Where do you guys buy your cocoa nibs/powder from? I'm also debating on how much to buy. I'd hate to let them go to waste by letting them sit too long.
I buy powder at the grocery store. Hershey's. I think it says "natural unsweetened" or something like that on the can.
Eh, i was trying to see if the differences really do result in better quality. Although, i have used the same one you are talking about and resulted in an amazing beer.
1lb. Frontier nibs on Amazon. Good quality and price. They last more than a year a room temp. You can also freeze them.
I've bought nibs from Whole Foods before. I believe they came in an 8oz bag. I threw 4oz in a beer immediately and poured vodka over the other 4oz. I used that extract some time later but don't recall on what. I generally go with the unsweetened Hershey too. I still double-check the ingredients to be sure there isn't anything in there other than cocoa.
I use the chocolatealchemy.com…I buy unroasted, because it's hard to beat the smell of roasting cocoa beans. After roasting I send them through my grain mill. They're great additions to bbq rubs and into the coffee basket on some mornings. Also make chocolate extract with them.
4 oz of nibs came with a 5 gallon stout kit I used this yflavorear. It's pretty tasty, and while I can get the cocoa flav, it is not huge. I would factor in a minimum of 4 oz per 5 gal, as you are thinking about your needs, if you go nib. FWIW, I do not seem to have the head retention issue that other nib users sometimes report.
I've bought nibs from spice shops when I stock up on spices. It's chili season, so I'll be paying for shipping on $50+ of spices anyway.
