Cocoa Powder Benefits and Side EffectsFood Catalog / Ingredients, Herbs, and Spices / Cocoa PowderWritten by: Christopher Karam | ✔️ Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Riad M., M.D - G.P and Micheal B., M.D | Last Updated: 2020 March 22 dried cocoa beans Break down and Background Cocoa powder (Theobroma cacao), also known as dark chocolate, was introduced by the Spanish in the beginning of the 16 century. Cocoa beans are thought to have first been used by the Maya civilization of Central America for the myriad of health benefits that come with it. Cocoa powder is a dried, ripen, and fully fermented seed from the Theobroma tree’s cacao seeds, a small evergreen tree from the Malvaceae family. It’s a popular baking ingredient due to its addictive nature and plant-based compounds. How is cocoa powder made? Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that’s a precursor for the production and secretion of serotonin, the chemical that promotes wellbeing and happiness. Cocoa powder has many health benefits and very few side effects. From the cocoa pod to natural cocoa powder, there are many, many steps to take before creating a consumable unsweetened organic cocoa powder or dark chocolate. So how is dark chocolate and cocoa powder made? First, cocoa beans are removed from their pods, later being fermented and then dried, roasted, and ground into a thick cocoa liquor. The liquor is actually made up of the very fine, broken down bean cell particles and cocoa butter that was tucked inside the cocoa nibs, which were inside of the beans. The cocoa liquor is then refined from dehusking dried and roasted beans. Later pressed to extract the cocoa butter, leaving behind a cake-like mass made up of pure, fine cocoa bean particles. Afterwards, the cocoa cake is ground to then make a finalized unsweetened cocoa powder product, that’s rich and dark in color. Natural cocoa powder is a staple ingredient for everyone who likes baking. Dark chocolate is called for in many chocolate dessert recipes since it adds an intense, bitter chocolatey flavor to everything from cookies, to pies, cakes, and other desserts. It’s also a somewhat expensive ingredient because it’s an exotic type of vegetable. It's also justified by being very healthy, since it’s full of healthy fats, fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Helping enhance the taste of many dessert recipes, organic or dutch-process cocoa powder is a versatile ingredient that should be a part of everyone's daily diet since it’s so easy to fit it into your regiment. Unless you’re allergic of course. You can use cacao powder for it’s wonderful chocolate flavor. Most of the top staple desserts recipes out there include baking powder, baking soda, and chocolate. The baking process of using baking powdebaking soda coupled with cacao enhances it’s chocolaty flavor. spoon of cocoa powder on a table Be careful when looking to buy raw natural cocoa powder, as many companies add fillers, additives, and other chemicals to increase the weight volume of the packaging box. Hot chocolate and regular chocolate powder mixes aren’t raw organic cocoa powder as the instant chocolate powder mixes on the market often include a lot of sugar and emulsifiers, like lecithin, to help the chocolate mix better with water. Don’t use hot chocolate mix in place of raw cacao when you are baking. They’re definitely convenient, but there are way more health benefits to adding raw ingredients to your food or drinks instead of pre-packaged mixes. Unless your recipe explicitly asks you to use a hot cocoa mix or dark chocolate powder, just use the raw cocoa powder with your milk or cream instead and add any sweetener you like. Preferably a healthy option like Stevia. Due to cocoa powder’s nitric oxide and flavanols, cacao can dilate your blood vessels which will improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, which is very useful before and after weight training and cardio workouts. And who doesn’t like a healthy heaping tablespoon of dark chocolate? It’s one of the most loved and addictive flavors on the planet. So much so that multiple research papers have proven that it can even become addictive in many cases. The rich intense flavor of natural cocoa powder is delicious with anything including coffee, smoothies and protein shakes, or even oatmeal. Some people even make savory chocolate sauce recipes, a gravy to add on to their meat of choice, or a dark chocolate chestnut pasta. raw cocoa powder and cacao nibs Cocoa Powder Health Benefits Other than its incredible flavor, there are many other benefits of organic cocoa powder. Many research papers have found that it has impeccable health benefits for your heart, brain, and overall health through weight loss. There are so many incredible health benefits of eating organic cocoa powder that you won’t believe that something so delicious could be so good for you. These benefits have lasting effects that can improve your health in every aspect.
Researchers have displayed that cacao is a natural antidepressant that can healthily increase your levels of happiness. Cocoa contains nitric oxide the mood-boosting chemicals anandamide. It’s a fatty acid neurotransmitter that helps make people feel slightly euphoric, similarly to THC. Raw cocoa powders have also been found to have an effect on the reward center of the brain. Especially due to the transformation of tryptophan to serotonin that naturally occurs in the body. Tryptophan is an amino acid precursor to the formation of new serotonin neurotransmitters in the brain. ground cocoa powder and cacao beans Researchers have also found that cocoa interacts with your brain’s neurotransmitters to release dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, all of which make you feel happier.
Theobromine acts as a blood vessel widener and is actually used in modern medicine for this purpose. It also increases blood flow throughout your body because it will lower your blood pressure, reduce inflammation, dilate your arteries. Cacao can be consumed as a powder, nibs, or whole beans. Another mood-enhancing chemical found in cocoa is phenethylamine, this chemical releases the same endorphins that are released when we fall in love, and so this can help improve your sex life. In addition, it can also reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Mostly linked to the flavanoid contents because it reduces bad LDL cholesterol, improves blood flow, as well as dilates and relaxes your blood vessels, in turn reducing internal inflammation.
Not only does it have a good amount of caffeine, but it contains magnesium as well. theobroma cacao tree with growing beans Two tablespoons of natural cocoa powder have about 14% of your body’s daily value of Magnesium. Magnesium has been found to keep your body naturally energized. Magnesium has been found to protect your body against other issues such as high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and osteoporosis. Cocoa is known to be one of the healthiest ways to keep your body energized, awake, and focused. Due to all of the health benefits natural dark chocolate has on your cardiovascular system and digestive system, there’s been many studies concluding it’s relation with weight loss. Raising levels of fat oxidation, reducing appetite, controlling blood sugar levels, and insulin sensitivity all help reduce your total weight; mainly targeting your body fat stores.
Flavanols and nitric oxide can protect your body against cardiovascular disease, improves your blood circulation and lowers the risk of stroke. Having similar effects to olive oil and coconut oil. Other antioxidants, called polyphenols, in cocoa are known to help reduce HDL is (bad cholesterol) levels and prevent atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries. cacao bean and powder
Flavanols, nitric oxide, polyphenols have been found to help you protect your cells from premature oxidation this will keep your skin from looking aged or becoming wrinkled. It can also improve your skin texture and give it a glowing look. In one study, researchers found that dark chocolate helped improve skin microcirculation, skin hydration, as well as reducing skin swelling and inflammation. You will look more youthful and bright with just a little more cocoa in your diet. Not only does it help your skin, but using cocoa butter as a moisturizer has also been found to keep skin soft and smooth. You can try making your own skin moisturizer at home with this simple recipe.
They’ve had extensive research linking to improved blood flow, stabilizes blood sugar levels, increases your basal metabolic rate and fat burning processes, heart health, reduces inflammation, and boosts insulin sensitivity. Natural 70% dark chocolate is one of the richest sources of phenolic compounds, polyphenols, flavanols, and flavanoids which all have powerful antioxidants and the ability to reduce inflammation. cacao nibs Because these compounds improves blood flow through your body, this reduces your risk of neurodegenerative diseases and brain function. These actually go through the blood-brain barrier and supplies nutrients to the brain for the production of neurons and other necessary molecules for proper functioning. Multiple studies found that daily intake of cocoa flavanols raised the blood flow to the brain by 8% to 11% during a time span of just 2 weeks.
The purer the powder, the better the effects. A large number of flavanoids are lost during commercial processing, so buying the most unprocessed, raw, and natural cocoa powder product is most optimal. Mostly linked to the high levels of flavanols and flavanoids, cocoa increases nitric oxide levels in your blood which strengthens blood vessels, arteries, and your heart.
It also makes the transfer of energy from glucose in the blood to your muscles more efficient and internally reduces inflammation in people who are diabetic or non-diabetic. dark chocolate bar godiva on a table
80% of your immune system cells reside near the small intestine and large intestine, having a strong gut biome is your best line of defense against infections, viruses, diseases, and cancer. Multiple test-tube studies on unsweetened cocoa powder being able to protect cells from degenerative and oxidative damage, inhibits cancerous cell growth and spread, as well as induces and facilitates cancer cell death due to it’s high levels of flavanols. Cocoa Powder Side Effects and Detriments Negatively Interacts With Many Medications One of the biggest factors that hinders global, general public use is its negative interactions and side effects with multiple medications. Adenosine (Adenocards) negatively interacts with cacao because it contains caffeine. The caffeine in cocoa can block the effects of the medication since caffeine attaches to the same neural receptors that Adenosine binds to. Adenosine is often used by doctors to perform tests for the heart, primarily used as a cardiac stress test and for facilitating sleep since it’s a vasodilator. Stop taking cocoa or other caffeine-containing products at least 24 hours before a cardiac stress test. Clozapine (Clozaril) is an atypical antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia, decreasing the rate of suicidal behavior. The body breaks down and metabolize clozapine in order to get rid of it. The caffeine in cocoa decreases how quickly the body metabolizes clozapine, increasing its concentration. Taking cocoa along with the medication can increase the effects and side effects of clozapine. Dipyridamole (Persantine) inhibits PDE5 in the blood, which inhibits blood clotting and causes blood vessel dilation. Dipyridamole negatively interacts with the caffeine in cocoa as it might block the effects of dipyridamole. Caffeine interferes with the dilation of your arteries and increases coagulation of your blood, reducing the blood thinning effects of dipyridamole. Ergotamine (Ergomar) is an alkaloid that’s structurally similar to a neurotransmitter. It behaves an a vasoconstrictor to reduce the blood flow through the cardiovascular system, used to treat acute migraine attacks. Caffeine can increase how much Ergotamine the body absorbs. Taking cocoa powder along with Ergotamine may increase the effects and side effects of the medication. Estrogen pills (Estradiol). While the body breaks down the caffeine found in cocoa powder. Estrogen decreases how the speed at which your body breaks down caffeine, no matter the source. Taking caffeine along with foods containing estrogen or estrogen supplements may cause jitteriness, headaches, an increased heart rate, and other side effects. If you take estrogen supplements, you should limit or in some cases restrict your caffeine intake. raw cacao powder Rating and Recommendation Extremely Recommended Going through the huge list of health benefits and side effects of cocoa powder, it's a very easy inclusion in your diet. Dark chocolate is a staple ingredient in modern day cuisine and baking recipes because it has a unique flavor, it’s even used by the health conscious because it has amazing health impacts. Here’s the full list of the health benefits of cocoa powder: Brightens Mood, Boosts Happiness, and Reduces Depression Can Boost your Libido and Sexual Performance Boosts Energy and Aids With Weight Loss Boosts your Cardiovascular Health and Overall Heart Health Boost your Skin Health and Brain Health High in Polyphenols, Flavanols, and Antioxidant Enzymes Reduces High Blood Pressure and Improves Heart Health Can Improve Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes Protects Against Certain Types of Cancer Here’s the list of side effects of cocoa powder: Negatively Interacts With Many Medications And the list of medications that can cause harm, it clashes with: Adenosine Clozapine Dipyridamole Ergotamine Caffeine Estrogen Pills Due to cocoa's great flavor, boost of mental and physical health, and especially the boost in sex drive, is highly recommended to include into your daily diet. Although the side effects can cause harm when consumed with chemicals found in certain medicines, it's best to avoid consuming any other form or product while taking these medications. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Cocoa Powder? Cocoa, also known as cacao or chocolate is a dried and fermented seed coming from the theobroma tree. It's the basis for anything made of chocolate. The theobroma tree is native to the Amazon basin and Aztec cultures in South America. Popularized by the Spanish, they brought and distributed the seeds to major continents like Europe, Asia, and West Africa. A theobroma tree can only grow properly in tropical areas accompanied by lots of rain. Unlike most other exotic trees, it's able to be harvested multiple times per year. The cacao pods fruits that grow from the tree are either green, purple, or red when young; but become a lighter shade of yellow and orange when fully matured. The pods have a rough leather like texture encapsulating the beans. The Ivory Coast is the largest exporter of pods and beans globally. Currently at around 2,100,000 tonnes per year. While the United States and Germany are the largest importers at around 2.8$ billion and 2.33$ billion dollars worth respectively. Is Cocoa Powder Vegan? Yes, cocoa products are all vegan by nature. Specifically, it's the seeds of the fruit originating from the theobroma tree. Although some chocolate products have milk, eggs, and other animal products. Pure dark chocolate powder products have no animal products at all, making them safe for all vegans. Is Cocoa Powder Healthy? Yes, cocoa powder is very healthy actually. There are so many positive health benefits that come from including it into your diet. It can: 1. Brighten your Mood, Boosts Happiness, and Reduces Depression
Where To Buy Cocoa Powder, Beans, or Nibs? There are many places like amazon, walmart, and other supermarkets that sell organic, natural cocoa powder, beans, or nibs |
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Questions | Answers |
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What's the best way to get into home-brewing? Is there a kit you can recommend for me to give it a try? | I would say just go for it. Our first homebrew batch was horrible (fermentation temperature control is key! handle that and you're ahead of 95% of homebrewers) and it just made me mad. I went for the Northern Brewer deluxe starter kit (www.northernbrewer.com No association, I just think they have great products and excellent service), got a turkey fryer to do full boils, and a wort chiller in short order. |
Definitely start with extract kits, do one or two at the minimum to learn basic boil process and sanitation. Partial volume boil or full volume are just fine. Once you're rock solid on fermentation and sanitation, you can choose step up to partial mash or all-grain, or stick with extract. Don't let anybody fool you, you can make excellent, professional quality beer with malt extract- 90% of good beermaking is good fermentation. | |
We did a modified brew-in-a-bag all grain because it gives you the control of all-grain with basically zero equipment costs. We brewed BIAB until the first day we fired up the 3bbl system. | |
No matter what you do, stick with recipe kits and other people's recipes (preferably popular or commonly brewed ones) for a LONG time so you can learn what different ingredients do to a beer, then you can start making small tweaks to adjust beers to your liking. Eventually, you'll understand things enough to start crafting recipes from scratch! Homebrewtalk.com and /homebrewing are both great resources. | |
What method do you use to control fermentation temp? I'm having a hard time using the "swamp-cooler" method in my no-AC apartment. | We used to just wrap our fermenters with wet towels and keep them very wet with a fan pointed at them. That worked in our very dry climate. I also like "muckbucket with frozen water bottles" method, if that's not what you're already talking about. |
Currently we have a temperature controlled fermentation box that's attached to our cold box to ferment the 3bbl batches. Any bigger than that and I don't think ambient cooling would be enough. | |
What's your favorite SD craft brewery? | Sam recently brewed a version of Unite Pale Ale for International Women's Collaborative Brew day with Erica over at Intergalactic, it was RAD! I think they still have some on, but we're out of it. We also brewed a collaboration beer with Intergalactic that will be out this month, it's a super cool mashup of their Coconut Porter and our Chocolate Stout. |
What's your favorite LA/OC craft brewery? | It's so hard to pick a favorite brewery! I think Intergalactic is knocking it out of the park right now and I'm glad to hear they're getting a bigger brewhouse. I also think Alesmith is making some of the best beer in the country right now, and I hope the new bigger brewery will help them get some of the national acclaim they deserve! |
Do you have any collaborations in the works? | I haven't been to a ton of OC breweries, unfortunately, but The Bruery is the obvious choice. I also think Noble is absolutely KILLING IT right now- Naughty Sauce is one of my all time favorites. Up in LA, I've had the pleasure of touring Golden Road and seeing the new construction, it's a really cool place but I wish they would package their Berliner Weisse! My favorite in LA would have to be Eagle Rock- really good stuff! |
My favorite in LA would have to be Eagle Rock- really good stuff! That would also be my pick. Not just 'cause it' in my 'hood, but because the product is outstanding. Has Sam ever come up to Eagle Rock Brewery for the Women's Beer Forum? If not, we need to make this happen. | Sam hasn't been to the WBF. It's a bit of a hike, but shoot her an email at [email protected] and we'll see what we can work out! |
Hi Rob Congrats on the business venture and chasing your passion, very few of us actually do. What strength is your brew before retail and how do you control the alcoholic strength it for retail? I've always wanted to know this. Kind wishes Stephanie. | Hi Stephanie! We calculate alcohol basically the same way homebrewers do. Essentially, we measure how much sugar is in the wort (unfermented beer) before we add the yeast, and then measure the sugar when the beer is finished fermenting (there will be much less). Using a simple formula, we assume that all of that missing sugar has become CO2, H20, and ethanol. |
Controlling alcohol content is a bit of a trick. We have to be sure to have a tightly controlled mash and boil process so that we always start out with the same amount of sugar in the wort, and then we have to design our process so that the yeast always eat up the same amount of sugar and we aren't left with a beer that's too weak and sweet or too strong and dry. We do this with careful yeast selection, oxygenation, and temperature control of the fermentation. | |
Currently, we have 9 beers on tap in the tasting room, and their ABVs range from 3.1% (our English Ordinary Bitter) up to 8.9% (a Belgian golden strong ale). | |
Thanks for the AMA. Quick question, in what ways are you ensuring that your product remains consistent? I understand on a large scale there is usually a quality assurance and quality control department, but with a small craft brewery I would like to know what you are doing to ensure consistency? Thanks! | Consistency is always an issue at small breweries, but we keep meticulous records which help us to identify problems or sources of variability. One of the biggest things is sanitation- we break every piece of equipment totally down before a brew day and clean and sanitize every part. I'm also a biologist, so I'm nutty about yeast health and sanitation. Those are the biggest things, but we are also always adding equipment and processes that help us make the same great beer every time. It's not going to be perfect, but it's part of the fun of going to small breweries, seeing how things change over time. For example, we've always brewed our IPA with the same grist, but it hasn't had exactly the same hop bill since we started making it. Always tweaking. |
That makes sense. Thanks for the answer. I think that a evolving product seems to fit well with the American craft beer culture, because from what I have seen it seems that people are more likely to go out of their way to try new things instead of find their favorite beer and drink only that. | Our board changes a LOT. We have some beers we keep on all the time, and then 3 or 4 rotating, special, or seasonal taps, and we typically also have one experimental, tiny batch, that will typically only be on for 3 or 4 days. We like to keep it fresh and find out what people dig. |
What beer do you make goes good with chicken wraps? I'm tryin' to impress a white lady, so I can get my mama some grandkids. | They are all awesome, but if your lady likes IPA, ours is killer. |
Sounds good. Let me get a sixer. If it all goes well, I'm a name my kid after you. | No bottles yet- we'd have to spend twice what we spent on the whole brewery just to buy a bottling line. You'll just have to come in to the tasting room! |
Hope to make out to 2Kids soon! | We try to focus on beers you can't get elsewhere, unusual styles. Our board features a bunch of beers nobody makes anymore, like an Ordinary Bitter, a Cali Common, and an American Cream ale. We also try to be creative- we've got a winter saison on right now, which isn't really a thing, we just kind of made it up. We'll have a summer one on soon, though. |
Awesome. I'll make sure to head out there. My wife's cousin mentioned you guys because she knows one of your somehow. Jennifer Witherspoon? | We went to High School with Jennifer! She probably saw the brewery on Facebook. |
The winter saison is great, keep up the good work! | Thanks! Come by for the summer version when it gets really hot! |
Thanks for the AMA and for the beer. Your cream ale and the Astarix might be two of my faves in San Diego. What advice might you give a homebrewer who's thinking about opening up their own Nano or micro brewery? #BlueHairOut. | Thanks for the compliment! I would say find a market that's underserved. There are a lot of nanos right now, and they're going to keep growing. If you can find somewhere that isn't going to be too crowded in a few years, I think that would be a great way to get into it. You may be slow at first, but have much more room to grow and learn your customers preferences! |
off, I want to be you when I grow up! How many barrels a year do you guys produce? Did you start it all up yourself, or did you have to get investors? If you needed investors, are they included in the actual process for choosing what you brew and when you brew it, or is it all you and your wife? | Right now we brew about 3bbl a week, which is less than 200bbl per year. We hope that we can brew a lot more than that once we can get in the brewery full-time. It was really important to us to own the brewery outright and not have any other partners/investors. Total control of the creative process is essential to making good beer, and not just beer that will sell. We write all the recipes, decide how much of what to make, and when to rotate out beers. |
Awesome! Good luck. I'll have to try your beers the next time I'm out west. | Thanks! Be sure to take a growler home to show off! |
Do you believe there's such thing as too many hops? | You can have too much of anything, but I love hops! I'm a huge IPA and IIPA drinker, but I'm always disappointed when you go into a bar or brewery and the board is nothing but Belgians and IPAs. More selection please! |
Where can I buy some? Are you guys going to sell online? | At the moment, you can only buy 2kids beer in our tasting room! In the next few months, you'll start seeing our beer in bars in Mira Mesa, and then hopefully we'll branch out into some of the more competitive tapspace in the county. |
I live in San Diego, but I've only hit up the larger breweries. I'd love to go on a micro brew tour. | There are a ton here. Pacific just opened up about a month ago just across our parking lot and they're doing good work. They brew on a system about our size, but have a much fancier tasting room! Intergalactic is absolutely knocking it out of the park right now and are stepping up their 1bbl system to a 3bbl like ours in the next couple of months. They are another nano doing things right. |
What are some other solid breweries I could visit in Mira Mesa after checking out Two Kids? | If you're looking for small, definitely hit up the original Mike Hess tasting room, which is also here. The big brewery in North Park is cool, but it's neat to see where it all started. We also have friends over at Rough Draft and New English. Both make fantastic beer, but are larger than nano. You really can't go wrong! After those, obviously we've got Green Flash, Alesmith, Ballast Point, White Labs, Wet 'n Reckless, and St. Archer. They're all doing great work. Looking forward to the expansions of Alesmith and Ballast point! |
Ditto, and I've been reading your other posts, it seems you have a great IPA, so I'm excited. How hoppy are we talking? | Obligatory is sort of an Eastcoast/Westcoast fusion IPA, so it's on the malty side and won't blow your face off with hops. It's fairly bitter at 70 IBU, but has the malt to back it up and a big, heavy hop aroma. It also uses some fairly unusual hops for american IPAs, so it's definitely distinctive. |
How do you ensure your beer doesn't taste EXACTLY like the countless other brews out there? That's one beef I have with the craft beer scene. | I think there's a lot of great diversity and selection in craft beer today, and more breweries means more of that, so I'm stoked. We try to hit styles that other folks aren't making, though, so that helps a lot in hitting other taste niches. For example, Incredulous is probably the only really traditional ordinary bitter you can get that's made CA. We also have a Cali Common, and a kind of weird beer that's a winter warmer style re-imagining of a summer-style Saison. We like to make beer you can't get anywhere else. |
I live in Bend, OR where we have a ton going on in craft brewing. Crux is one of the newer breweries and I recently had a beer they made with a prohibition era recipe using corn. It's dynamite. I like seeing the new breweries going after something different. Good luck! | That was probably a Classic American Pilsner (CAP). It's a great style. We also make a nearly-extinct American adjunct beer: our American Cream Ale, One Twenty Three, is made with about 15% flaked corn. |
My business class is currently creating an L3C brewery for a class project, so I can honestly say that i understand and appreciate your efforts. How many barrels of beer are you trying to make per year, and what is your marketing strategy for selling them? | At the moment, we'll make less than 200bbl per year, but hope to expand that a lot! We have a big system so it's totally doable, especially if we can get in the brewery full-time. Our marketing strategy is pure grassroots. We're on social media and try to reach out to the press when we can, but it's a zero-budget kind of thing! |
If you had to describe your beer in one word, what would it be? | Unconstrained. |
Have you thought about trying cannabis instead of hops in a beer? Like an IPA style? | Sadly, it would be illegal in CA. We have medicinal MJ here, but not recreational. I think the Fed also gets annoyed, since our license is for alcohol only. I think some homebrewers have tried it, and their consensus was "not tasty." |
Any thoughts on doing a gluten-free beer? | Well, the FDA prevents us from labeling beer gluten-free if it's made with barley malt, but we could potentially make a gluten-reduced beer using an enzyme called Brewer's Clarex (Clarity ferm is one brand from White Labs). There's some debate as to whether or not beer treated with clarex is safe to drink for people with various gluten-related issues. We definitely want to do that, as we have a lot of friends and family that have gluten allergies, sensitivities, and Celiac's disease. |
I don't have any experience brewing with gluten free grains like sorghum, but I haven't enjoyed beers made that way. Most gluten free people I know avoid those and stick to naturally gluten-free drinks like wine, cider, and mead. | |
Late to the party, but like many here I just want to ask, how difficult is it to get started? I work a 9-5 job and have never brewed anything in my life, though I'm always considering getting a kit. | Get started homebrewing? It's easy! I would definitely recommend starting with extract kits. You'll save a lot of time and effort, and learn the basics of brewing. I like Northern Brewer's beginners kits, particularly the deluxe version, if you have the scratch. Do a lot of reading on homebrewtalk.com and you should be on your way. Just FYI, Sam and I were both full-time employed when we started brewing, and we live in a sub-600sqft apartment! At one point we had 7 kegs full of beer, probably ten cases, and 6 more fermenters bubbling away in our living room. You definitely have the time and the space! |
Is your liver sore? | Never, it's in good shape from the regular workouts it gets. |
Wish you the best! Have you heard of Lagunitas? If so, what do you think? | Lagunitas is huge here on the west coast, and they're building a new brewery in Chicago, where my brother lives so it's about to get easier to find elsewhere. I love their beers, particularly their IPA. |
My buddy and I are looking to start a brewery along the same size as yours in the next year or two. Would you mind if I asked roughly the amount you had to invest to start? | We ran a successful kickstarter that raised about $25k, but that was only a small portion of what we ended up spending. Maybe a third? I don't have the numbers in front of me, but it was a lot, and our tasting room is NOT fancy. Very DIY- most of the money went into stuff that would make and serve beer, and while our system isn't pretty, it's where we wanted to focus our spending. |
How often to you use "local supply" when at work? | If you mean drink on the job, then all the time! Why else own a brewery? If you mean buy ingredients and equipment from local suppliers? Then we do that where we can. Our ingredients come from California, and all of our equipment and tasting room was bought and fabricated here in San Diego! |
Yes I meant drinking on the job. Is it not hard to be productive when you are constantly getting lit? | We try not to catch a buzz on the job, but I can drink Incredulous all day! At 3.1% abv, it's delicious and doesn't even have that many calories! I can have a few pints and still be able to keep track of tabs in my head. |
Have you heard about the CEO of Samuel Adams who has a secret recipe on how to not get drunk? He eats raw yeast with yogurt so he can drink all day without hardly getting drunk. | I don't buy it, honestly. Yeast and/or alcohol dehydrogenase wouldn't survive the nasty habitat that is your stomach acid. I think the dude's been drinking long enough he has an above-average tolerance and also know how to pace himself. You never see brewery owners pounding IIPAs at the bar. |
Damn, I was all excited there might be a miracle to counter binge drinking. | The only way to avoid a hangover is to not drink too much! |
Any chance your products are coming to the east coast? | Not for a very long time! There are a lot of great reasons besides beer to come out to the left coast, though! |
Where is your tasting room located? I'm in Sorrento Valley and I need a beer to go with my lunch today! | We're in the Mira mesa/Miramar area, off Camino Ruiz and Miralani. We show up on Google Maps and Yelp now if you need directions! |
Rob, I tried the beer back East by Wells called Banana Bread Beer, it was like a dessert! I think it was an ale, how would I make something like that? | Banana extract! Using banana fruit is messy and doesn't give you super great flavor. We do use cocoa powder, cacao nibs, and vanilla beans in our chocolate stout though. |
Oh awesome! New brewery to try out! | There's a bunch! How far behind are you? |
Pretty far, I'm a creature of habit and usually stick to my north county brews or what ever is on tap @ TapThat in oceanside. | I know the feeling! I love ordering stuff I've had before, but I always try to get at least one beer I've never had before if I'm at a bar. |
Congratulations on being able to pursue your passion! No questions myself, but I have some friends who brew; I've sent them a link to this thread, in case they want to get involved. | Thanks, it's been a blast! I'm always happy to give out homebrew advice! |
I do a twice-yearly beer trip to North County + SD proper to check out the latest and greatest breweries. Will have to swing by next time! Congrats on making the dream happen. | Thanks! Hope to see you next time around! |
Chocolate can be incorporated into beer in a number of forms, from cocoa powder, chocolate couverture, cacao nibs (crushed pieces of cacao beans), or some combination of the lot! Many brewers prefer nibs because their flavor, and aroma blend seamlessly with beer and they can increase a beer’s mouthfeel. You can use cocoa powder and cacao powder interchangeably in baking recipes, smoothies, oatmeal, cookies, homemade raw treats, or even stir them into your coffee for a homemade mocha. Both cacao At this point it becomes known as cocoa, and can be made into chocolate bars or cocoa powder. Cacao nibs are crisp but delicate (their texture reminds us a bit of cashews). If you're new to the nib, start by sprinkling some over baked goods like brownies right before they go in the oven (this will give you a little taste of their flavor). While cacao nibs may be used in some recipes that require cocoa powder, you probably will not get the same effect from them. Since cacao nibs are the whole form of cacao powder, you can make them into cacao powder simply by grinding them. This can be done with a food processor or a coffee grinder. By doing this, you can use cacao nibs in any preparation that requires cacao powder. Cacao powder has a stronger flavor, so you’ll probably have to use less of it than you would cocoa powder. Cocoa powder does not absorb as much liquid as cacao powder, so you may have to use more or less liquid depending on what you’re substituting. Your homemade cacao can be spiced up by adding any of the following ingredients during the heating phase: vanilla beans or extract, orange or lime zest, honey, chile pasilla, or nutmeg. Alternatively, you can follow any hot cocoa recipe and substitute cacao powder for standard cocoa. Cacao powder. Cacao powder can be swapped for cocoa powder in all sorts of recipes. As it’s already been ground, it’s easy to blend this handy powder into your favourite smoothies, hot chocolate recipes and healthy bakes. You can even add a teaspoon to hearty stews for extra richness. Cacao nibs. Cacao nibs, on the other hand, offer far Opting for organic cacao nibs, butter, and powder is ideal. But, as long as you avoid the harmful ingredients chocolate companies add to their products, you can still use quality cocoa and avoid harmful effects. Just remember that you might have to tinker with your recipes a bit if you decide to use cacao when they call for cocoa (or vice versa). Cacao nibs can be used as a topping on virtually any meal you can think of—including savory ones. Sprinkle them over salads, roasted veggies, oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, or trail mix. Or, if you’d prefer the sweet route, use cacao nibs to top a bowl of ice cream, pudding, granola, or fruit salad. Pour the cacao powder before baking One of the flour alternatives could be the cacao powder; you can dust the cacao powder on the pan before making a brownie or dessert instead of flour. Use cacao powder as a moisturizer One of the fantastic ways of using cacao powder is using it as a moisturizer and face mask to have soft skin. For making the face mask with cacao powder you should:
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Full recipe and instructions: https://thethingswellmake.com/homemade-chocolate-from-cocoa-nibs/Avoid emulsifiers and other unwanted ingredients and control t... The shell is removed to produce cacao nibs, which are then ground to cocoa mass, unadulterated chocolate in rough form. Once the cocoa mass is liquefied by heating, it is called chocolate liquor. I also discuss why you should use fermented cacao powder instead of cocoa powder. Fermented cacao has fermented for 3-5 days which helps to neutralize phytic acid. Otherwise, you won't be ... Remove all; Disconnect; The next video is starting Food Thoughts natural cacao powder, roasted cacao nibs and organic 100% cocoa powder are recommended for baking by Great British Chefs because of its fine, rich, chocolatey taste. LEARN MORE: http://bit.ly/2u9pAWSCheck out my NEW book JOYOUS DETOX: http://bejoyo.us/29veJylSUBSCRIBE to my newsletter: http://bejoyo.us/jh1subJoy McCarthy,... WELCOME TO YUMMY FOOD & FASHION.TODAY'S RECIPE IS Homemade Chocolate Without Coconut Oil Or Cocoa Butter Homemade dark chocolate#HomemadeChocolate #Chocola... Why Raw Organic Cacao Nibs Are Great For You - https://youtu.be/cSrZUwYGmpgPure Natural Miracles Organic Cacao Nibs are from a premium quality cacao beans an... In this video Aviva Goldfarb shows you how to use cacao nibs also called cocoa nibs. Perfect if you love chocolate but not added sugar. In this video I sha... Get "Organics Cacao Nibs" from here ... instead of picking up a candy bar, even a healthy 70+% cocoa bar, choose to snack on cacao ...
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