How much coffee would you recommend for a Coffee Stout?

[Calder]

Want to add coffee to a stout and cold brew it. How much, how long, and any tips?

If I were to make 5 gallons of cold steeped coffee, I'd use about 10 lbs, fine grind for max flavor extraction, and steep for 24 hours. Obviously I don't want to use that much, or people would be bouncing off the walls after a few beers. I have seen recipies with only a few ozs, which seems really small by comparision.

I plan to use a little roasted barley, chocolate, coffee and dark crystal malts, and some oatmeal. Details not figured out yet.

I was thinking of using 10 ozs of fresh ground coffee. Too much, or too little?

Doing a course grind to be able to filter it out with a mesh bag over the inlet to the racking cane.

Add the coffee to prinary as active fermentation ends. Leave for 5 days. Then rack to secondary to get it off the coffee and use gelatin to help drop the fines from the coffee and grains. I am not able to cold crash.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I used 4 cups of cold steeped coffee. I did not use the grounds directly. A little off topic but here is cool way to get the coffee flavor: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/coffee-randall-216661/

 

[billybryson54]

I used 4 cups of cold steeped coffee. I did not use the grounds directly. A little off topic but here is cool way to get the coffee flavor: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/coffee-randall-216661/

Hey, now that's an idea. I actually have one of these already that I built for hops but oddly enough, I've never used it. I think I just found some inspiration for another stout!

 

[jahdub]

I did something similar to the KBS clone that was floating around. 2oz at flameout and 2 oz cold brewed in secondary. I'd feel comfortable doubling the total amount of coffee for a beer that is supposed to feature coffee.

Not sure if the flameout addition is necessary, though. Might be better to do it all in secondary.

 

[m00ps]

I've tried 3 different methods to add coffee to beer and, trust me, WHOLE BEANS into the fermentor is the way to go. Both cold steeping and adding at flameout can be OK at first, but get very acrid and unpleasant down the road. Last 2 beers I've added 4oz whole beans for 5 days like a dry hop, and I actually got more flavor than the other methods and it was a much better rounded flavor. Everyone I've had try the beer (including 6 people last night) agree that's the way to go. It gives a fresh steeped cup of coffee aroma to the beer. I was skeptical at first when I heard about the technique, but I would not even bother any other way with how much better this works. Plus you dont need to go through the trouble of boiling water, cooling it down, and sanitizing a container to cold steep it.

 

[Natdavis777]

I've tried 3 different methods to add coffee to beer and, trust me, WHOLE BEANS into the fermentor is the way to go. Both cold steeping and adding at flameout can be OK at first, but get very acrid and unpleasant down the road. Last 2 beers I've added 4oz whole beans for 5 days like a dry hop, and I actually got more flavor than the other methods and it was a much better rounded flavor. Everyone I've had try the beer (including 6 people last night) agree that's the way to go. It gives a fresh steeped cup of coffee aroma to the beer. I was skeptical at first when I heard about the technique, but I would not even bother any other way with how much better this works. Plus you dont need to go through the trouble of boiling water, cooling it down, and sanitizing a container to cold steep it.

2nd this. I like using roughly crushed beans in a nylon sack. I typically use a handful. I've done a bunch of coffee beers and if you want mild flavor and aroma, 3-4 days, if you want in the middle, 5 days , and if you want a lot, go a week. That's been my experience in the past


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[billybryson54]

Any sanitation concerns using that method?


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[ABVIBUSRM]

Any sanitation concerns using that method?


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you can pasturize the cold brewed coffee @ 170 for 10 mins..then no worries infact probably dont have to pasturize at all

 

[Natdavis777]

Any sanitation concerns using that method?


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I sanitize the nylon sack, then add the crushed beans in. Ive never had an infection with process

 

[jigtwins]

Any sanitation concerns using that method?


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Ive done the whole bean method 3 times. Never had any problem with infection. I go with 6oz beans and leave them in for 7 days. Nice rounded flavor and aroma.

 

[TheZymurgist]

I've tried 3 different methods to add coffee to beer and, trust me, WHOLE BEANS into the fermentor is the way to go. Both cold steeping and adding at flameout can be OK at first, but get very acrid and unpleasant down the road. Last 2 beers I've added 4oz whole beans for 5 days like a dry hop, and I actually got more flavor than the other methods and it was a much better rounded flavor. Everyone I've had try the beer (including 6 people last night) agree that's the way to go. It gives a fresh steeped cup of coffee aroma to the beer. I was skeptical at first when I heard about the technique, but I would not even bother any other way with how much better this works. Plus you dont need to go through the trouble of boiling water, cooling it down, and sanitizing a container to cold steep it.

2nd this. I like using roughly crushed beans in a nylon sack. I typically use a handful. I've done a bunch of coffee beers and if you want mild flavor and aroma, 3-4 days, if you want in the middle, 5 days , and if you want a lot, go a week. That's been my experience in the past


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Oldsock has a great write up on this method:

http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2014/08/blonde-ale-on-coffee-beans-recipe.html

"As with my usual process for coffee beers, I added whole beans loose to the fermentor (without sanitizing them). We pulled a sample after 28 hours, and it already had enough coffee to proceeded with kegging. It’s amazing how much character comes through thanks to the extraction by both alcohol and water. I also find that this technique produces a longer-lasting coffee aroma compared to cold brewing in water alone, although that likely won’t matter too much for this batch."

 

[m00ps]

Oldsock has a great write up on this method:

http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2014/08/blonde-ale-on-coffee-beans-recipe.html

"As with my usual process for coffee beers, I added whole beans loose to the fermentor (without sanitizing them). We pulled a sample after 28 hours, and it already had enough coffee to proceeded with kegging. It’s amazing how much character comes through thanks to the extraction by both alcohol and water. I also find that this technique produces a longer-lasting coffee aroma compared to cold brewing in water alone, although that likely won’t matter too much for this batch."

Haha, guess where I got the idea?

 

[ggriffi]

Gonna show my noobness here, but I am curious can I just put beans in a stout that i am brewing like I have done with vanilla beans or should I be brewing a coffee stout recipe?

 

[Natdavis777]

Gonna show my noobness here, but I am curious can I just put beans in a stout that i am brewing like I have done with vanilla beans or should I be brewing a coffee stout recipe?

You can add them to any stout. I have a base milk stout recipe that I add different things to ie vanilla, coffee beans, coconut, etc


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[ABVIBUSRM]

i would start with 4oz but would not go over 8oz..cause i like coffee with my stout not stout with my coffee..its gotta taste like beer in the end

 

[m00ps]

i would start with 4oz but would not go over 8oz..cause i like coffee with my stout not stout with my coffee..its gotta taste like beer in the end

8 oz would be a very large amount...may be closer to coffee than beer...my last coffee blond ale had 3oz whole bean for 4 days. Very strong coffee aroma

 

[ABVIBUSRM]

8 oz would be a very large amount...may be closer to coffee than beer...my last coffee blond ale had 3oz whole bean for 4 days. Very strong coffee aroma

8oz sure is alot thats why i said i would not go over 8oz..but some people want the flavor additions to be the star of the show..if it was my brew i would cold brew some quality espresso and add about 1 oz for complexity or 4oz for in your face coffee..stout alone already has coffee notes and aromas so im sure a small ammount will just boost that and a higher ammount will take over

 

[killerbee]

Want to add coffee to a stout and cold brew it. How much, how long, and any tips?

A cold-pressed bottled coffee steeped in stainless steel wine tanks, free from oxygen, pressed and filtered twice, flash pasteurized and bottled with a drop of liquid nitrogen...

http://youtu.be/AgQyIAPy9i8

Pure Black - 2 Pack

http://shop.lacolombe.com/collections/pure-black/products/pure-black-2-pack

Add 4-12 ounces (according to taste) post fermentaion for a 5 gallon batch.

 

[xben]

I added 10g (1/3 of an ounce) for every gallon =1.66oz for 5gal , of ground coffee (was not fresh, was from a standard grocery store can), 5 minutes from the end of the boil.. never noticed any grain in my bottles, didn't cold crash either, taste is just fine!

 

[jnacey]

I take a French press and add 1oz of ground, low acid coffee to 12 fl oz of boiled, cooled water and let that sit in the fridge overnight the day before bottling. Then on bottling day, I press it and add it to to the bottling bucket.

I've noticed that using a low acid coffee really improves on the flavor. I get no astringency through this method due to the cold pressing.