Coffee roast for homebrew infusion?

I prefer medium-dark roasted decaf for my coffee porters. I use about 1/3 pound of home roasted Colombian decaf steeped overnight, strained directly into the keg as it fills.

 

My first attempt at this was using near-espresso dark roast, and I can taste it very much. Too astringent and bitter for me, I would go a bit lighter next time. But I think you still want a somewhat bitter (medium-dark sounds about right) coffee.

 

Is that for a 5 gallon batch? To my taste, 2 oz is generally about right, though I'd probably go a bit heavier for a heavier beer like a Breakfast Stout. Much more than that and coffee becomes the dominant flavor. Obviously, YMMV.

FWIW, I cold steep 2 oz of coarsely ground home roasted beans overnight in a French Press, then pour it directly into the keg. I typically do this 2 - 3 weeks after kegging. The idea is that the coffee will be fresher if I add it closer to serving, but I've found that the 'fresh' flavor sticks around for months (nothing wrong with that!), so I could probably do it at kegging time without losing anything.

Pretty much any coffee that you like to drink will do. I prefer African beans - Kenya, for example - that can stand up to a darker roast. I hit cool just as it hits a rolling second crack in my Behmor roaster (most beans would die in that kind of heat! )

 

I use the decaf Colombian because it came with my roaster and I see no point in drinking decaf so I found another use for it. I brew a fairly srong porter, around 1.065 OG and the 1/3 pound has always worked well for me and my friends. It's a beer that doesn't last long.