Coffee: when to add it??

[jpcoote]

I'm trying my hand at a coffee porter. I've got a decent porter recipe I think, but I can decide how best to add the coffee in. I've heard all kinds of different ways, from adding dry coffee to the boil to steeping it overnight in room temp water and adding to secondary, to brewing a pot of coffee and adding to the fermenter. Any recommendations on the best way??

 

[USM_Eagle]

Depends on what you want out of the coffee. I have gotten more flavor and some aroma from cold steeping and adding to the keg. I have steeped beans while cooling and got some flavor but not much.

My favorite technique now (which I got from volunteering at my local brewery) is to dry bean with fresh roasted coffee in secondary (I do it in the keg for a day and then remove the beans).

 

[jpcoote]

Do you use while beans for that or ground?

 

[USM_Eagle]

The only time I have used ground was when cold steeping.

Remember to use a good coffee you like as well, and as fresh as possible if going the "dry bean" route.

 

[jheil82]

My first post after years of absorbing all the great information here.

For the dry bean method to be clear, you just soak whole fresh beans for some period of time (24 hrs). How much did you add and how much flavor did you get. This is what i was going to do for a chocolate coffee stout but got distracted by the cold brew method suggested here and elsewhere.

Thanks

 

[hikertrash]

I spoke the the brewer of the Santa Fe Brewing Co. and they have an amazing Imperial Java Stout. He says they push the cold beer through the grounds like a hopback on the way to the bright tank. I'm not sure the best way to adapt that to a homebrew situation but the beer was fantastic.

 

[USM_Eagle]

My first post after years of absorbing all the great information here.

For the dry bean method to be clear, you just soak whole fresh beans for some period of time (24 hrs). How much did you add and how much flavor did you get. This is what i was going to do for a chocolate coffee stout but got distracted by the cold brew method suggested here and elsewhere.

Thanks

If I want a lot of coffee aroma and flavor then I dry bean between 1 lb to 1.5 lb (pending recipe). If I want just the aroma and make up the flavor in the grain bill then between 4 to 12 Oz (again pending recipe).