." FZ

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        • #5
          I am planning to do a brew using cacao nibs and was considering trying them in the mash tun and probably also the conditioning tank, depending on how much flavor I get from using them in mash in. I am hoping to avoid using them in the kettle. Any experience posted about using them in mash in would be appreciated! I have read all the threads I can find here regarding using nibs and didn't see a lot about using them at mash in. I am still in the recipe formulation stage and am awaiting delivery of a small amount of nibs to determine what flavor profile I can expect to get from them (many thanks to Dave - customer service guru at Theo Chocolates in Seattle!). I will gladly post my results when I finally get around to brewing, but any other input will only help me out!

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          • #6
            I ended up playing it safe and using the cacao nibs with 10 minutes left in the boil. Came out great, they really complement the chocolate malts while giving the porter a more earthy touch. I am still interested in trying nibs in the mash for future experiments.
            Keegan Malone
            Pinglehead Brewery

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            • #7
              FWIW, in our mexican chocolate stout we use 3/4lb of raw cacao nibs per BBL, soaked in conditioning tank for 4 days at 60F. The chocolate taste is quite nice in the base beer prior to adding the chili peppers. Once the peppers are in the chocolate is more subtle relatively speaking. The judges at GABF liked it enough they awarded us the Gold in Herb and Spice beers.

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              • #8
                I've been avoiding posting on this for a while... I just don't see the nibs going far by adding them into the mash. They aren't cheap! You're going to get the most bang for your $$ by adding them post fermentation like CopperKettle says. .5 to 1# per barrel post primary is what I've used and had good results doing it this way. By adding them to the mash they undergo nearly every bit of the hot side of the process, which is highly detrimental to their delicate flavor. Keep them cold/cool, away from O2 during the process and be sure to break them up if they are whole nibs. Don't leave them in contact for more than ~7-10 days or you pick up bitterness.
                ______________________
                Jamie Fulton
                Community Beer Co.
                Dallas, Texas

                "Beer for the Greater Good"

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                • #9
                  Just a quick follow up.

                  I decided to use the nibs in the brew kettle with 10 minutes left. The porter turned out great with an earthy raw chocolate taste.
                  Keegan Malone
                  Pinglehead Brewery

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                  • #10
                    I also did not use nibs in the mash for my chocolate imperial stout. We got a very nice chocolaty base flavor from the grain bill, then put a small amount (5#) of nibs in primary at the end of active fermentation. This gave us a very smooth but mild chocolate flavor that goes very well with the dark grains. Now I just need to decide if we want to add more nibs in the conditioning tank or leave it as is. Thanks to all who posted advice!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Chili Help!

                      Nice. I was looking up cocoa nibs and saw this. I was looking because i I have been making a mole stout on my pilot system and sound like what you were doing. I have added the chili in the boil and its has a hint of it. But i was not sure on up scaling it to 5 bbls. Do you have any input on the chili amount and additions? I am using red chile and using a dry stout for the base beer.

                      Originally posted by CopperKettle View Post
                      FWIW, in our mexican chocolate stout we use 3/4lb of raw cacao nibs per BBL, soaked in conditioning tank for 4 days at 60F. The chocolate taste is quite nice in the base beer prior to adding the chili peppers. Once the peppers are in the chocolate is more subtle relatively speaking. The judges at GABF liked it enough they awarded us the Gold in Herb and Spice beers.

                      Comment

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