Help on coffee addition to upcoming "brunch stout" brew

[tcd2004]

I just ordered the Brunch Stout AG kit from Northern Brewer and I have a a question on the coffee grounds addition. I've used coffee in stouts before, but I have always added it in a muslin bag to the secondary. In this recipe it is calling for the addition at the end of the boil. Here is the boil addition schedule

BOIL ADDITIONS & TIMES
-- 1.66 oz. Nugget (60 min)
-- 1 lb D-180 Candi Syrup (0 min)
-- 4 oz. Peace Coffee Organic French Roast
Coffee (0 min) (Grind coarsely)

My question is how do I exactly go about adding the coffee to the end of the boil? I usually strain my cooled wort into the fermentation bucket, so my thought is if I just dump coffee grounds into the wort that they will get filtered out when I dump them through the strainer? Would I get the same effect putting the grounds in a muslin bag at the end of the boil and then just transfer the bag from the wort to the primary and eventually to the secondary?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[tootal]

I would cold brew the coffee for 3 days in brewing water. (Boiled and cooled) Add to fermentor. That's how the local micro does it. Adding the coffee to any hot wort or water will pull the oils out and your beer will be headless!

 

[LLBeanJ]

+1 on cold-brewed coffee added well after the boil. I personally add it at time of bottling/kegging.

 

[tcd2004]

I would cold brew the coffee for 3 days in brewing water. (Boiled and cooled) Add to fermentor. That's how the local micro does it. Adding the coffee to any hot wort or water will pull the oils out and your beer will be headless!

For this do you just grind the coffee, put it in a filter, and then transfer the brewed liquid to the fermentor? I've heard of this method before, however I didn't know if there was a significance of putting the ground coffee into the hot wort as the instructions stated, vs adding it to the cooled wort with the cold brew.

Also, is there no risk of contamination adding to cooled wort since the water the coffee was in was boiled first? What sanitation steps should be followed to add the coffee (sanitize the container, filter,etc.)?

+1 on cold-brewed coffee added well after the boil. I personally add it at time of bottling/kegging.

I've added coffee at the start of secondary, but I figured I would follow the recipe on this one and add it for the entire fermentation.

 

[TechyDork]

how much coffee do you generally add to a 5g batch? i know the OP's recipe calls for 4oz coffee, but how much cold water would you brew that in?

 

[LLBeanJ]

I would do 6-8 oz (by weight) of course-ground coffee steeped in a quart of water. It all depends on the how darkly roasted the coffee is and how much tastes "right" to you. That's the primary reason why I wait until bottling/kegging to add the coffee. You can add half the coffee and taste, then keep adding more until you get it where you want it.

 

[allenH]

I would do 6-8 oz (by weight) of course-ground coffee steeped in a quart of water. It all depends on the how darkly roasted the coffee is and how much tastes "right" to you. That's the primary reason why I wait until bottling/kegging to add the coffee. You can add half the coffee and taste, then keep adding more until you get it where you want it.

^^this. I generally use anywhere between 5-8oz (depending on the roast, I have had the best luck blending dark/bright), coarse ground in a quart of RO water. Steeping time depends a lot on the temp, generally I use 24-36 hours at room temp or 48-72 hour in the fridge. I have only added at packaging. Be aware that cold brewed coffee tastes totally different than conventionally brewed coffee.

 

[sacrifice]

I add coffee to many of my beers and simply grind the coffee and added at flameout. I have never had any problems with oils, bitterness, or any grounds in the finished product - get a few grounds in the primary, but that is not a problem. Straining is way too much work for me - My last breakfast stout had 4 ounces of ground coffee (in a 5 gallon batch) as well as a lot of cocoa powder.

 

[tcd2004]

Do you think straining would be a bad idea seeing as the grounds probably wouldn't make it to primary? Do the coffee grounds typically just settle out in primary and then you rack to secondary without the grounds coming along?

 

[SpeedYellow]

Be careful with the coffee. I used this much once and considered that batch a dumper. IMHO when you steep coffee a few minutes after flameout, 2 oz of coffee (for 5 gal) is the limit in an imperial stout.

 

[BansheeRider]

I ordered the peace coffee 2nd crack recipe from NB and I'm interested is this too. I can't decide if I should add at flame out and steep for 20 min, or cold brew for 3 days and add in bottling bucket.

 

[SpeedYellow]

I ordered the peace coffee 2nd crack recipe from NB and I'm interested is this too. I can't decide if I should add at flame out and steep for 20 min, or cold brew for 3 days and add in bottling bucket.

If you do this at flameout, let the wort cool to 180-190F and just steep a few minutes -- basically how you'd make a good cup of coffee. Steeping for a long time near boiling won't make for good coffee.

 

[brokebucket]

at over 205 degrees or so, coffee will take on a bitter stale taste...like the coffee smell that you get from a pot sitting on a burner for an hour. If you put it in at the end of the boil, this is the flavor you will get out of it. Coffee brewed (and kept) at lower temperatures will have a different fresher and less bitter flavor profile.

 

[BansheeRider]

at over 205 degrees or so, coffee will take on a bitter stale taste...like the coffee smell that you get from a pot sitting on a burner for an hour. If you put it in at the end of the boil, this is the flavor you will get out of it. Coffee brewed (and kept) at lower temperatures will have a different fresher and less bitter flavor profile.

So would cold brewing in the fridge for 3 days result in a better flavor? If so I will use this method and add the coffee to secondary or bottling bucket.

 

[brokebucket]

So would cold brewing in the fridge for 3 days result in a better flavor? If so I will use this method and add the coffee to secondary or bottling bucket.

I cannot comment on this, because I have never cold brewed coffee. I do have a decent espresso set up though, and I have done the research in how to make a good cup of joe. I do love a good coffee stout though, and when I get around to brewing this, that's how I will do it.

Best of luck!

 

[SpeedYellow]

The reality is that you use so little coffee in these beers, and there are so many other flavors involved, that the intricacies of coffee flavor won't be too apparent. I.e. I really don't think it makes a difference whether you cold-brew or hot-steep.

 

[C-Rider]

I always cold brew my coffee and add to bottling bucket. I use 1 cup for a 2 gallon batch. Cold brewed coffee is much stronger than regular coffee so add slowly to taste.

 

[brokebucket]

The reality is that you use so little coffee in these beers, and there are so many other flavors involved, that the intricacies of coffee flavor won't be too apparent. I.e. I really don't think it makes a difference whether you cold-brew or hot-steep.

While I somewhat agree with this statement ("somewhat" because I totally get where you are coming from, and would tend to agree with no personal experience myself), I would REALLY steer clear of adding coffe, brewed or beans directly to water over 205. I.E. not at any time with the word "boil" in it. Otherwise, your are good to go.

 

[tcd2004]

Thanks for all of the input, it has definitely helped. Still not 100% sure which route I will go, have to talk to my brewing partner and see what he thinks.

 

[SpeedYellow]

While I somewhat agree with this statement ("somewhat" because I totally get where you are coming from, and would tend to agree with no personal experience myself), I would REALLY steer clear of adding coffe, brewed or beans directly to water over 205. I.E. not at any time with the word "boil" in it. Otherwise, your are good to go.

Yes, we totally agree. Like I said above, by "hot steep" I mean 180-190.

 

[BansheeRider]

Yes, we totally agree. Like I said above, by "hot steep" I mean 180-190.

Yeah I don't think the recipe would recommend the steeping method if it would impart bad flavors.