Coffee Stout Feedback / Thoughts

[RustBeltBrewer]

5 Gallon All Grain Batch

Mash
10 lb Pale Malt
12 oz Chocolate Malt
8 oz Crystal 80
8 oz Flaked Oats
4 oz Black Patent

Boil
60 Minutes 1.5 oz East Kent Goldings
1 lb Lactose

Yeast
Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

Cold brew added to taste at bottling

Any thoughts, suggestions, or feedback are welcomed.

 

[brewSJ]

Lactose for me means a sweet "Milk Stout". If that's what you want then fine, but otherwise I would leave it out.

 

[tracer bullet]

Agreed!

I think the Chocolate and Black Patent will go well with the coffee. I was thinking to suggest to bump the Chocolate a little bit too, maybe a full pound, I'm seeing 6.25% right now. But - Chocolate is pretty dark, there's black patent there, and it's probably fine where it is now.

I've crushed and added beans at the end of fermentation, but cold press will work. Make it dense. And consider heating it to 165F or something in that neighborhood and letting it cool back down before pitching it in, to try and be sure it won't spoil the rest.

Also I'd say that if you are adding it to taste, you might be using a bucket, so do your best to keep oxygen out of there and out of the bottles afterwards if that's your route. Also when you are doing it "to taste", you might err on the low side for the coffee amount. The amount that tastes good on bottling day might end up being too much after a few gallons are drank.

 

[worlddivides]

Lactose for me means a sweet "Milk Stout". If that's what you want then fine, but otherwise I would leave it out.

I've used lactose in a coffee stout before, and it worked perfectly, but I called it a "cafe latte stout" and that was what I was after from the beginning. Unless that's what he's going for, though, I'd also not include the lactose.

 

[mashdar]

I have no experience with lactose, so pinch of salt, but personally I like 60C crystal with ~4oz of darker crystal for a hint of raisins.

edit: Also, opinions vary, but to me, fuggles >> ekg for bittering-only stout.

 

[RustBeltBrewer]

I've used lactose in a coffee stout before, and it worked perfectly, but I called it a "cafe latte stout" and that was what I was after from the beginning. Unless that's what he's going for, though, I'd also not include the lactose.

I was calling this stout " Café Au Late " Im a big fan of sweet stouts and coffee so I figured I'd combine them and see what happens.

 

[RustBeltBrewer]

Agreed!

I think the Chocolate and Black Patent will go well with the coffee. I was thinking to suggest to bump the Chocolate a little bit too, maybe a full pound, I'm seeing 6.25% right now. But - Chocolate is pretty dark, there's black patent there, and it's probably fine where it is now.

I've crushed and added beans at the end of fermentation, but cold press will work. Make it dense. And consider heating it to 165F or something in that neighborhood and letting it cool back down before pitching it in, to try and be sure it won't spoil the rest.

Also I'd say that if you are adding it to taste, you might be using a bucket, so do your best to keep oxygen out of there and out of the bottles afterwards if that's your route. Also when you are doing it "to taste", you might err on the low side for the coffee amount. The amount that tastes good on bottling day might end up being too much after a few gallons are drank.

Did you add the beans around day 10? Also how much did you add? 3-4 oz per 5 gallons is what I'm finding. I'm looking for a subtle but not over powering coffee addition.

 

[rmr9]

I’d be tempted to sneak a quarter or half pound of chocolate rye into the grain bill

 

[tracer bullet]

Did you add the beans around day 10? Also how much did you add? 3-4 oz per 5 gallons is what I'm finding. I'm looking for a subtle but not over powering coffee addition.

I have an espresso habit, 18 grams each morning. I did the same 18 grams per gallon, so for a 5 gallon batch (I did 3 gallons) that's a touch over 3oz.

I had espresso beans, which isn't a specific thing exactly because it's a style of coffee, and I don't recall the brand, but I'm sure they were roasted pretty dark. It wasn't like I was drinking an espresso but it was more than I wanted.

On those lines though, if you're kind of thinking " I want some coffee flavor dangit" then 3-4 oz will probably be perfect. Not overwhelming at all but very clearly there well past a hint.

 

[worlddivides]

I was calling this stout " Café Au Late " Im a big fan of sweet stouts and coffee so I figured I'd combine them and see what happens.

It's a great combo if that's what you're going for.

 

[mashdar]

Crisp brown malt has some nice coffee character, if you want to add some. 8-16oz, probably.