# Coffee Stout Qs



## dibby33 (26/2/14)

Made this before a couple of times 7 years ago. Going to up the ante on it  I want a double shot in each stubby. Not a session beer obviously!




Coffee Shot (g)

7

Number of shots per bottle

2

Bottle Size

375

Batch Size

23000

Number of Bottles :

61.33333

Total Coffee : 

858.6667



so, about 900g of good fresh coffee, ground, brought to a simmer, left to cool overnight, then filtered.

My questions :
1) This is a lot of coffee and contains oils. With this effect the carbonation? ...flat head?
2) Do I need to add it to the boil (no? as long as I am full of MrClean)
3) Can I make it up in advance and freeze it (in 2x1.5l blocks). Use that to chill instead of ice (yes that is subjective - no comments required!)


Using my normal partial mash recipe (with a boil of course!) for my house stout.


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## brewtas (26/2/14)

That's a massive amount of coffee! Most coffee beers I've seen would be using somewhere between 30-100g in a batch. 900g might be overwhelming but I'd be interested to taste it.

What you're suggesting wouldn't the same as adding 2 shots of coffee though. Espresso isn't just about the amount of coffee but the extraction under pressure. Espresso would give a different flavour to the beer as would other extraction methods. Also, these days a shot of coffee is much more likely to use 14-23g rather than 7g. 

Generally with coffee my preference is to extract it the way I'd like to drink it. Espresso, plunger, cold steep or aeropress are all good options. Don't ever boil the coffee, either in the wort or to extract it, it'll be nasty. The safest way to go is to ferment the beer and then add enough coffee to taste into the fermenter just before you bottle/keg.

Finally, get the best coffee you can find. In Hobart I'd say that's a choice between Yellow Bernard, Pilgrim and Villino. Buy and use it fresh.


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## dibby33 (26/2/14)

Nice to see you know a lot about coffee  My normal order is 1kilo of Costa Rican Beans from Coffee Plus in CentrePoint. I just don't fancy having to make 120 espressos! I have a manual machine (Lelit) at home and it would take a long time. 

I have an aeropress (love it - use it at work) - I suppose that could work. Might be able to get 4 shots out of it at once...

The boil would have been on the extract (i.e. not including the coffee grains).

Yes, it is a lot of coffee. The last lot I did was 250g, steeped overnight and added to the primary. ..what is better than coffee - MORE COFFEEE!!!! 

Lightbulb moment - I have some stout in the bottle already. Only a few weeks old, but I will crack one and add a double shot to it. Will try that tonight (early!)

:icon_cheers:


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## dibby33 (26/2/14)

oh, and a shot is about 7g, the machines normally have a double basket in the group head. 14g for a double shot.


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## brewtas (26/2/14)

dibby33 said:


> I have an aeropress (love it - use it at work) - I suppose that could work. Might be able to get 4 shots out of it at once...
> 
> The boil would have been on the extract (i.e. not including the coffee grains).
> 
> ...


Good idea on the stout! It's hard to argue with more coffee.

The aeropress works really well for this because it can make such a clean, delicate cup of coffee. I used 3 or 4 presses of a single origin Kenyan in a batch a while back and it was brilliant. 




dibby33 said:


> oh, and a shot is about 7g, the machines normally have a double basket in the group head. 14g for a double shot.


That's a definition that's fallen by the wayside a bit. I'm talking about normal commercial practice though. The 14g baskets are usually loaded with more like 18g and there are 21g and 23g baskets. Places like Villino and YB tend to pull ristrettos for every cup so it's normally something like 21g/shot. Just like modern IPAs really, turn it up to 11.


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## black_labb (26/2/14)

I visited the Renaissance/ 8 Wired brewery in Blenheim NZ 1.5 years ago and asked about 8wired's coffee brown ale. The description I got was that there was 2 espresso shots worth of coffee per litre. They had cold steeped the coffee though I can't remember if it was cold steeped in the fermenting wort or if it was in water and added later. I think the concern would be mainly how do you avoid carrying coffee grains over into the finished product.

I tried the 8 wired coffee brown ale a few days after speaking about the beer with Soren and was very impressed with it. It was a big brown ale at 8% with beautiful malt flavours mixing well with the prominent but not overpowering coffee. I wished I had asked more questions when I tried it, it was great.

I relally want to but I am hesitant to brew something similar as I don't tend to sleep well after caffeine late in the day. Maybe I'll have to split a batch at some point.


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## dibby33 (26/2/14)

I tried their choc stout (At Winstons up in North Hobart) - very very nice. 
So, I am planning to triple the amount of coffee that they were using. What could possible go wrong! lol

It is a beer that can attack you. Drink it too late and you stay up later than you meant and increase the possibility of drinking all of your stocks. Drink it too early and it is a downward spiral from there!
My Stout is about 8.2% - should be able to handle the extra flavours.

If I use the aeropress there will be no grains (using paper filters). Might have to do this over several nights though! Lot of plunging 

Just the one small issue though - my seal on my group head thingy is needing replaced. I might have to take a trip into town on the way home - need coffee anyway. Hope it is a standard part size!


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## dibby33 (26/2/14)

Just tried my stout with double espresso. wow, strong. I thought that the coffee taste would have been more diluted but it wasn't. Thinking about reducing it. Not happy!


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## Tahoose (26/2/14)

I just started fermenting a coffee stout this morning, I roasted about 2kg of barley for about 6 hours until it was quite dark.

12ltr batch

2kg home roasted barley
1.5kg ale malt
1kg brown sugar

3 heaped tablespoons with 400ml of water in coffee plunger, coffee added when yeast pitched.

POR 60mins
Fuggels 30 mins

IBU 50

Target OG 1.112
OG Not sure (refractometer querie)

Pitched it onto a yeast cake of Nottingham Ale

Bit of an experiment, smelt funny out of the cube, but I think that was the fuggles


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## dibby33 (28/2/14)

I have settled on 1.5 espressos per stubby (375ml). I am not after subtle flavour here, but two was overpowering the taste of the beer. 
This weekend I am going to make 92 shots!

Tahoose - let me know how it turns out


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## Tahoose (28/2/14)

Will do, I'll see how this turns out I might do another stout soon but I'll buy some spec malt and do it properly


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## dibby33 (28/2/14)

Tahoose said:


> Will do, I'll see how this turns out I might do another stout soon but I'll buy some spec malt and do it properly



...I was wondering why you did not do that in the first place!


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## Tahoose (28/2/14)

Haha I got a little over enthusiastic reading DIY roasted barley threads....


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## Grainer (28/2/14)

Agreed 900 is overkill

I just made a breakfast stout with chocolate and coffee


72g ground at end of boil Sumatran coffee

then secondary got 20g Sumatran and 55g Costarican espresso'd and cooled then added


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## jakester1 (28/2/14)

Went to the new Rocks Brewing Co brewery in Sydney yesterday and had an amazing coffee beer. It wasn't just subtle hints of coffee like normal beers with coffee flavour but it was like more coffee than beer! It had a brilliant creamy head that went perfectly with it. You couldn't drink much of it i guess but was a great beer for what it is. I can't even recall the name of it now but maybe Scott might post some ideas on here of what you can try. Id say go balls out like this beer did, don't hold back and reap the rewards!


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## dibby33 (1/3/14)

Well, I am currently 30 shots into my 90  750ml of goodness. 

Turns out 11g per shot. Messy times!


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## Tex083 (1/3/14)

I would have cold steeped the coffee, have you ever had a cold drip coffee?
No bitter taste just the sweet/citrus/spicy notes from the coffee.
But I do like the commitment to extracting 90 shots and adding that to your brew. You will have your machine and grind well sorted out by the time your finished.


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## dibby33 (1/3/14)

Cold drip is fantastic. Def going to get one soon. 
Just vacuum sealed the first 36 to go into the freezer. Was thinking that the temp of the coffee might be good for bacterias. Plus I will use it instead of some ice. 

Taking a break at 46 shots. Only drank one and feel like I have had about six!


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## dibby33 (1/3/14)

Ended up making 70 shots. Used about 810g of coffee. It sure did smell good! Just pitched the yeast and having a few cleansing ales / stouts now. Four hours it took to make the partial mash. Long day. Also bottled an irish red so I reckon I have earned a beer.


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## Tahoose (2/3/14)

Damn straight I reckon you deserve a beer after that effort... 

Plus what would it all be for if you couldn't enjoy a few cold ones


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## dibby33 (22/3/14)

Bottled this a couple of days ago. 
Tastes like drinking straight coffee  this is what I was after. Not beer with a hint of coffee, this is coffee with a hint of beer. To be fair there is not even much of a hint of beer there! Used stubbies and it is now boxed up.
Continuing the extreme theme I also bottled another out there brew. Third edition of "the beast". This one came in at 15% and will be ready to drink in a year! Small bottles used. Beast two was seven years ago. Just knocked the top of the last one at christmas. Tasty!


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## madpierre06 (19/4/14)

Have read this one with interest as I am a bit of a coffee fan as well, with a home roaster and Bezzera/Mazzer Major combo 

For ease of process I would have thought the home cold drip option (coarse ground and filtered through double layer of chux) would be best, but for my tastes the espresso shots would suit the stout better being much richer with the darker roast characteristics. As much as I enjoy the lighter roast options (aeropress, filter etc) I would think they may not be as suited to a stout. This is something I think I may check out once I have gotten more practiced with my brewing again and moved up to the partials.

I am very interested to hear of results from the fellas who have posted already. particularly regarding the coffee process method vs taste results.


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## catcher (19/4/14)

Cold Drip is a simple efficient method and would work well I think


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## dibby33 (28/4/14)

Update : fantastic. Love it. Very strong though. Would make it about 5% next time. The mess and time making the espressos was worth it.


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## Tex083 (28/4/14)

Great! now to brew 50 shots for my next brew.
Might french press or chemex them to save time, but I think the bitterness would complement the dark beer well.


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## burrster (28/4/14)

All too late, in stopping you brewing 90 odd shots of coffee, but I did a coffee dark ale, Used 150g of Gautemala San rosa cold brewed in a 1L french press(plunger) over night. Cold brew produces very smooth coffee. I agree that you should never boil coffee at any stage of its life. Mine turned out great, but you might be after a stronger flavour.


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## madpierre06 (29/4/14)

Poured a shot tonight and as I had a few stubbies of the Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale thought it might be worth a go. Poured the ale into the shot, tasted surprisingly good. Added a real nice kick to the ale.


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## Tex083 (29/4/14)

Is it wrong that I no longer think coffee is bitter, it's a bit like hops. 
At the start a good pale ale was enough now we're searching for triple IPA's 
I will do a coffee porter this winter maybe with cold/ room temp brew and add it to the cube so it's sanitised but not boiled.


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## madpierre06 (30/4/14)

Picked up a couple Young's Dble Choc Stouts this arvo, am thinking a mocha might go down well here. I've got a wild Yemen Bani Ismail that might add a good boot to the stout.  :drinks: Going to give that a burl tomorrow.


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## catcher (9/5/14)

Making a batch using Thomas Coopers Stout, 1.5kg Liquid Amber and 12 espresso shots. Tastes amazing so far. Primary Ferment almost done.


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## scrimple101 (9/5/14)

Just made a coffee stout. About 200gms of Columbian beans in the secondary for 10 days. Beautiful taste, great carbonation after two weeks and lovely aroma. Buggered if i could get any sleep after the tasting session lol.


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## dibby33 (22/5/14)

I have been requested to make this again. Lol these people are crazy!


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## Macca81 (16/9/14)

Bit late in on this! 

Anyway, I often make a coffee stout, with lots of coffee! 

I'm a barista in Hobart using Zimmah Coffee. So for my stout I once used a full kilo of "devil in the deep" blend, made one shot at a time... Time consuming! Anyway, it was very tasty but I do think the best one I have done was using the same amount of coffee but in a cold drip overnight. Much smoother, well rounded flavours. 

I also have had a few people requesting repeats


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## TheWiggman (16/9/14)

Hang on... 1kg of grinds? At 30ml/peice per 7.5g shot, 4 litres of coffee?

How big was the brew? Am I reading this right?


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## Macca81 (18/9/14)

Double basket, running about 50ml shots. About 3.5l of coffee in a 24l brew. Pretty close to 2 double shots per bottle. Yes,it was a very strong coffee taste and not many people could drink more than a couple of glasses, but it still tasted good (to me). The cold drip version was much less in your face


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## catcher (18/9/14)

I used 750ml of Espresso in a 25 Litre batch. It's been a winner for sure!


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## Beerbuoy (20/9/14)

I make a coffee porter and just add a cup of freshly ground beans to the fermenter (40l batch) for the last 3 days. I wait till its fermented out then add the coffee and cold crash just like dry hopping. Gives a nice smooth coffee flavour and aroma.


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## Major Arcana (21/9/14)

Really enjoying this thread, i love my coffee stouts especially an oatmeal version, so many different techniques getting thrown down here its difficult to decide which way to go. Cold Dripped or steeped seems the way to go at the moment.


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