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

Author Topic: Coffee Porter Question  (Read 3962 times)

Offline ltalley02

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Coffee Porter Question
« on: November 09, 2010, 09:02:58 am »
I'm working on a recipe for a coffee porter and I'm trying to figure out the best way, how much and when to add the coffee.  I'm planning on using coffee from a local roastery and really want the flavor of the coffee to come through.  I'll be doing a 5 gallon extract batch with steeped grains.  Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks,
Luke

Offline kramerog

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2262
    • My LinkedIn page
Re: Coffee Porter Question
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2010, 09:15:52 am »
I'm working on a recipe for a coffee porter and I'm trying to figure out the best way, how much and when to add the coffee.  I'm planning on using coffee from a local roastery and really want the flavor of the coffee to come through.  I'll be doing a 5 gallon extract batch with steeped grains.  Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks,
Luke

Make a french press coffee and add to taste shortly before bottling (I think I last used 8-12 cups/5 gallons).  By using boiling water and waiting a few minutes you kill the critters and you get a predictable rich coffee flavor. 

However, my only coffee porter did not age well beyond 6 months.  The coffee flavor degraded.

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Coffee Porter Question
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2010, 09:20:19 am »
The other thing you can do is "dry bean" the beer.  Rack to secondary and add about 4-5 oz. of coarse;ly cracked beans in a sanitized bag.  Leave them in for 4-10 days, depending on the amount of coffee aroma you want.
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 Steve

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 177
  • Been there, done that. And now I've returned
    • Kettle and Cask Beer Blog
Re: Coffee Porter Question
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2010, 11:20:24 am »
I've utilized hot brewed in the boil, the cool brewed in the secondary and the concentrated brewed at packaging time methods and I prefer the middle method. 
  • - Hot water brewing will extract flavor and aroma efficiently, but also produces a lot of coffee bitterness and acidity. The cool brew method retards creation of acidity and bitterness while still getting flavor and aroma.  It will take longer to extract the flavor and aroma.
  • - The coarse grind is important to let the beer infuse the grinds easily. Fine grounds are too tightly packed together to let the beer in.
  • - Putting the grounds in several grain bag and letting them soak is very easy, but don't overfill the bags so you can get them in and out of the carboy neck.

How much Coffee flavor do you want? You can go with the usual proportions of 2 tbsp/6 oz. coffee to water (that would be 13 cups to 5 gal.) which is pretty extreme!... or go lighter.
Steve
 
  "Because beer is food: in cooking, at the table and by the glass. " Lucy Saunders

Offline corkybstewart

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1368
Re: Coffee Porter Question
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2010, 11:24:25 am »
I steep about 1/3 pound of medium roast, coarse ground coffee in 170F water, and let the grounds settle for a couple of hours.  Add the liquid directly to the keg or bottling bucket.
Life is wonderful in sunny White Signal New Mexico

Offline tschmidlin

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8198
  • Redmond, WA
Re: Coffee Porter Question
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2010, 11:55:21 am »
Big Time makes a coffee beer where Bill dry beans the kegs as Denny described, it is very smooth but with a strong coffee flavor after just a few days.  He prefers that method to the others.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline tygo

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2622
  • Sterling, VA
Re: Coffee Porter Question
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2010, 10:50:23 pm »
On a somewhat related note what does everyone think about yeast for a coffee beer?  I'm doing a mocha porter and I'm debating between something clean to let the coffee & chocolate flavors shine through and an english strain. 
Clint
Wort Hogs

Offline tschmidlin

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8198
  • Redmond, WA
Re: Coffee Porter Question
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2010, 12:50:40 am »
On a somewhat related note what does everyone think about yeast for a coffee beer?  I'm doing a mocha porter and I'm debating between something clean to let the coffee & chocolate flavors shine through and an english strain. 
My inclination would be to go with a clean yeast like 1056, but I think you'll be ok either way.
Tom Schmidlin