Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Coconut Porter  (Read 13279 times)

Offline brad79

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Coconut Porter
« on: October 08, 2012, 02:33:36 pm »
I am brewing a Coconut Cream Porter, for a club only friendly competition.  Should the Coconut go into the Mash, Boil, or Secondary?    I'm thinking Mash, due to the oil content. 

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Coconut Porter
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2012, 02:41:19 pm »
I am brewing a Coconut Cream Porter, for a club only friendly competition.  Should the Coconut go into the Mash, Boil, or Secondary?    I'm thinking Mash, due to the oil content.

I'd say secondary.  If you add it earlier you might not get much flavor/aroma from it.  Check the recipe wiki.....there might be a recipe for the toasted coconut porter that won NHC some years back.  You might get some info from that.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Coconut Porter
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2012, 02:11:10 pm »
I would go with secondary too, not wanting to boil off the coconut flavor.  Many brewers seem to make coconut beers without the oils causing problems.  Since they are not miscible with water, they probably separate out after fermentation anyway.
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline hoser

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 773
Re: Coconut Porter
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2012, 02:36:48 pm »
Well, Maui brewing does it in all 3 phases (to my knowledge): Mash, boil, and secondary.

I typically add mine to the keg post-fermentation, this allows me more control.  I add it in a couple of hop sacks with weights.  Anywhere from 0.5-1.5lbs/5gallons.  It usually takes anywhere from 3-14 days depending on the style of beer and the  amount of coconut added.. I generally toast it in the oven on the lowest bake setting for 10-15 minutes with frequent stirring until golden brown (the house smells fantastic, BTW!), before adding it to the beer.  You want to use the organic stuff, not the coconut you find in the baking aisle. 

I have never had a head retention issue with the coconut in a beer in the past.  My guess is that the oil floats on the beer and I serve from a keg, so I am pulling the beer from underneath the oil?  Just a hunch.

Many people also use extract dosed to taste with great success as well.  I recommend Olive Nation.  All of their extracts are top notch!

Offline guido

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 343
Re: Coconut Porter
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2012, 03:29:39 pm »
I had a wonderful coconut porter at Flat Earth Brewing at the 2010 NHC in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  The aroma and flavor were off the charts.  Here's how they did it:  Soak coconut in vodka for a few weeks.  Drain the vodka and mix it with brown sugar until it's a gravy-like consistency.  The brown sugar takes away the harshness of the vodka.  Boil the "gravy" lightly to drive off some of the alcohol.  (Maybe you don't want to drive off some of the alcohol  ;)) Add the mixture to the secondary. 
Well...I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer

     -"Roadhouse Blues,"  Jim Morrison

Offline thebigbaker

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 721
  • Denver, CO
Re: Coconut Porter
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2012, 03:56:38 pm »
I do a coconut milk stout.  I roast the coconut (10 oz for 3 gallon batch) at 325 for 30-45 mins, mixing the coconut around a couple of times to ensure even roasting.  I let it cool and toss in in the secondary for two weeks.  Good coconut flavor, but not over powering. 
« Last Edit: October 09, 2012, 05:20:06 pm by thebigbaker »
Jeremy Baker

"An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience." - Mitch Hedberg

Offline tschmidlin

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8198
  • Redmond, WA
Re: Coconut Porter
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2012, 08:50:57 pm »
I had a wonderful coconut porter at Flat Earth Brewing at the 2010 NHC in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  The aroma and flavor were off the charts.  Here's how they did it:  Soak coconut in vodka for a few weeks.  Drain the vodka and mix it with brown sugar until it's a gravy-like consistency.  The brown sugar takes away the harshness of the vodka.  Boil the "gravy" lightly to drive off some of the alcohol.  (Maybe you don't want to drive off some of the alcohol  ;)) Add the mixture to the secondary. 
Do you know if they used just shredded coconut, or did they toast it first?
Tom Schmidlin

Offline guido

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 343
Re: Coconut Porter
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2012, 03:24:58 am »
I had a wonderful coconut porter at Flat Earth Brewing at the 2010 NHC in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  The aroma and flavor were off the charts.  Here's how they did it:  Soak coconut in vodka for a few weeks.  Drain the vodka and mix it with brown sugar until it's a gravy-like consistency.  The brown sugar takes away the harshness of the vodka.  Boil the "gravy" lightly to drive off some of the alcohol.  (Maybe you don't want to drive off some of the alcohol  ;)) Add the mixture to the secondary. 
Do you know if they used just shredded coconut, or did they toast it first?
I think they just shredded it (Flat Earth was the last stop in the tour, and there were a lot of beverages involved).  I'm sure toasting wouldn't hurt, though.
Well...I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer

     -"Roadhouse Blues,"  Jim Morrison

Offline Pinski

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1943
  • Portland, Oregon
Re: Coconut Porter
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2013, 11:17:23 am »
Well, Maui brewing does it in all 3 phases (to my knowledge): Mash, boil, and secondary.

I typically add mine to the keg post-fermentation, this allows me more control.  I add it in a couple of hop sacks with weights.  Anywhere from 0.5-1.5lbs/5gallons.  It usually takes anywhere from 3-14 days depending on the style of beer and the  amount of coconut added.. I generally toast it in the oven on the lowest bake setting for 10-15 minutes with frequent stirring until golden brown (the house smells fantastic, BTW!), before adding it to the beer.  You want to use the organic stuff, not the coconut you find in the baking aisle. 

Do you leave the coconut in the keg until it kicks or remove after 3-14 days?
How long would you expect for 12 oz of toasted flaked coconut to infuse well into a big porter?
Steve Carper
Green Dragon Brewers
Clubs: Oregon Brew Crew & Strange Brew
BJCP Certified

Offline benamcg

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 72
Re: Coconut Porter
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2013, 07:03:39 am »
I usually add toasted coconut to the keg in a cheese-cloth sack.  Purge air from the airlock and leave in for 48 hours -max.  After 48 hrs it is overwhelming (to me) for the first couple of weeks, but definitely fades over time.