Brewing with coriander seeds -- A small question

[Erythro73]

Hi!
I'm preparing my brewing plan for tomorrow, and something just hit me. The recipe (Papazian's Who's in the garden grand cru) calls for crushed coriander seeds during the boil. However, I fear that my kitchen strainer is not "dense" enough (the holes are a little too big I think). So when I'll strain the wort to the fermenter, I think there might a lot of coriander seeds residual going into it.

1- If a lot of residual is going into it.... Will it affect the taste?
2- How much should the coriander seeds be crushed? To powder? Or just enough so the seeds are open?

I thought about using my grain bag to retain all my coriander into it, but the problem is... I'm not sure about my grain bag's material. I think it's made of nylon, but I'm not sure, and I don't know if it can support a boil.

Thanks!

 

[woodstone]

Done it. Just did it in a Belgian Wit...crush them pretty good in a pestle and mortar (if you have one). Or toss in a ZipLock and beat them sensless with a rolling pin. Don't need to go crazy, just crush to release the oils. Whatever goes through to the primary is not going to hurt at all...you'll siphon off them either transferring to a secondary or bottling. Don't worry. Good luck!

 

[kyleobie]

I run mine in a coffee grinder. Works like a charm. They will float to the bottom of your primary, just be careful siphoning I guess, but don't get too worried about it.

That was my fourth recipe, I think you will like it.

 

[Erythro73]

So, just to make sure. The residuals of the seeds going into the primary, even if I let them 3-4 weeks in the primary, won't impart any off-flavors in the long term?

 

[kyleobie]

They never did for me. I wouldn't worry about it, but I never worry about such things.

 

[Erythro73]

They never did for me. I wouldn't worry about it, but I never worry about such things.

Hahaha! Sorry, I guess I tend to overthink my process way too much.

I'm trying to think about everything I could do wrong tomorrow. I guess that, if I'm the point of the wondering that, then I'm good...

Thank you for your answers and time!

 

[kyleobie]

Don't apologize - you should have seen my worries when I first started! Hell, I think I was worried about this very thing when I brewed this recipe.

Then after 4-5 batches I realized: I will always make beer and it will be good.

 

[abois]

I wouldn't crush them that finely. All you really need is a good crack to get the flavor... each seed should be in a few to a handful of distinct pieces rather than a powder.

 

[quickerNu]

Hell, I didn't even know to crush mine the first time I brewed with 'em!

 

[smokinghole]

If you use a bag for the hops in the boil, which I do, just throw my coriander seeds in there and then yank it all out at the end. Easy peasy.

 

[NewBrewB]

I use coriander, sage, lemon zest and orange zest, all added to a Heffeweizen extract kit, and it's my favorite home-brew so far.

I am overseas so my options were limited. I just bought the sage/coriander at the grocery store, in the spices aisle. They were already ground/powdered, and I just use a tsp of each. With the peel scrapings (zest) of the lemons and oranges, I mix the whole solution up and dump it into the full hour boil at the 40-min mark. Then, everything goes into the carboy for the next couple weeks. I have yet to use a "grain bag" and my beer comes out nice and clean if I xfer to a secondary after a week or two.

Good luck!

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I run mine in a coffee grinder. Works like a charm. They will float to the bottom of your primary, just be careful siphoning I guess, but don't get too worried about it.

That was my fourth recipe, I think you will like it.

Float to the bottom? Is that the opposite of sink to the top?





Just teasin', man....

 

[kyleobie]

Float to the bottom? Is that the opposite of sink to the top?

Yep. It is a secret brewing technique passed down among from generation to generation... makes one hell of a wit!

Okay, I meant sink. You get the idea.

 

[bsteggeman]

Just crack the seeds, like very coarse cracked black pepper. I just tossed mine in a ziplock back and smashed them with the back of a spoon. You could also use the bottom of a drinking glass.