summersolstice
Well-Known Member
I replied to another post regarding coffee in wine and had a request for some more info on a mead I made last year and, rather than hijack the thread, I said I'd post something here.
I bought some whole-bean German Chocolate coffee beans, ground them and cold steeped them and added it to a traditional mead that had just finished and was ready to bulk age. I did the same thing with some saffron and other spices and added them to the same traditional mead.
The German Chocolate flavor really came through and by cold steeping the coffee I didn't get as much of the harsh oils that you get in a hot brewed coffee. Since the fermentation was already finished, I also added a little more honey to the carboy and I was quite please with the finished product several months later.
As a coffee roaster and dedicated coffee drinker, I don't drink anything but freshly roasted and ground coffee - black, thank you - and I actually threw away the remainder of the whole beans rather than drink them. However, this is a mead and the chocolate and coconut lend themselves very well to the mead. All in all I'm happy with it though I'll likely try a different coffee next time.
I bought some whole-bean German Chocolate coffee beans, ground them and cold steeped them and added it to a traditional mead that had just finished and was ready to bulk age. I did the same thing with some saffron and other spices and added them to the same traditional mead.
The German Chocolate flavor really came through and by cold steeping the coffee I didn't get as much of the harsh oils that you get in a hot brewed coffee. Since the fermentation was already finished, I also added a little more honey to the carboy and I was quite please with the finished product several months later.
As a coffee roaster and dedicated coffee drinker, I don't drink anything but freshly roasted and ground coffee - black, thank you - and I actually threw away the remainder of the whole beans rather than drink them. However, this is a mead and the chocolate and coconut lend themselves very well to the mead. All in all I'm happy with it though I'll likely try a different coffee next time.