Started my first homebrew a week or two ago. A Founders Breakfast Stout clone. Here are a few details and then the main question. I was not super impressed with the nose during the transfer to secondary. It wasn't bad exactly, it just wasn't..impressive. At that point, as for the coffee, I had put 2 oz. of a good gourmet bean (I don't have my notes and can't remember the brand but it was dark roast) in the boil for a few minutes (maybe 5 minutes) plus about 2 oz of a baking chocolate (need notes here too) near the end of the boil. My plan is to either do another 2oz. of beans in a 48 hour cold steep in the fridge and add that in the last 48 hours of the secondary. Or maybe 2 oz. of beans in a bag in the last 24 maybe 48 hours of secondary. Let's say I don't even do the final coffee addition coming up and don't add anything else since transfer to secondary a few days back...how much should the nose change between primary to secondary and then the final tasting? I'm hoping quite a bit. Thanks.
The nose will change when you add the post boil coffee and/or chocolate...whenever that is...if I'm understanding you correctly.
And that will be the only change to the nose? So if I didn't add anymore coffee or chocolate, the nose wouldn't change much from when I smelled it from the end of the primary, to when I smell it again at tasting?
The aroma of malty beers improves with carbonation and age. Carbonation releases aroma. Judging flat samples is often misleading. Another 2oz of coffee is not a bad idea.
Search for forums regarding the best way to add coffee to beer. There are several methods people like to use but I personally, am an advocate of breaking up the beans coursely and adding them to a secondary or keg, (if you have that option).
I've been here and other places learning about the different ways and my gut instinct tells me to try it exactly that way, about 48 hours before bottling.
