38 replies to this topic

[SchwanzBrewer]

Who makes good ones and where can I buy them?I know nothing about coffee. I don't drink it. I want to use some in a crazy stout.Cheers,Rich

[Genesee Ted]

Personally, I think you will get better results from a cold steep of some nice beans (perhaps some French roast) and vanilla beans. YMMV

[SchwanzBrewer]

Personally, I think you will get better results from a cold steep of some nice beans (perhaps some French roast) and vanilla beans. YMMV

OK, that's good to know, I like where that is going. Care to elaborate?Edit: I'm not sure if I should mash the beans whole, crushed, or do something like that.

Edited by SchwanzBrewer, 12 November 2012 - 09:02 PM.

[beach]

IMO mashing the beans would be a waste of good coffee. Volitiles will get boiled off and you will lose what little is left during fermentation. Brew the beer without the coffee, ferment and then add cold brewed coffee to secondary with the vanilla beansBeach

Edited by beach, 12 November 2012 - 10:13 PM.

[SchwanzBrewer]

IMO mashing the beans would be a waste of good coffee. Volitiles will get boiled off and you will lose what little is left during fermentation. Brew the beer without the coffee, ferment and then add cold brewed coffee to secondary with the vanilla beansBeach

Sounds good. I was thinking there might be some problems with volitiles in the boil.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Should I boil some water and chill it, then add the beans? Whole or crushed? Add directly to secondary?

[jayb151]

Personally, I really liked the result of just throwing some fresh espresso right out the pot into primary after fermentation. Had a real "coffee" flavor and not just a background. I had used it in a porter.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I was thinking, why bother doing a cold soak, just toss them in the fermentor after it's done. It's gonna be 8%+ alcohol so I think there is minimal risk of infection, right?

[armagh]

I was thinking, why bother doing a cold soak, just toss them in the fermentor after it's done. It's gonna be 8%+ alcohol so I think there is minimal risk of infection, right?

Coffee is an acidic, nutrient-starved medium. Not exactly ideal conditions for bacterial growth. That said, I use 10% as a standard and never had a problem. I doubt you will at 8.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Also I was thinking about doing coarse ground.I think what I'll do is get a pound of coffee and vanilla beans and make up a few tests.Test 1 will be soaking 1oz of whole coffee beans in 250 mL purified water. I'll split this into 1, 2, and 3 day samples for tasting. I don't think I would want to go more than a few days soaking prior to racking the beer.Test 2 will be soaking 1oz of crushed coffee beans in 250 mL purified water. Same split as above.After the test I'll know how much coffee and vanilla to use and how to use it thrown directly into the beer. Duplicate this again for the vanilla beans.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Or should I use vanilla extract?

[SchwanzBrewer]

who makes a great french roast coffee?

[ColdAssHonky]

For the vanilla beans, I would use vodka not water. Forget the vanilla extract

[SchwanzBrewer]

For the vanilla beans, I would use vodka not water. Forget the vanilla extract

Why vodka? They are dried like coffee beans.

[positiveContact]

Personally, I really liked the result of just throwing some fresh espresso right out the pot into primary after fermentation. Had a real "coffee" flavor and not just a background. I had used it in a porter.

espresso beans or the ground up stuff or actual brewed espresso?

IMO mashing the beans would be a waste of good coffee. Volitiles will get boiled off and you will lose what little is left during fermentation. Brew the beer without the coffee, ferment and then add cold brewed coffee to secondary with the vanilla beansBeach

do you mean coffee that was brewed with cold water or coffee brewed the normal way and then chilled?

[positiveContact]

this thread is reminding me that I want to make a coffee stout. perhaps my yeast experiment will have to wait and I should do 1/2 of my upcoming stout recipe as a coffee beer....

[SchwanzBrewer]

You get better extraction with ethanol, I think. That's what vanilla extract is - scrapped beans in everclear or clear rum.

OK, that makes sense.

[ColdAssHonky]

You get better extraction with ethanol, I think. That's what vanilla extract is - scrapped beans in everclear or clear rum.

OK, that makes sense.

Yup.

[gnef]

This has me thinking about espresso in a beer now...I also home roast, and make my own espresso at home, so this would be right up my alley.

[beach]

do you mean coffee that was brewed with cold water or coffee brewed the normal way and then chilled?

Coffee brewing with cold water. Oils and bitterness are not extracted with a cold water brew leading to smoother flavor and better head retention in the beer. I use a french press, add coffee and water and place it in the fridge for 12-18 hours then press the grounds. Makes a very potent concentrate. Has a short shelf life (2-3) even when stored cold, so I time the coffee brewing so it's ready when I'm ready to add it to the beer. If you're a coffee drinker this method makes an awesome cup of coffee- 50/50 coffee concentrate/fresh water microwaved to just below boiling.I just picked up a lb of fresh Kona beans and a new press (my son broke mine a few months ago). This is in preparation for an upcoming Caramel Vanilla Latte Robust Porter to be served on BG.Beach