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 |
When the munchies creep up, it can be tempting to reach for a bag of crispy, salty, greasy — and unhealthy — chips. Or how about that chocolate bar that's been teasing you since last night? When our energy levels are low, and our cravings are high, it's easy to take comfort in a quick fix. submitted by Salemziba to u/Salemziba [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/jbb21a28lq841.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e6880c98207c6514993b847b1a4e9d63f0183a4 You may wonder if it’s possible to lose weight while not giving up snacks. If you choose healthy, whole-food options with a lot of protein and nutrients, snacks can be integral to weight loss. Some can even help keep you full throughout the day and limit your cravings for unhealthy foods. a-balanced-diet-model Why fruit and veg are great Fresh fruit and vegetables are always the best snack choice for your kids – they contain vitamins and minerals, are a good source of fibre and count towards their 5 A Day. Plus, they're easy to eat on the go! Hummus & Veggies Mason Jars What You'll Need: Peppers, celery, carrots, hummus Using a tiny jar for hummus is great for perfecting portion control—and creating healthy snacks! Simply divide up your portioned servings of hummus and dip fiber-rich vegetables into the protein-packed puree. Together, this combo makes an awesome flat-belly-friendly bite. Energy Balls. My healthy snacking secret weapon. I have created a plethora of energy balls, so you can find your favorite flavor: Oatmeal Energy Balls, No Bake Cookie Dough Protein Balls, Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls, Pumpkin Energy Balls, Ginger Cookie Healthy Energy Balls, Golden Raisin Energy Bites, and Fig Almond Energy Bites. https://preview.redd.it/pjklzfwelq841.jpg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f620adfa40c571aca94e66a895f546dd1e98185f Apple slices with peanut butter Apples and peanut butter taste fantastic together. Apples are high in fiber and polyphenol antioxidants that improve gut health and reduce heart disease risk (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source). Peanut butter may have additional benefits for heart health. It has been shown to increase HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides (12Trusted Source). That said, peanut butter is fairly high in calories. Although it generally hasn't been linked to weight gain, it's best consumed in moderation. A medium apple with 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of natural peanut butter provides a nice balance of sweet flavor with crisp and creamy textures at under 200 calories. No-Bake Granola Bars {gluten-free, vegan} These scrumptious snacks are easy to make and make a great addition to your child’s lunchbox, your own personal picnic basket, and your healthy diet as a regular mid-morning snack! Ingredients: Gluten-free rolled oats, peanut butter, dried tart cherries, pistachios, flaxseed meal, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, agave syrup. unsweetened applesauce, melted cacao nibs or dark chocolate. https://preview.redd.it/wqzsepfilq841.jpg?width=510&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97444c41da62f8e5ffddb0a0ccaed1dab843b88b Almonds Dark Chocolate Trail Mix Nuts are a great healthy snack. And even though they're high in fat, you don't need to avoid them if you're trying to lose weight. One study found that people who chewed almonds thoroughly (up to 40 chews) felt full longer than those who chewed the same amount of nuts fewer times. Plus, almonds deliver filling fiber, protein and healthy fats. A serving of almonds, one ounce or 23 almonds, has 164 calories, 4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. Top tips for snack time
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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! |
Questions | Answers |
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Hey Sam! I run the chocolate blog Little Brown Squares and we've been curious - what did you base your packaging on? Friends have told us everything from 1920s soap boxes to shaving kits. What was the idea behind the packaging design? Other questions if you have time! When are you going to start selling your bars on the west coast? Did you start with small equipment and build your way up? How did you get your funding for your small business? What other origins of cacao do you want to explore? What do you think of Guatemala or Papua New Guinea cacao? Did you know the University of Florida is growing it in their state? What would you tell aspiring chocolate makers who want to get into the bean to bar business? | Hey Little Brown Squares! We built our packaging to break the form or traditional chocolate packaging. My wife loves getting things that she can eat and then re-use the packaging for something else. Question 1. We sell at a Chocolate Covered in SF and you can order our chocolate on our site and we ship to the lower 48. Question 2. Started with small equipment and will work our way into larger stuff as it becomes available. Question 3. We built a business plan that looked appetizing and an investor dug our principles and ideas. Question 4. I love it all. We are traveling to Belize with the folks from Dandelion chocolate in February. Then going to Trinidad and Ecuador to dig deeper into farms we already purchase beans from. (UF growing cacao) No we didn't, we will look into that information! Question 5. Be honest and get ready for machines to break. Become really good friends with an electrician, machinist, plumber, coffee roaster, brewers and whoever else knows about machines breaking. |
Do you have small theatrical orange people? Also can you hook a bro up with a golden tickets? | I think some people over do it when they tan. |
What are your thoughts on white chocolate? Is it a legitimate form of chocolate? | I like making white chocolate, it is a fickle beast. "legitimate" is an interesting way of putting it. Technically because it has no cocoa solids, it isn't the same as say our 70% Classic Dark Chocolate, which is Roasted cocoa nibs, sugar and cocoa butter. White Chocolate is traditionally Milk powder, sugar and cocoa butter. |
Whats the craziest thing you've found while sorting beans? | Chicken bones, rocks, wires, found a grenade pin one time (seriously). |
Do you save the chicken bones... for you know... later... maybe a stew.. or a necklace? | Actually we used to keep a jar of all the stuff we found in bean bags but it got kinda gross pretty quickly. The beans are essentially coming from the rain forest. |
Chocolate is an aphrodisiac... so... uhhh... how's that working out for you? | Well, my wife and are blessed with a baby boy...so yeah. |
Can i have some samples? you know, for comparison. | Sure, come on down to the factory and sample all the varieties we make. You can also get a delicious mocha or sipping chocolate, made with our chocolate (of course) |
Why no straight up milk chocolate? | We make a straight up milk chocolate. We call our Dark Milk Chocolate because it has a much higher percentage of cocoa. Deeper and darker than most commercial chocolates. |
What did you think about the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory re-make, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? | I love Gene Wilder... but I also love Johnny Depp. And Tim Burton. I'm torn to be completely honest. |
Me too? el_burracho and I will compare and contrast what we like/dislike about your chocolate. | Meet el_burracho down here, sort of like Match.com but for chocolate. You can enjoy it together... |
About how many beans make up one chocolate bars? if you had to guess? | I don't have to guess it takes 37 beans, plus sugar, plus cocoa butter to make a bar of chocolate. |
What is the hardest chocolate to make? | Milk Chocolate has the most science behind it, because of the amount of fats in the different ingredients. |
Do you add other ingredients to your chocolate ... like fruit, nuts, spices? If so, how do you determine what to use and how much? | We are a nut free facility, so no nuts. When we build flavors with our chocolate, we use a couple different methods. For instance, if we use a Dominican chocolate, it will have a nice banana like aroma with pronounced cherry flavor, so we might add a something to compliment those. If we have a nutty flavored bean, like a Venezuelan bean, we can mix the two and create a delicious treat. |
How many oompa loompa jokes do you hear? | Many, many more than we ever expected. |
What do you enjoy more; the taste of chocolate or the process of making it? | Very much equal. But, for me specifically it is making it. It is amazing what the beans smell and taste like when they arrive at our factory in the burlap sacs. Then they get transformed into chocolate, kind of a trip! |
Would you say you're like this fish around chocolate? Link to www.youtube.com. | A touch more enthusiastic and less manic :) |
Are you hiring? I live in NC and no prior knowledge to Chocolate other then I used to live in PA and have been to Hershey Park like a billion times and still to this day know the song from the touride, with all that said when do I start? | We love positive chocolate lovers! Drop off your resume and get a few samples of our chocolate. See you soon. |
Can I come work with you ? And can I do traveling chocolate promotions..as well as taste tester. In compelete seriousness. | Do you live in the area? |
There was a series on the BBC about a chef who bought his own cacao farm in Venezuela, and then brought the beans back to the UK to start his own factory. The trial and tribulations he went through were enough to make me think this is a crazy business. His name is Willie Harcourt-Cooze and here is a link to his website. It's well worth checking out. Do you have to be a little crazy to get into the chocolate business? | Willie is an awesome guy. We met him at The Good Food Awards, marketplace. I don't know if you are crazy, but you definitely have moments of feeling crazy or acting crazy. As you saw in his show, when he talks about the "voices" in the factory...that happens to me and when it does, I know I have been at work too long and the machines are NOT talking to me. |
Where did you come up with the name 'Videri Chocolate'? | We lifted it from the NC state motto "Esse Quam Videri" which means "to be, rather than to seem". Also, I'm half Italian and in the Italian translation Videri means "to see" and that's a big part of our factory and retail space. We want folks to see how we make chocolate and become a part of the process, we want everyone who walks through our door to get immersed in the chocolate experience. |
What's the most difficult process of creating a chocolate bar? | The dang humidity in the south, gives us fits in the summer time. |
Thanks for making fantastic chocolate and being part of what is getting Raleigh on the map for food! You've added a coffee bar to the space and your chocolate can be found in shops around the Triangle, including places like Whole Foods, as well as in collaborations with other local businesses, like Crank Arm's beers - what's the next destination in expansion? | We are building a great base of retail partners and look forward to growing with this community. A small brewery in North Raleigh-Sub Noir-has started using our nibs in a beer, Mystery Brewing in Hillsborough makes a delicious beer with our nibs as well. |
Do you like chocolate? | Oh yeah, I have to chill out on eating it some days. It is so good. We have chocolate from other bean to bar makers and love eating all kinds of chocolate. |
Why does peanut butter and chocolate taste so good together? | It's the salty and sweet combo. You can't beat it. I like your username btw. Go Panthers! |
Where did you come up with the idea for pink peppercorn chocolate. It sounds...spicy. Do you have any ideas you could share with us for upcoming chocolate bars that are coming down the line? | Our chocolate lent itself to the flavor of a pink peppercorn, which has a sweet effervescence and a touch of spice. The next bars coming out, are a line of 90% & 75% Origin based bars. Keep an eye out, they are delicious! |
What is the most chocolate you've made in one day? | In our factory, we have made 1,000 bars in a single day. Making chocolate, we can pump our 50 kgs per day of untempered chocolate. |
What's the most difficult part of the chocolate making process? If I had no experience making chocolate what would be some rookie mistakes to look out for? | Be prepared for environmental factors like humidity to come in to play, also, it's manufacturing so be prepared for your machines to break frequently. |
Which bar is your most popular?? I live nowhere near NC and want to try! | Our 60% dark chocolate blend with sea salt is by far the most popular. The salty and sweet man, you can't beat it. Where do you live? We're in about 60 retail outlets across the states and we also sell on our online store. |
Have you ever tasted the fruit from the cacao pod? If not, you definitely should. It's a cool experience. | When I was 18 I traveled through Ecuador and Peru. I tried it and I had no idea that ten years later I would be making chocolate from that :) |
Hi Sam, what was the biggest challenge you faced creating your own chocolate shop? | The machinery we get isn't always what we paid for. Other than that it is pretty chill and easy to do. |
Seems like people disregard white chocolate too often which is a huge mistake. whats your take on that? | Their loss. Look up in the thread as we give a bit more of a description. |
What don't you like about your job? | Not being able to make chocolate all day. |
What is your favorite chocolate? (Besides Videri) | Dick Taylor 75% Ecuadorian Camino Verde and Dandelion Chocolate in SF makes an incredible Madagascar variety. |
How inaccurate is Roald Dhal's depiction of the chocolate factory. | The books depiction of a chocolate factory is very different and from a different time in the world. |
Cacao nibs are the processed version of cacao beans which are used to make chocolate, and also can be eaten as they are. They can be added to smoothies, muffins, biscuits/cookies, mixed with nuts and dried fruit, and coffee or hot chocolate. Cacao Nibs are truly a superfood much like Turmeric and Matcha. Check out those pages for more superfood recipes. Now for most, they won’t like just eating plain ol’ cacao nibs. It are just not going to work. Cocoa nibs are bitter and you need to acquire a taste for them. Chocolate is another way to make protein shakes taste good. It also helps aid recovery and re-energizes you thanks to small amounts of caffeine. However, chocolate can also be high in calories. If you're looking for a lower calorie option, cacao nibs are a solid alternative. You can’t go wrong with sprinkling toasted cacao nibs over ice cream or mixing them into cookie dough, but using them for dessert is only just the beginning. For breakfast, try the nibs on top of your oatmeal , added to granola, sprinkled on yogurt, stirred into muffin batter, or blended into a smoothie to give it a little texture. Mix in a tablespoon of cacao nibs and spread it onto a silicone mat. Chill it for 20 minutes in the freezer, then break it into chunks for a delicious treat. The nibs make a great addition to homemade trail mix or granola, or can be eaten alone as a satisfying alternative to chocolate candy when a craving strikes. Their taste and nutritional properties help explain why cacao nibs are skyrocketing in popularity in restaurants and superfood aisles across the country. But you don’t have to go out to enjoy these little treats. Here are six stellar ways to put cacao nibs to good use at home. Incorporate them into all kinds of baked goods. Cacao nibs are a highly nutritious chocolate product made from crushed cocoa beans. This article reviews cacao nibs, including their nutrition, benefits, and how to add them to your diet. Giddy Yoyo sells Wild Ecuadorian Heirloom Cacao in 454 gram (1 lb) bags, which is the largest package size that I have found in stores (at HomeSense). The flavour was mild and not too acidic. Giddy Yoyo also makes and sells raw chocolate and promotes a raw food lifestyle. I made chocolate from these raw cacao nibs once, then I roasted them to taste the flavour difference. But please tell me if there is a way to make cocoa nibs taste fabulous and chocolate-y. If they are just for texture and crunch, I could use nuts. All ideas welcome - I have a whole bag of cocoa nibs to get through! Cacao nibs have a chocolatey taste, but they're not quite as sweet as chocolate, which can make them more versatile. Their flavour can also vary depending on how much they are roasted, with hints ...
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Did you know that you can eat the membrane surrounding a cocoa bean? Ha! me neither. So here we go, opening and tasting the contents of a cacao pod on this... Cacao Nibs is high in antioxidants & contain anti again& properties... This cookie smells so divine everytime you open the jar to get one. Best cacao nibs cookie recipe I have tried. 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. https://www.nutribullet.com/shop/supplements David Wolfe speaks about cacao nibs, chocolate in its raw form. Packed with antioxidants, magnesium, chromium, c... So, instead of picking up a candy bar, even a healthy 70+% cocoa bar, choose to snack on cacao nibs! You can find all types of recipes for them, and they are... Everyone loves chocolate. But have you ever had PURE Chocolate? Today #3YMM presents the Cacao Nib Bitter Food Challenge 2020! Cacao Nibs are a raw form of chocolate with none of the processed ... CEREMONIAL GRADE CACAO IS POWERFUL Around ten years ago, i might add something called cacao to a number of the drinks that i might make. This was a time once... These incredible superfood brownies created by the one and only Danette May are so good for you we almost feel dishonest calling them a dessert! Get Cacao here: https://bit.ly/2O6ii0C Superfood ... In this video I show every step to making dark chocolate from cacao tree to chocolate bar. There is roughly 7 step to making chocolate so sit back and enjoy.... I liked the chewing texture, so I added cacao nibs! 6. If the ingredients are mixed evenly, scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix the remaining powder evenly.
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