Imperial Espresso Stout Recipe

[MikeBilly]

This will be my second brew (the first was a Pumpkin Ale that I will be bottling this weekend) and I wanted to run the recipe passed you guys. Let me know what you think!

5 gallon batch

% LB OZ MALT OR FERMENTABLE
52% 6 0 Briess DME Golden Light
13% 1 0 Brown Sugar
9% 1 0 Chocolate Malt (UK)
9% 1 0 Flaked Barley
9% 1 0 weyermann CaraWheat
9% 1 0 Crystal 75L

boil 60 mins 1.0 Horizon pellet
boil 30 mins 0.5 Cascade leaf
boil 30 mins 0.25 Willamette leaf
boil 1 min 1.0 Cascade leaf
boil 1 min 1.0 Willamette

I'll be doing a 60 minute partial mash.

I then plan on adding 3 oz of fresh brewed espresso to secondary.

Can anyone who has brewed with coffee give me some advice? What do you think? Is this a solid approach?

 

[StokedBrew]

I would say 3oz espresso is not enough to notice. I have brewed with coffee several times. Most recently I did a 15gal batch of coffee porter and used 1gal of cold brewed toddy coffee added to the primary. It is still in fermenters. My past experiences have included fresh brewed espresso, using Starbucks Via instant coffee to secondary, adding a pot of brewed coffee at flame out, as well as adding a muslin bag of coarse ground coffee at 5 minutes. All have imparted a coffee taste and aroma quite nicely, yet my favorite thus far has been the muslin bag at 5 minute technique. When the wort is chilled rapidly (I use a plate chiller) the coffee maintains it's crisp aromatics and doesn't become bitter, as it might if it is over-steeped.
Good luck, and I don't think you can go wrong. But I WOULD add more than just 3 oz, especially for an imperial. You'll hardly notice if you do so little.

 

[MikeBilly]

Thanks, Stoked. Lots of good suggestions there. Maybe I'll steep some grounds at the end of the boil and then add shots of espresso to taste in secondary a couple of ounces at a time.

 

[bmick]

If you're going to Partial Mash, throw in some 2-row to help wit starch conversions from those specialty malts. 1.5 Lbs should do.

 

[MikeBilly]

If you're going to Partial Mash, throw in some 2-row to help wit starch conversions from those specialty malts. 1.5 Lbs should do.

Would adding some of the light DME to the mash have the same effect?

 

[MikeBilly]

as well as adding a muslin bag of coarse ground coffee at 5 minutes.

How much do you typically use? I'm using a dark espresso roast.