Adding Coffee to Beer

[rcbridge]

Hi All,

I've got a couple of batches fermenting and am hoping to add a variety of things to them (mostly for the first time).

The first is a brown porter, about 5%ABV: smooth, chocolaty, drinkable. I'm hoping to add coffee, vanilla, and cocoa nibs to this one. I will have this split into two 16 gal spiedel fermentors (~28 gal total of beer).

The second is an imperial brown ale (about 8gal total, ~8.5%abv), which I simply wish to add a bit of coffee to.

My plans were something along these lines:

for the porter, I was planning on using the additions like I would dry hop. 10 vanilla beans halved with the middle parts scooped out (5 beans per fermentor). 1lb cocoa nibs (8oz per fermentor). And I was thinking I'd fill a growler per fermentor with cold brew coffee, something like 8oz coffee and fill the rest of the 64oz with water and let sit at least over night.

As for the imperial brown, I was thinking one growler filled with 8oz coffee/water would be sufficient. It would have relatively more coffee than the porter, but I figure since its a bigger beer and I want the coffee flavor to be pronounced, that this would make sense.

Does anyone have any comments/critiques on the quantities I'm using? How do you go about choosing what kind of coffee to use in your beers? I've read that soaking the beans in vanilla/bourbon extracts the flavor more quickly, but I'd like to avoid this (which is why I'm using more beans than most recipes suggest).

Cheers!

 

[slym2none]

Use whole or lightly crushed coffee beans like a dry-hop addition.

 

[casualbrewer]

I did a chocolate milk stout. Along with the cocoa nibs I added cocoa powder in the secondary along with vanilla beans and instant coffee. Easier to do with instant IMO as you can flavor as you like. Came out great!

 

[rcbridge]

Use whole or lightly crushed coffee beans like a dry-hop addition.

most things I've read recommend adding a cold-brewed coffee to the secondary... whats the difference? how much and for how long would you recommend?

 

[cantrell00]

Use whole or lightly crushed coffee beans like a dry-hop addition.

^^^^^^^^^^ This.....

Also use a low acidity bean. I'd recommend Sumatran.

 

[snowveil]

most things I've read recommend adding a cold-brewed coffee to the secondary... whats the difference? how much and for how long would you recommend?

I've done 3 iterations of my coffee stout and it's very well received every time I make it.

I've found that 2-3 oz of coarsely cracked beans in a muslin bag in the keg for 2-3 days is plenty.

 

[Peruvian802]

I just brewed a coffee blonde ale. For 3 gallons, I added 1oz of whole costa rican beans in the secondary for 48 hours. It came out exactly as I wanted.

 

[slym2none]

most things I've read recommend adding a cold-brewed coffee to the secondary... whats the difference? how much and for how long would you recommend?

Basically, you are making coffee with your beer, instead of adding coffee to it.



I'd use 8 oz. (225 grams) per 5 gallons, so say 12 oz. for your 8-gallon batch - but I am not sure how that would scale to a 28-gallon batch at all, sorry. Seems you'd not want too use as much, but again, IDK for sure either way on that scale.



Oh, and "dry-hop" it for two days, maybe 3 if you like stronger coffee flavours.

 

[rcbridge]

Basically, you are making coffee with your beer, instead of adding coffee to it.



I'd use 8 oz. (225 grams) per 5 gallons, so say 12 oz. for your 8-gallon batch - but I am not sure how that would scale to a 28-gallon batch at all, sorry. Seems you'd not want too use as much, but again, IDK for sure either way on that scale.



Oh, and "dry-hop" it for two days, maybe 3 if you like stronger coffee flavours.

This is real helpful. I think I'll do a full pound for the 28 gal batch, and half a pound for the 8 gal. This way I can taste it periodically and decide when to remove the beans and keg the batch.

For the porter, I like having the beans/nibs/coffee in separate bags so that I can remove them when the flavor gets strong enough.

I'm kind of surprised that all the articles online say cold-brew it but the homebrewtalk crew prefers the dry hop method. You guys have never let me down before so I'll give it a shot! Will update later this week with how it goes.

 

[slym2none]

I might add, I advise using a lightly-roasted coffee bean.

 

[Natdavis777]

Use whole or lightly crushed coffee beans like a dry-hop addition.

This is my method and Ive made several coffee-infused beers that have turned out very well. I like to add about 4oz/5 gal. Ill gently crush the beans, then drop them into the carboy. I use some sanitized panty hose over the racking can to inhibit any debris from clogging while racking.

1-2 days for light coffee, 3-4 for medium, and 5+ for more intense coffee presence

 

[cantrell00]

This is my method and Ive made several coffee-infused beers that have turned out very well. I like to add about 4oz/5 gal. Ill gently crush the beans, then drop them into the carboy. I use some sanitized panty hose over the racking can to inhibit any debris from clogging while racking.

1-2 days for light coffee, 3-4 for medium, and 5+ for more intense coffee presence

Almost verbatim... I was quite surprised by how much coffee flavor was infused in just 24 hours.

Same could be said for 4 oz of toasted cocoa nibs into 5 gallons also.

 

[Natdavis777]

Almost verbatim... I was quite surprised by how much coffee flavor was infused in just 24 hours.

Same could be said for 4 oz of toasted cocoa nibs into 5 gallons also.

Yes. It could easily be overdone.

 

[rcbridge]

Just closed the porter. Two ~15 gal batches with 8oz whole bean coffee, 3 split vanilla beans, and 8oz cocoa nibs each. Each is in a separate muslin bag and I plan on tasting daily and pulling when a flavor develops to what I want it to be. Will keep you all posted!

 

[rcbridge]

Sampled the porter after 24 hours, I got a little coffee in the aroma but the flavor was a pleasant vanilla. Tried it again today after ~50 hours and coffee is more dominant in the aroma, as well as the flavor. It's has a really smooth coffee/vanilla finish that I'm pretty happy with. Going to wait til the end of the day to keg and carbonate. Will add coffee to the brown on Monday.

 

[PLAY_DEAD]

I'd like to resurrect this old thread. Do you have any head retention issues when dry beaning as described in this thread? Also, do you have any problems with bitterness?

 

[tagz]

I know the coffee porter where I work has significantly less head retention than the other beers. I assume it's the oils from the coffee.

 

[PLAY_DEAD]

I know the coffee porter where I work has significantly less head retention than the other beers. I assume it's the oils from the coffee.

But I bet it tastes amazing! I don't think there is any way to add coffee to a beer and not get the oils along with it. If there is a way, I'd love to know!

 

[tagz]

Yeah, it has a huge espresso aroma. It's very well done, but I rarely get to drink it because I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine and it would keep me up all night. [emoji107]🏼

 

[PLAY_DEAD]

I know the coffee porter where I work has significantly less head retention than the other beers. I assume it's the oils from the coffee.

But I bet it tastes amazing! I don't think there is any way to add coffee to a beer and not get the oils along with it. If there is a way, I'd love to know!

 

[slym2none]

I think that's another reason people like the cold-brewing. It gets less oils. Same for using lighter-roasted beans.

 

[Clef051]

Use whole or lightly crushed coffee beans like a dry-hop addition.

Do you do anything to sanitize them or just toss them in?

 

[PLAY_DEAD]

Do you do anything to sanitize them or just toss them in?

I just tossed mine in. Sanitized the muslin bag.

 

[PLAY_DEAD]

Do you do anything to sanitize them or just toss them in?

I just tossed mine in. Sanitized the muslin bag.

 

[Natdavis777]

Sippin on a coffee amber that I put 4oz of lightly crushed Kona beans in sanitized panty hose for 24 hours in the finished keg. Probably the 10th time I have used this method with success and gives a great coffee presence without overpowering the beer.

 

[slym2none]

Do you do anything to sanitize them or just toss them in?

Just toss 'em in.

 

[rcbridge]

I'd like to resurrect this old thread. Do you have any head retention issues when dry beaning as described in this thread? Also, do you have any problems with bitterness?

no problems with head retention. did not sanitize beans, but I put them in a nylon bag that was soaked in starsan.