French Pressing Your Own Beer Variants

Many years ago I visited HOPPIN' FROG and they had a something similar in place for several of their beers....some sort of infusion process behind the bar. Perhaps someone more local can contribute to the specifics but it was very cool!

 

I've done it years ago with coffee for sweeter Imperial Stouts and it worked fine for adding that flavor. I definitely lost a good bit of carbonation in the process though.

 

I know a lot of friends will buy a bunch of BCBS and FP with whatever adjuncts they feel like. I'm not really a stout guy so this isn't really something I do often but have done a couple times in the past.

 

Randall the Enamel Animal...and the DYI version.

Other than losing the carbonation, don't see why the French press would not work. No matter what ya do, adding solid materials to a carbonated liquid is going to cause foaming and carbonation loss, but to play around with flavorings the French press idea works.

 

Done it many times, with varying degrees of success. I've used vanilla beans, cacao nibs, habaneros, ghost peppers, coconut, bourbon-soaked wood chips, chunks of fruit, coffee beans, and whatever else I could think of on a whim. I've used stouts and porters for the most part, but I've also adulterated the occasional IPA and pilsner. Best advice: pick out a combination that sounds good to you and run with it. There is no right or wrong.

 

Would you brew this with a typical French press recipe and grind size?

I'm drinking through my cellar here lately and got some beers... past their prime. Wondering if I could spruce them up with a little coffee injection. May have to give this a try in the French press.

 

@MaltyFlannel cinamon toast crunch cereal is my favorite to put in the press. gotta pay tribute to @Zaphog the godfather and master of the french press beer variants

 

You might find good info in the threads from this search link:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...nch+++press&o=date&c[title_only]=1&c[node]=39

 

I’ve got the mini-Randall and in hindsight, I wish I would’ve purchased a French press instead. Most ingredients just float at the top of the Randall (hops, coffee, cocoa) so it’s hard for the beer to actually be infused because nothing is completely submerged. As mentioned, You already lose a good bit of carb as it is so it’s not like you can stir it up or shake it. With a French press you can at least force the ingredients down into the beer.

 

Good to know. Thanks

 

Definitely use a French Press coarse grind size. That's the size I went with and it provided good coffee notes without any harsh bitterness.

 

Ugh the Randall...

 

Im going to be "that guy" and say Ive never done this. And its because I have zero desire to do it. Totally respect those that do but if Im spending decent money on beer Im not going to change what the brewer intended. I want coffee stout, I buy coffee stout. I guess I can see the intrigue

 

Great contribution

 

Nothing to add other than what most have said. You'll lose carbonation, so best to stick with beers that are drinkable with low carb, although you can have some fun with IPAs and fresh fruit. From personal experience, 9 out of 10 times, it won't be better than the base beer but if you have some cellared beers past their prime, it can give them some life.

 

I just tapped a pony keg of KBS in my basement and have been thinking about doing a french press day with friends. So far I've come up with toasted coconut flakes, vanilla beans, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, butterscotch morsels, dried fruits, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Fruity Pebbles (not at the same time).

 

I do this a lot to evaluate hops for homebrewing. Just get some Genny Cream or PBR, put a few pellets of the new batch in, add the beer and press away. These are pretty highly carbonated beers so they don't get too flat.

No reason this can't work with coffee, etc. If you wet your solid material with a small amount of the beer before adding the bulk of it, that cuts way down on foaming.

 

I’ve done this with a few local non adjunct stouts and put Reeses peanut butter cups in them. Done it a few times. The longer you let the beer sit in the french press the more the flavor comes through. Never done it with anything outside of peanut butter cups however. Seen some people put coconut flakes in beers like BCBS though.