Suggestions needed for adding toasted coconut and coffee

No offense meant, but it sounds like your buddy is a newbie who wants to use techniques that you're not sure of yourself. My advice would be for him to brew a stout kit and don't add anything. You can help him learn the basics.

If I'm wrong, don't worry. You'll get plenty of suggestions on how to go about this in this thread.

 

Option B. Then read the numerous threads about how to use coffee and coconut.

 

I have never read about anyone adding vanilla to the boil (or coconut for that matter). I would follow @Brew_Betty's advice and brew a basic stout and read up on adding vanilla and/or coconut and/or coffee. That is a lot going on in a beer, hHow about some sour cherries to go with the coffee, coconut and vanilla milk stout?

I would focus on getting one of those additions right before I decided to throw the whole kitchen sink at a stout.

 

Like other have said, this is a complicated brew. A lot could go wrong on your buddy's first batch ,and it would be hard to pin point what to improve because you have so many additions to this recipe.
But- it sound like you are going for it anyway! good for you! I would chose option A, but I would add a 4oz bottle of coconut flavoring extract before packaging. This way you won't have to measure out coffee or coconut.

 

Go look at the other threads suggested. In a nutshell -- grind good dark roast coffee (1/4 lb for 5 gallons I think) and steep it in the brew in a muslin bag at flameout for 10/15 minutes before chilling and pitching yeast. Basically you brew a batch of coffee in your hot wort. For coconut -- toast fresh/shredded coconut in the oven for 10 minutes or so (350) and steep at flameout along w the coffee or put it in the brew when you transfer to the secondary...I've done both and find the 2ndary provides the best aroma/flavor. Cheers and good luck ,..,

 

Agree, would add vanilla, coffee and coconut after removing from the heat source and once it gets down to 170-180 degrees. Let it steep for while before the forced cooling.

 

Search the threads for coffee additions. I've done it a lot and my method works extremely well for me.

 

I'd add everything in secondary, or preferably in a keg if you keg so you can purge the crap out of it. Coconut in a bag, throw the chopped vanilla bean in there too. Coconut will need a couple weeks. After that put whole coffee beans in for about 2 days, then transfer, or if it's a keg remove the coffee beans, leave the coconut and vanilla, carbonate and serve.

I've got lots of coconut experience, and this is how I always do it now.

 

No need to boil off bourbon, unless you don't want it in the taste. Might br enough just to carefully pour\strain out the bourbon to get your "taste" result. Please post back when your drinking this brew. Personally I add these adjuncts in the secondary and am interested in the results.

 

What did the people at the homebrew shop say the purpose was for adding some of the vanilla extract at three different times? The earlier you add it the less flavor you will get when the beer is finally ready to drink. I would just add it all to the secondary. I usually add it a few days before I plan to bottle just in case there are any fermentables in the extract. Not sure if it is necessary or not but it works for me.

I usually add around 4oz of bourbon vanilla extract and I cannot really taste any bourbon in the finished product. However my stout is around 9% has a lot of roasted barley and around 70 ibus so that probably helps cover it up.

 

Nothing wrong with experimenting. Hope it turns out well. I was just wondering if they had a reason for suggesting that. Information thrown around at homebrew shops is not always the best and should always be fact checked. My guess is the vanilla you add at flame out will not be noticeable in the finished product and you will end up with less vanilla flavor overall.