beyondthepale
Well-Known Member
So, here's the deal. My brother, who is a barista/roaster at a local coffeeshop, is throwing a party after the national barista competition. He has asked me to brew a beer with some of their coffee, and I've decided on a porter as the likliest beer for this purpose. But I have some questions that I hope some experienced brewers here can answer for me. The first one is, how much should I use? Papazian's book reccomends starting with a half a pound, but I think more than that would be better. I'm brewing this for a bunch of insane coffee freaks, and I want it to be a prominent aspect of the beer. I was thinking of using maybe a pound, but I also don't want to overdo it. Also, what about "dry hopping" with coffee beans? And lastly, what sort of grind should I use, a fine grind, or should I just crack the beans?
My second issue is vanilla beans. I'm considering using some to accent the porter. Anyone here used them before? ( I'm sure some of you have!) How many? What's the procedure?
My second issue is vanilla beans. I'm considering using some to accent the porter. Anyone here used them before? ( I'm sure some of you have!) How many? What's the procedure?