Coffee extraction via rum tincture

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by SFACRKnight, Jan 15, 2015.

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  1. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    So I had great success with cold steeping coffee for my stouts... until they slowly turned into gushers. So my last stout got the vanilla treatment via vanilla beans soaked in spiced rum. I'm thinking this is going to be a better way to go for my coffee as well but I was wondering if alcohol extraction methods are going to bring any off flavors with the process. My guess is no, dry beaning seems to be a popular and successful means for extraction. Usually I use 2 oz cold pressed espresso, I'm thinking the same quantities would work for rum extraction. Anyone had experience with this?
     
    Generous_Beer_Lover likes this.
  2. tkdchampxi

    tkdchampxi Pooh-Bah (2,473) Oct 19, 2010 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    Haven't done this with rum, but I've done it to great effect with vodka. Remember to use a lot more grounds when using cold extraction as opposed to what you would use if just brewing coffee regularly.
     
  3. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    So how does that play into alcohol extraction vs cold pressing?
     
  4. tkdchampxi

    tkdchampxi Pooh-Bah (2,473) Oct 19, 2010 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm confused by your question (or maybe I'm confused by your original post). By alcohol extraction, you do mean putting coffee grounds in some type of liquor (you say rum, I've used vodka) --> leaving it for a while --> then filtering out the grounds --> then using the coffee flavored liquor in your beer.

    If that's what you mean, then yes, it works with vodka. Also, I was just comparing the amount used for alcohol extraction against the amount used for hot brewed coffee. It's probably the same amount as would be used in cold brewed coffee.

    I didn't get any off flavors, though it was very strong.
     
  5. Generous_Beer_Lover

    Generous_Beer_Lover Aspirant (286) Oct 30, 2014 North Carolina
    Trader

    Why exactly are your stouts turning into gushers from cold brew coffee? Seems like an infection. Do you pasteurize the coffee before pitching into the beer?

    Dry beaning the coffee has given very good results for me. Nice coffee finish and some taste midway, lasts for a while too without getting green peppery.
     
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  6. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    My guess is an infection introduced via the coffee. And no, I didn't pasteurize my coffee.
     
  7. Generous_Beer_Lover

    Generous_Beer_Lover Aspirant (286) Oct 30, 2014 North Carolina
    Trader

    I'd say keep cold steeping the coffee but then bring the coffee past 160 to pasteurize before pitching. If you like the flavor it adds then continue doing that technique. It seems almost counterintuitive but you should still get the benefits of cold steeping ( less bitterness/ oils from coffeee).

    Let us know how it goes and good luck.
     
  8. Lukass

    Lukass Pooh-Bah (2,891) Dec 16, 2012 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah

    I've always had great success with cold-steeping coffee and adding at bottling. No gushers...yet. Just bottled a coffee infused Old Raspy clone 2 weeks ago, and figure the higher abv should ward off any intruders in the ground coffee. Fingers crossed.
     
  9. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Since I will be adding cinnamon, coffee, vanilla, chile, and chocolate all at the same time I figured adding coffee with my extraction would make one less step as well.
     
  10. koopa

    koopa Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2008 New Jersey

    Any chance the gushers were due to nucleation points from coffee "debris" making it into the beer, rather than infection?
     
  11. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Nope. No grounds in the beer. It took about six months for the beer to start gushing.
     
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