[bwana]

Hi all. My wife has been after me to brew a Coconut Stout. I am planing to brew her a five gallon batch this weekend. My question is how much extract to use and when to use it. Primary? Keg? I appreciate your help!

[denny]

Add it to taste when you keg the beer.  Add a little, taste, adjust as necessary.  Alternately, pour 4 2-4 oz. samples of the beer.  Dose each with a different, measured amount of extract.  Taste and decide which you like best, then scale that amount of extract up to the batch size.

[theDarkSide]

I would do the keg.  Start with a measured sample and add drops until you are satisified, then extrapolate that to the full batch and add to the keg.

edit:  yeah...what Denny said ( sneaking in under the wire )

[Jimmy K]

I do what denny describes. There are 48 teaspoons in a cup and 52 12oz beers in 5 gallons.  So I dose 1tsp in 12oz of beer. Adjust up or down, then extrapolate (if you like 1/2 tsp in 12oz, then use 1/2 cup in 5gal).  You can adjust the math to dose smaller portions too.

[bwana]

Thank you for the help! Take care!

[anthony]

Make sure you spring for the actual coconut extract and not the imitation stuff. The imitation stuff makes your beer taste like sun tan lotion.

[s rails]

I've made a coconut stout before.  My solution was to lower the alcohol a bit and add Malibu Rum when I kegged.  Came out perfect!  I used the whole bottle but you can try blending in a glass to see how much you think it needs.

[bwana]

I've made a coconut stout before.  My solution was to lower the alcohol a bit and add Malibu Rum when I kegged.  Came out perfect!  I used the whole bottle but you can try blending in a glass to see how much you think it needs.

Interesting Idea! Has anyone else used this method?

[s rails]

I have made my coconut stout twice using the Malibu Rum method.  If you do the math in a 5 gallon batch it doesn't add that much more alcohol.  I like a half of a 750 bottle for a more subtle coconut flavor and aroma; but my wife likes the whole bottle.  I think she wants to know she's drinking something with coconut.  I tried extracts, but just didn't get the amount she liked in it.  It has made me realize I could use any fairly neutral flavored alcohol (i.e. vanilla vodka) to add a flavor to a beer.  I haven't experimented with any others yet but it is an option.  I think you should do whatever you want to get the flavor you are looking for.  We're homebrewers...we don't need no stinking rules.

[bwana]

I have made my coconut stout twice using the Malibu Rum method.  If you do the math in a 5 gallon batch it doesn't add that much more alcohol.  I like a half of a 750 bottle for a more subtle coconut flavor and aroma; but my wife likes the whole bottle.  I think she wants to know she's drinking something with coconut.  I tried extracts, but just didn't get the amount she liked in it.  It has made me realize I could use any fairly neutral flavored alcohol (i.e. vanilla vodka) to add a flavor to a beer.  I haven't experimented with any others yet but it is an option.  I think you should do whatever you want to get the flavor you are looking for.  We're homebrewers...we don't need no stinking rules.

Thank you for the information!

[hoser]

Why not add real coconut to the keg?