good base recipe for coffee stout

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Jay_Ulreich, Apr 28, 2014.

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  1. Jay_Ulreich

    Jay_Ulreich Initiate (0) Jan 15, 2014 Indiana

    Ive made the Peace Coffee Stout that Midwest offers in extract form like 6 years ago, I took a look at Northern Brewers and Midwests All Grain versions. They are quite different. Midwests is:
    9 lbs 2 Row
    14 oz Chocolate malt
    4 oz Flaked Barley
    4 oz Caramel 60 L
    1 Lb Roasted Barley

    .5 oz Challenger (I assume both @ 60)
    1 oz Tettanang

    4 oz of Peace Coffee (I assume coursely ground and added at flameout)

    Northern Brewers is:
    10.75 lb Maris Otter
    .5 lb English Dark Crystal
    .5 English Chocolate
    .5 English Black malt

    1 oz UK Fuggles @ 60
    1 oz US Fuggles @603

    4 oz Peace coffee coarsly ground added at flameout

    SO, I really dig the simplicity of NBs version, plus the hop choices. When I made my Midwest extract version, I just smashed the coffee beans real good instead of grinding them so they wouldnt go through my hop sack, because I added them to secondary and if I remember correctly let it sit for about a week, maybe a week n a half.... It was probably the best extract beer I ever made.

    Im not trying to replicate that, theres a great coffee place in my town whose beans Im gonna use.Super dark roast and oh so delicious. I was thinking of using one of these 2 examples as my base, But I know that someones got a better recipe than this. I was sort of leaning toward the Averagely Perfect Stout recipe that was on here awhile back, but I want something really simple, something that would compliment or enhance the coffee. I just had a Southern Tier Mocha and damn was it good on tap. I coulld drink it by the gallon :slight_smile: Im not ready to attempt something like that, I just want a simple tasty coffee stout.

    Also, Id like to hear if anyone has tried making the same coffee stout using different methods of adding coffee each time- i.e. french press, adding whole beans to the boil or flameout, whirlpool, grinding and adding to secondary etc....

    Thanks for reading, thanks for any ideas or experiences!
    Cheers!
     
    #1 Jay_Ulreich, Apr 28, 2014
  2. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    I've never made a coffee stout. It's just not something I'd want 5 gallons of. (Sorry, KBS)! The process varies as much as the recipes will. I'd encourage you to cold steep your coffee in water before adding it directly into the fermenter. The coffee will have a smoother flavor to it this way. Predict for another quart of liquid going into your fermenter. Others have had great success with adding crushed beans directly to the fermenter, or probably into the late boil. It's just a matter of how strong you want the flavor. 4 oz sounds about right for either of these recipes and the beer should sit on the beans for a week or two if you don't remove them from the boil.

    Another dimension for this beer could be vanilla bean or some cocoa nibs. I'd probably do that just because I need something to hide the coffee flavor.
     
    #2 inchrisin, Apr 28, 2014
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  3. wspscott

    wspscott Pooh-Bah (1,958) May 25, 2006 Kentucky
    Pooh-Bah

    I would not use the Avergely Perfect Stout as a base for a coffee stout, I just don't think the flavors would work.

    I agree that you should consider cold steeping the coffee, you might also consider cold steeping the roasted malts as well. I like black malt in a stout. Depending on how roasty you like your stouts, you can do both roasted barley and black malt or throw in some chocolate malt as well.

    I think the NB recipe looks pretty good (except that seems like a low amount of 60 min hops).
     
    #3 wspscott, Apr 28, 2014
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  4. Jay_Ulreich

    Jay_Ulreich Initiate (0) Jan 15, 2014 Indiana

    I liked that recipe too. Its simple, but I bet its got a nice flavor to it. Im with you on the hops being a bit less than it should be. If Im putting coffee in there, Id want it to be quite a roasty base recipe, so I will probably put both in there. This is something I probably wont attempt til the beginning of fall or late summer. I like to plan ahead. Thanks for your input
     
    #4 Jay_Ulreich, May 1, 2014
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  5. Jay_Ulreich

    Jay_Ulreich Initiate (0) Jan 15, 2014 Indiana

    I could drink coffee stouts all year round! :slight_smile: Im not attempting this til summer is overwith, just playing around with ideas/planning ahead.

    Can I ask why youd want to hide the coffee flavor once youve added it? You just not a coffee kinda guy or...? PS I never had KBS, just reagular Founders Breakfast Stout. Is there much of a difference, I was just discussing this with a buddy and hes never had FBS, but swears by KBS. Im the opposite. I need him to pick me some of that up, as I cant find it near me.
     
    #5 Jay_Ulreich, May 1, 2014
  6. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    "I really dig the simplicity of NBs version"..."They are quite different." ...really? because it looks about the same as Midwests'...come to think of it...aren't they the same company? :slight_smile:
     
    #6 GreenKrusty101, May 1, 2014
  7. TheHumanTorch

    TheHumanTorch Devotee (353) Jul 19, 2013 Connecticut

    Recipe for my coffee stout. Not by any means simplistic, but we did a sampling at the brewery today (first time brewed) and it is full body with very nice chocolate and roast characteristics. The pre-dry-coffee'd sample had some definite raison character, but it doesn't come through as well after the coffee addition (good thing imo). Our water has high chlorine levels and very high alkalinity, which I believe helps the malt flavors shine and come out extremely smooth. Definitely drinks with the flavor of a higher abv beer. This is probably my favorite beer that I've brewed.

    Mash: 153 for 60 min
    Boil: 60 min
    Efficiency: 66%
    Postboil OG: 1.076
    FG: 1.023
    ABV: 6.7%
    Yeast: California Ale

    Grain
    62% Marris Otter
    10% Flaked Oats
    8% Chocolate Malt (US, 350 SRM)
    6% Crystal 120
    6% Biscuit Malt
    5% Roasted Barley (US, 300 SRM)
    2% Special B
    1% Black Patent
    Hops
    Warrior to 50 IBU (1 oz in a 5 gallon batch)
    Fuggles @ 10 min to 9 ibu (2 oz in a 5 gallon batch)

    Coffee
    1 lb per barrel (2.5 oz per 5 gallon or .5 oz per gallon)
    I used a columbian dark roast, medium crush
    Added 24 hours before kegging in a mesh bag into fermentor
     
    #7 TheHumanTorch, May 1, 2014
  8. jmich24

    jmich24 Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2010 Michigan

    88% Maris Otter or Golden Promise
    5% British Crystal
    5% Chicolate malt
    2% Roasted Barley
     
    #8 jmich24, May 1, 2014
  9. Mongrel

    Mongrel Initiate (0) Feb 14, 2013 Maryland

    I feel like any of these malt bills would work fine. The more important thing is nailing the coffee, which can be tough to do. I've had really good results adding 2.5 oz coarse ground coffee during chill-down, once the wort comes down to about 200 F, which is about the optimal temp for brewing coffee.
     
    #9 Mongrel, May 1, 2014
  10. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    I like coffee. I just drink it in the morning. Again, 5 gallons would be a lot for me. I'd need another layer of complexity there. Chocolate would win over big for me, and a touch of vanilla wouldn't hurt anything either. You should try KBS and Breakfast Stout side-by-side.
     
    #10 inchrisin, May 1, 2014
  11. Biobrewer

    Biobrewer Initiate (0) Nov 14, 2009 California

    One of my favs from back in the day. For a 5.5 gallon batch:
    GRAINS
    14 lbs. British Pale Malt
    2 lbs. Munich
    12 oz. Crystal Malt (10L)
    6 oz. Cara Pils
    4 oz. Crystal Malt (120L)
    10 oz. Roasted Barley
    4 oz. Black Patent
    8 oz. Chocolate Malt
    1 lb. Flaked Barley

    MASH
    153 F for 60 minutes
    170 F for 10 minutes

    BOIL (60 MINUTES)
    1 oz. Centennial – 60 minutes
    1 oz. Centennial – 30 minutes
    1 oz. Kent Goldings – 15 minutes
    1 oz. Kent Goldings – 2 minutes
    2 oz cold brewed (in french press) Dark Roast coffee – 2 Minutes
    1 tsp. Irish Moss – 15 Minutes

    YEAST
    Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale
     
    #11 Biobrewer, May 2, 2014
  12. mugs1789

    mugs1789 Zealot (611) Dec 6, 2005 Maryland

    My favorite stout. A nice roasty, grainy flavor, don't know if it would blend with coffee

    7# 2 row
    .75# crisp choc malt
    .5# flaked oats
    .5# roasted barley

    1.5 oz. Willamette at 60
    1oz Liberty at 10

    Pitch 1L starter of wlp002
     
    #12 mugs1789, May 2, 2014
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