Beer Forum

Hey everyone, I was wanting to make a chocholate coffee stout but was wanting to use real coffee beans. I have read a few different ways of doing it and didn't know which way was best. I want the coffee flavor to be pretty noticable but not overpowering. If anybody has a method that they have had luck with, I sure would appriciate the info. Thanks.

I grind my coffee and cold brew it in the fridge while my beer is fermenting. Then I strain it and add it to the keg with the beer.

My LHBS owner brewed a bad ass coffee stout, did the cold brew thing and also did a secondary on whole beans. Don't know how much the whole beans helped, but it rocked.

A guy in our brew club uses coarse ground coffee beans in the mash, strong brewed coffee in the boil, and then "dry beans" the beer. Incredible brew.

Myself, I normally do the cold steep method and add the strained liquid to the keg. My last beer, however, I just added a bunch of kahlua to the keg (about 12 oz). This was some homemade kahlua my niece made and gave to me a couple years ago. I don't drink the stuff often so I figured this was a great way to get rid of it. Nice coffee flavor, but I overdid the cocoa nibs in that beer and it overpowers the coffee.

There are all sorts of "right" ways to brew with coffee. Just make sure the variety of coffee has a flavor that is compatible with your beer.

Wayne

...just don't tell the FDA...

I think one of the sunday shows (terrapin?) mentioned dry-hopping with ground coffee beans so as not to dilute the beer.

What about sanitizing, say I want to use ground up coffee beans and cold filter them and add the liquid to my bottling bucket or my keg, the liquid hasn't been boiled or anything so your adding unsanitized liquid to your beer. I guess im just wondering if im contaminating the whole batch?

deeznutts wrote:What about sanitizing, say I want to use ground up coffee beans and cold filter them and add the liquid to my bottling bucket or my keg, the liquid hasn't been boiled or anything so your adding unsanitized liquid to your beer. I guess im just wondering if im contaminating the whole batch?

After straining the coffee, I microwave it for a minute or so to kill any nasties. I don't do it with the grounds because I am afraid they will be too bitter.