Adding Coconut to a Porter Recipe

[bsyas89]

I had a couple of questions about adding coconut to a vanilla porter recipe.

1. For coconut itself, what are the advantages/disadvantages of adding toasted vs. un-toasted coconut?

2. When adding the coconut, I see some people add during flame-out and some during fermentation. What is best and how much? I am looking for a mild Coconut flavor.

Thanks for your help!!

 

[IslandLizard]

Read up about it. There are several threads here where the coconut flakes caused an infection when added after fermentation had ceased.

 

[ICWiener]

1. For coconut itself, what are the advantages/disadvantages of adding toasted vs. un-toasted coconut?

I don't know about pros vs. cons but I will say that Garrett Marrero toasts his coconut, and Maui BC makes a damn good coconut porter, so I say trust them....toast it.

2. When adding the coconut, I see some people add during flame-out and some during fermentation. What is best and how much? I am looking for a mild Coconut flavor.

I just bottled a batch of toasted coconut porter on Sunday. Like said for question 1, I trust Maui BC's procedure, which is to add it at every stage. For a 5.5 gallon batch I put .5 lb of toasted raw coconut in the mash and .5 lb in the boil at flameout. I planned on putting another .5 lb in secondary, but the flavor was already quite pronounced, so I went with .25 lb.

I wouldn't call it a mild coconut flavor....not too strong, but certainly not mild! I felt like it needed to stand up to the porter. If you want mild flavor, you would probably be okay if you cut the amount of coconut in half.

 

[bsyas89]

Thank you for the info! It helps a lot!

 

[ICWiener]

Good luck!

Oh...and don't forget, use a mesh bag if you're adding it after fermentation. Racking it off with loose shredded coconut everywhere is a nightmare.

 

[bsyas89]

Good luck!

Oh...and don't forget, use a mesh bag if you're adding it after fermentation. Racking it off with loose shredded coconut everywhere is a nightmare.

One more question, where can I find the Maui BC directions on how to toast the coconut?

 

[SevenFields]

I have made a toasted coconut porter before and it turned out amazing.
I put the shreaded unsweetend coconut on a cookie sheet and baked it in the oven until it just started turning brown. Then I racked the Porter on top of it in secondary.
I plan on brewing this beer again but next time I am going to put the coconut in a muslin bag and suspend it inside the keg to "dry hop" because getting the coconut out of secondary(carboy) was a pain.

 

[bsyas89]

I have made a toasted coconut porter before and it turned out amazing.
I put the shreaded unsweetend coconut on a cookie sheet and baked it in the oven until it just started turning brown. Then I racked the Porter on top of it in secondary.
I plan on brewing this beer again but next time I am going to put the coconut in a muslin bag and suspend it inside the keg to "dry hop" because getting the coconut out of secondary(carboy) was a pain.

Thanks! I have read that dry-hopping can cause an "oily" or "greasy" effect to the beer. Did you find this when you dry-hopped?

 

[SevenFields]

None at all! I think toasting it in the oven drys out the oils. Make sure you use Unsweetened Coconut.

 

[bsyas89]

Thank You!

 

[ICWiener]

I did the same thing. Baked it on cookie sheets, at about 350, turning often, until they started turning a nice golden brown.

 

[hopbrad]

i made the AHS kit, toasted the Coco at 350 and added it in a muslim bag which i boiled. put it in the primary after 2 weeks of fermentation. I must of picked up an infection. the outcome is horrendous. it might be my first dumper. im going to let it sit for another month to see if that helps with any of the off flavors.

 

[ICWiener]

I must of picked up an infection. the outcome is horrendous. it might be my first dumper. im going to let it sit for another month to see if that helps with any of the off flavors.

That's a drag. Sorry man. I just sampled mine this weekend, it's been in the bottle for about 2 weeks. It came out good. I would have liked a little more body, but I had trouble with my mash temps on this one, ended up mashing at about 151, when I was shooting for 156.

 

[jdauria]

Two times I have made coconut porter, have toasted the coconut flakes (Whole Foods) in the ocean until golden brown. Then half get added to the boil via a mesh bag and half get added when it goes into secondary. Usually that's 1.5 lbs each for my recipe. Have not had infections and the beer has come out great and friends describe it as a "liquid Mounds bar".

 

[ICWiener]

That's very close to what I did on this last batch. Whole Foods coconut, toasted up. Although I did .5 lb in the the mash, .5 lb at the end of the boil, and .25 in a bag added after fermentation. I was going to do .5 lb after fermentation, but it was already pretty much where it needed to be. Didn't want to over do it.

 

[jdauria]

Two times I have made coconut porter, have toasted the coconut flakes (Whole Foods) in the ocean until golden brown."

What was I drunk when I typed this? Toasted the coconut in the ocean? LOL!

 

[jdauria]

That's very close to what I did on this last batch. Whole Foods coconut, toasted up. Although I did .5 lb in the the mash, .5 lb at the end of the boil, and .25 in a bag added after fermentation. I was going to do .5 lb after fermentation, but it was already pretty much where it needed to be. Didn't want to over do it.

I hear you. I had gotten my recipe from a brewery owner down South whose coconut porter I tried at a beer fest. He gave me his original home brewed version but it was 12 gallon recipe and converting to 5g, I was worried it would be a lot of coconut but came out great. The chocolate malts and cacao nibs in recipe help balance it out some.