Best time to add coconut

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RyPA

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I am starting to piece together the ingredients for a coconut cream stout recipe and am wondering when the ideal time is to add the coconut. I plan to use 2 lbs of organic unsweetened coconut flakes, or more based on the feedback that I get in this thread. I plan to toast it before adding.

To get the most coconut flavor, based on your experience, when is the ideal time to add it?

All at 10 minutes left in the boil
All at 0 minutes
Some in the boil, some in the secondary
All in the secondary (I am leaning towards this)

I'll most likely use multiple bags in the secondary to hopefully help enhance the coconut flavor, and make kegging not a nightmare.

I searched some threads and watched some youtube videos and it seems like the brewer says that the flavor is there but hardly. I'm a huge coconut fan, so while I'm not looking for a coconut beer, I want to have a pronounced coconut taste.
 
As already mentioned, coconut itself has a lot of fat in it, which is the enemy of the head / foam.

I also have a doubt that you will get a pronounced coconut flavour from desiccated coconut (if you taste desiccated next to fresh, you may see what I mean). Were I in your shoes, I would only use a coconut extract to give flavour.
 
Thanks for the feedback, maybe an extract is the way to go.

After reading this thread, I may put 2 lbs of coconut in the secondary, and have extract on hand to add in the keg if the flavor is lacking.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/how-do-you-add-coconut-flavor-to-brew.92382/
I've made extracts of spices and citrus zest for brews and ciders by covering and soaking in vodka for a couple of weeks shaking daily to extract flavor and aroma. Might take a lot of vodka for two pounds of toasted coconut, though! Higher abv, I guess. 😉
 
I thought about doing that, I saw that one guy let it soak in some Malibu, which doesn't sound like a bad idea.
 
Add coconut when that is what you got to ferment, creativity in times of adversity, eefin eh!

never mind. ..... otherwise I'd probably leave it out of beer, if you want beer to taste like beer.

But you can get away with a lot if you bury everything in burnt grains.... {; So what do I know..

BTW, is a Sat night answer, so apologizes ....
 
One of my favorite beers is an imperial stout flavored with coconut and vanilla, by Kane brewery. Beer can still taste like beer, with notes of other flavors.
 
Secondary. Never had any issues with head retentiuon in stouts but i dont boil mine (unless its an imperial. I buy organic chips heat them in oven at 100c until they start to brown. I turn them with my hands and never get any oil on them. Not sure why but i get a really strong coconut flavour doing this. Normally around 700g in 25l. Amoretti coconut creme is decent too.
 
How large is your batch? In a 5 gallon batch 2 pounds will be overwhelming( well maybe not if you use it in the boil ). I toast a pound for stouts or nut browns I would consider 1/2 to max 3/4 pounds for a cream ale. Spread on a baking sheet covered in tin foil in the oven and mix with a spoon to get the white flakes brown as much as possible which enhances the flavor and decreases the oils that get transferred to the beer ( I've never had much trouble with head retention but carapils is in almost everything I make) . When it is done I wrap it in the tinfoil and seal the ends kind of like a big burrito. I let it cool while brewing and when I am ready to transfer to the fermenter I use a nylon bag that has been boiled with stainless tri-clamps for weight. I usually with throw that in a bucket of starsan to cool it down so I can handle it. Open the bag and on end of you coconut burrito and pour into the bag, then tie it up GOOD and put in the fermenter. From there put wort in and proceed as normal. Kegging a coconut milk stout today as a matter of fact. I can't use fake ingredients or extracts as they don't taste real or pleasing to me, but to each his own.
 
How large is your batch? In a 5 gallon batch 2 pounds will be overwhelming( well maybe not if you use it in the boil ). I toast a pound for stouts or nut browns I would consider 1/2 to max 3/4 pounds for a cream ale. Spread on a baking sheet covered in tin foil in the oven and mix with a spoon to get the white flakes brown as much as possible which enhances the flavor and decreases the oils that get transferred to the beer ( I've never had much trouble with head retention but carapils is in almost everything I make) . When it is done I wrap it in the tinfoil and seal the ends kind of like a big burrito. I let it cool while brewing and when I am ready to transfer to the fermenter I use a nylon bag that has been boiled with stainless tri-clamps for weight. I usually with throw that in a bucket of starsan to cool it down so I can handle it. Open the bag and on end of you coconut burrito and pour into the bag, then tie it up GOOD and put in the fermenter. From there put wort in and proceed as normal. Kegging a coconut milk stout today as a matter of fact. I can't use fake ingredients or extracts as they don't taste real or pleasing to me, but to each his own.
Yeah, the recipe calls for 20oz, and I decided 32oz couldn't hurt. I've seen a few brew videos/posts and the majority were disappointed in the presence of coconut and some way they wish they'd used double or more than what the recipe called for, etc. Mind you, I don't want to be drinking a pina colada, but I want more than just a faint coconut nose. I was thinking maybe do 8oz in the primary, and then 24 in the secondary. If it's not present on kegging day, add some extract flavoring. I too am going to toast it and then put it in bags, likely weighed down with extra SS fittings that I have laying around. I normally don't use a secondary, but am thinking for this batch, do the primary in a carboy, and secondary in a bucket, to make the coconut process easier.
 
Yeah, the recipe calls for 20oz, and I decided 32oz couldn't hurt. I've seen a few brew videos/posts and the majority were disappointed in the presence of coconut and some way they wish they'd used double or more than what the recipe called for, etc. Mind you, I don't want to be drinking a pina colada, but I want more than just a faint coconut nose. I was thinking maybe do 8oz in the primary, and then 24 in the secondary. If it's not present on kegging day, add some extract flavoring. I too am going to toast it and then put it in bags, likely weighed down with extra SS fittings that I have laying around. I normally don't use a secondary, but am thinking for this batch, do the primary in a carboy, and secondary in a bucket, to make the coconut process easier.
I missed the " stout " part when I read your first post. Literally just kegged a coconut milk stout like 10 minutes ago. Used 1 pound in primary as I don't secondary ever. Depending on how roasty your stout is you may want more than 1 pound. One thing about coconut is it tends to fade a bit as time goes on. I shoot for a touch of coconut and a pound in a stout does that. I've done a coconut cream ale with a pound and it was a coconut bomb. Also did a pound in a nut brown that everyone said tasted like almond joy. My stouts are pretty roasty and bold so the coconut is in the background.
 
Take a look at the recipe in my OP and let me know your thoughts. I haven't bought anything yet besides the 2lbs of coconut so I can adjust if needed.
 
The recipe looks pretty good and would definitely be less roasty than mine. Looks like he split the batch into two fermenters at 10 oz each and maybe 12 oz on a different occasion. I do 16 oz toasted coconut in a 6 gallon batch. I always use unsweetened coconut also, which would be hard to find at a regular supermarket but sounds like you already have yours. I'm at about 11 oz lactose per 6 gallon batch or 22 0z on a 12 gallon batch ( just my preference).
 
I've been looking at Sabro hops and it appears they can provide some coconut notes. Just throwing it out there might be interesting to do a hop stand or dry hop.
 
I've made a coconut cider and a coconut wheat beer. In the cider I used non-sweetened coconut flakes and in the wheat beer I used a fresh coconut. I added the coconut in both in primary after fermentation was done.
 
I've made a coconut cider and a coconut wheat beer. In the cider I used non-sweetened coconut flakes and in the wheat beer I used a fresh coconut. I added the coconut in both in primary after fermentation was done.
I normally don't do a secondary, so I am considering using a bucket instead of carboy for fermentation, and skip the secondary. This will make dealing with the coconut much easier.
 
For those that have used Apex flavorings, how did you calculate the addition amount? The toasted coconut says 0.1% to 0.3%. Would I just convert 5 gallons to ounces and then use 0.1% to 0.3% of that value? I'm pretty sure this is case but wanted to get input from someone who had experience with this addition as I don't want to ruin a fresh batch of beer by 'over dosing' it.

Assuming I go with 0.2%
5 gal = 640 oz
640 x 0.2% = 1.28 oz
 
For those that have used Apex flavorings, how did you calculate the addition amount? The toasted coconut says 0.1% to 0.3%. Would I just convert 5 gallons to ounces and then use 0.1% to 0.3% of that value? I'm pretty sure this is case but wanted to get input from someone who had experience with this addition as I don't want to ruin a fresh batch of beer by 'over dosing' it.

Assuming I go with 0.2%
5 gal = 640 oz
640 x 0.2% = 1.28 oz

Exactly. In fact I've got some sitting right in front of me now, will be adding this weekend.

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Awesome, I've heard nothing but good things about Apex/Silver Cloud flavors. I'll be adding a toasted coconut flavoring to a chocolate stout, really looking forward to it.
 
I didn't like it, and I was conservative. It tasted nothing close to coconut and I ended up dumping the keg.

Granted, it could have been a crappy beer to begin with. I'd love to find a solid chocolate/ coconut flavoring for a stout.
 
I started with real coconut but I also got no flavor, I think I may not have toasted it enough, though
 
I tried a very light toasting once and had a similar result. I was looking for more fresh coconut and got essence of coconut. If I didn't tell someone it was in the beer it could have went unnoticed. The browner the toast the more flavor you get.
 
I'm looking for a coconut bomb, I used I think 2 lbs and it had no flavor, pretty disappointing.
 
So I’m confused. This thread jumped from Dec 4, 2021 to Oct 10, 2022. Then you said you didn’t like it. Are you talking about the Apex flavor or coconut you added? You mention 2 lbs of coconut. Is this a recent beer or are we catching up on a beer from last year?
 
I am starting to piece together the ingredients for a coconut cream stout recipe and am wondering when the ideal time is to add the coconut. I plan to use 2 lbs of organic unsweetened coconut flakes, or more based on the feedback that I get in this thread. I plan to toast it before adding.

To get the most coconut flavor, based on your experience, when is the ideal time to add it?

All at 10 minutes left in the boil
All at 0 minutes
Some in the boil, some in the secondary
All in the secondary (I am leaning towards this)

I'll most likely use multiple bags in the secondary to hopefully help enhance the coconut flavor, and make kegging not a nightmare.

I searched some threads and watched some youtube videos and it seems like the brewer says that the flavor is there but hardly. I'm a huge coconut fan, so while I'm not looking for a coconut beer, I want to have a pronounced coconut taste.
Best time to add coconut to a beer is never.
 
Best time to add coconut to a beer is never.
Seriously though, everybody makes what they like. My wife likes coconut stout, we’ve had a couple good ones.

At least its only coconut and not some recipe for a chocolate chicken chipotle pot pie porter with bananas and habenero. Believe me, I’ve seen worse. People seem to always think they should do something just because they can.
 
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So I’m confused. This thread jumped from Dec 4, 2021 to Oct 10, 2022. Then you said you didn’t like it. Are you talking about the Apex flavor or coconut you added? You mention 2 lbs of coconut. Is this a recent beer or are we catching up on a beer from last year?
No, this is the same beer. I initially conditioned on lightly toasted coconut, cacao nibs, and vanilla beans. I did a taste test afterwards and didn't get any coconut flavor so I added extract to the same batch, hoping to salvage it.

My favorite colder weather beer is made by a local brewery (Kane), it's an imperial stout conditioned on coconut, vanilla, and cacao - I was trying to make something close to it. Coconut plays well with stouts.
 
+1 on the Apex/Silver Cloud Toasted Coconut flavoring. I added some to a keg of Left Hand Milk Stout clone recipe on this site. Came out delicious. Several friends did a blind tasting between Firestone Coconut Merlin, Hiwa Coconut Porter, and my HB, (without being told that one was a HB). Consensus was that all three were very good, and everyone was surprised that one of the three was a HB.
 
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