Looking to brew a Coconut red ale with rum

[coleandrobin]

I'm looking to brew a beer with rum and coconut. Kind of a play on a Caribbean theme. I know I want to use an red ale extract recipe as a base and use some molasses as some of the fermentables. I'm thinking about adding 2 or more lbs of toasted unsweetened coconut in the secondary. At some point I want to fortify it with either golden or spiced rum. I'm not sure how Much molasses to use or when to add it. I'm thinking around 10-14 oz and just adding it with my extract. From the looking around ice done there seem to be a couple of thoughts on when to add the coconut but the most consistent idea seems to be in the secondary for about a week to 14 days. Also I'm unsure of how much rum to use or when to add it. Should I add it in the bright tank with the coconut? Or just prior to bottling? And does anyone know how to calculate the ABV after fortifying a brew? Any ideas appreciated!

 

[daksin]

For coconut, I like a pound toasted brown in 5 gallons, in secondary.

I think the molasses is going to be too much, honestly, it's quite a strong flavor in beer, adn with coconut and rum, you're going to be all over the place flavor wise.

I'd say do your coconut secondary, and then add rum to taste (pull a pint of it, add measured amounts while tasting, then scale up to your full batch). Add the rum into the bottling bucket.

 

[Colorowdy]

I use a pint of Sailor Jerry in my coconut rum porter. I also soak oak cubes in said rum. For coconut I just add extract from McCormick's to the boil don't remember how much and I won't be around my notebook this weekend. I think it's a third or half.

 

[coleandrobin]

Does the higher alcohol ever cause any problems with your bottles carbing?

 

[Brewmex41]

I've seen recipes on here where folks add an entire fifth of malibu to a 5 g batch. If I find it ill post it here, but malibu is 21% and adding 22oz or so to 640 oz of beer won't raise the abv enough to inhibit the yeast from bottle carbing.

If my math is right it would raise the abv about .7%

 

[coleandrobin]

Thank you so much! Super helpful replies guys.