Cacao husks - anyone have any experience with them?

A quick google search lead me in circles. I'd write these guys: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10607/80788

 

I'd use them in the mash myself.. and then the crushed nibs in secondary or at the end of primary.

I can't recall where I've read it, but there's an article somewhere where someone was talking about using the husks in the mash to give that subtle and rounded cocoa flavor.

 

I think you're right. I'd expect more bitterness than nibs and start out light. I hope fatcity is right, but it's better to prepare for the worst. Maybe 1/2 oz for a week and be willing to add more? Obviously, it depends on the style you're brewing so a heavy beer will handle this better than a brown ale or a light-handed porter.

 

Aha..

Okay, so the stuff I read was from Bob at St. Somewhere Brewing in Florida. Said he actually used cocoa mulch.. Which is just the shells/husks of the nibs prior to grinding. They sell it in home improvement stores. Says it lends a great cocoa aroma to the beer when used in the mash, and double perfectly for a beer with a bunch of stuff like oats, and wheat to prevent a stuck sparge as a bonus.

 

http://sixpoint.com/blog/mad-scientists-series/mad-scientists-series-9-cocoa-husk-stout/

Here's another example of them being used in the mash as well.