Coffee Stout/Porter?

hoffmeister · 04-18-2006, 04:48 PM

I haven't really seen much up here about this, but it's been on my mind for some time. I would like to add a coffee flavor to a beer, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Does anyone have any recipes? Some people have said to brew coffee and add to taste before fermentation, some have said to use whole bean or ground coffee. Any thoughts? I was thinking about using whole beans in the secondary, dry-hop style.

Also, any recommended types of coffee to use? Something bold and roasty, caramelly, slightly sweet? Something higher in acidity? I work for Starbucks, so I have pretty much an unlimited range of choices. Thanks all.

Lou · 04-18-2006, 04:53 PM

there have been a few threads about coffee stouts in the past...i can't remember them, but i bet searching for coffee will bring them up -- just go back a few months.
here's a recipe that walker posted about a month ago...
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/66546-post5.html

and one from the SwAMi....
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/19917-post1.html

hoffmeister · 04-18-2006, 10:25 PM

Thanks Lou, I'll check them out

madrean · 04-20-2006, 03:04 AM

here's a recipe i posted recently. it's not a "coffee" stout, but it definitely has coffeeish taste.

-GRAINS-
1/4 lb roasted barley
3/4 lb crystal 60L
3/4 lb chocolate (not the real thing)
1/4 lb flaked barley

-LME-
6 1/2 lb Amber Extract
1/2 lb maltodextrin (for the extra kick)

-Hops-
1 oz challenger: initial boil (1 hour)
1 oz fuggle: last 15' of 60' boil

-Yeast-
White labs "Brittish Ale"
or
Wyeast "London Ale 1028"

I got this recipe when I went to Austin HomeBrew Supply. They were curious if it would taste the same as St. Peters, and all I can say it YES!!!

it's funny-- when i was transferring primary to secondary i gave my wife a little sample without telling her ANYTHING about it, and she said "hmmm tastes creamy"!!!!

hoffmeister · 04-20-2006, 03:27 AM

That sounds similar to what I was going for with my last batch, but fell short of for a variety of reasons. Thanks for sharing your recipe though, I'll definatly have to give it a try.

I've got a question for you though-with the darker grains (the roasted barley and the chocolate malt), did you mill them or no when you put them in the water? The reason I ask is that even though the kits I started out with did mill theirs, a book I have said not to because they darker grains are too brittle and will disintigrate. So with my last batch, which was my own recipe, I didn't mill anything but the crystal malt-should I have done the roasted barley and chocolate malt as well?

madrean · 04-20-2006, 09:23 PM

i'm pretty sure everything was milled- i bought it as an "extract kit."

not a mini-mash, nor a mash.

i didn't have any problems b/c i used a nylon bag to hold all the grains while they were steeping.

hope this helps.

hoffmeister · 04-21-2006, 03:00 AM

It does, thanks. The extract kits I used before were milled also, so I don't know why I decided to opt for the advice from the book. Thanks for the advice though, and when I try your recipe I'll let you know how it turned out.