# Coconut Beer?



## j1gsaw (25/2/09)

*Hi Gang,
Has anyone heard of any recipes for coconut beers? I think the flavour would be quite nice in a ale/lager, but im not sure on how to go about it. I was thinking either shredded coconut or perhaps essence added to the wort? ideas?

cheers.
*


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## chappo1970 (25/2/09)

To my mind coconut in a lager would be well..... :icon_vomit: 

I know there a few brewers that add the fresh vanilla beans and grated coconut to the bigger styles with great success. But not to your lighter brews that I know of. I am guessing by ales you mean like a bitter or pale?


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## mwd (25/2/09)

From K&K coconut dark ale
linky


LINK to COCONUT DARK ALE click on *linky*


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## Bribie G (25/2/09)

Might be oversimplifying things but coconuts are a big source of oil and fat - reminds me it's time to make some pork vindaloo again :icon_drool2: - so I would forget about a head on the beer. How about trying a drop of coconut essence in a glass of normal beer and see if the flavour appeals... queen coconut essence is actually a fair imitation.


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## chappo1970 (25/2/09)

:icon_offtopic: 


BribieG said:


> ...reminds me it's time to make some pork vindaloo again :icon_drool2:



Bribie just in time to bring along to the Babbs meeting mate! Awesome beer and a curry talk about good mates!

Anyway do as bribie says a tester would be best rather than making 23lt of undrinkable swill. Head retention would the biggest factor if you liked it.


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## Supra-Jim (25/2/09)

Mmmmm Vindaloo and a pint or three of bitter :icon_drool2: 

If anything the coconut flavours would work better with heaver sweeter beers, like a choc porter or similar (IMHO), and has been mentioned the issues of oil and fat come into play and i believe the original pioneer into this here (petesbrew) had these problems.

:icon_cheers: SJ


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## newguy (25/2/09)

BribieG said:


> Might be oversimplifying things but coconuts are a big source of oil and fat - reminds me it's time to make some pork vindaloo again :icon_drool2: - so I would forget about a head on the beer.



No issues with head retention on the coconut curry brown ale I made. The oil floats on top of the fermenter - just siphon from beneath it or if you have a tap just leave the last little bit in the fermenter. Coconut doesn't impair head.


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## brettprevans (25/2/09)

im fairly sure coconut has been covered somewhere else. in fact im positive ive made a comment on it myself. nfi what thread though.


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## Supra-Jim (25/2/09)

Got a recipe there Newguy? And was this beer a success?

Do you end up leaving alot of the coconut flavour behind with the oil/fat?

:icon_cheers: Sj


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## chappo1970 (25/2/09)

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought the coconut flavour/aroma was in the oil thus imparting the flavour I would have thought difficult.

Not disputing what you've said newguy and siphoning from the bottom sounds perfectly sensible but how muck coconut flavour was there? Send me a bottle to taste test maybe? LOL


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## chappo1970 (25/2/09)

Supra-Jim said:


> Got a recipe there Newguy? And was this beer a success?
> 
> Do you end up leaving alot of the coconut flavour behind with the oil/fat?
> 
> :icon_cheers: Sj


You know what they say about great minds SJ? :lol:


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## Katherine (25/2/09)

citymorgue2 said:


> im fairly sure coconut has been covered somewhere else. in fact im positive ive made a comment on it myself. nfi what thread though.



It was Petesbrew.... he ended up putting coconut essence in which he regretted... (this is from memory)...


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## mwd (25/2/09)

Just click on linky up the way


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## michael_or (25/2/09)

I did a Coopers Dark Ale with coconut not so long ago, just to play around. Tried a few different things, steeping desiccated coconut etc, then adding to secondary after fermentation. But having to add the milky white liquid to beer made me cringe. I added a fare bit but realised much more would be needed to make any really noticeable flavour. I didn't want my beer becoming thickened cream so looked for other options. I found cans of "young coconut juice" at woollies. Its a clear liquid and full of coconut flavour, if I was to do it again Id use this juice exclusively. No oily residue or anything. 

Keen to hear how you go! Mine wasn't fantastic but I think it's a beer that could work well if done properly.


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## Supra-Jim (25/2/09)

Chappo said:


> You know what they say about great minds SJ? :lol:



Yeah they read what other people have already posted so they don't end up repeating what other people have already said!!!!! :lol: 

That said love your work, keep it up!

:icon_cheers: SJ


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## buttersd70 (25/2/09)

Katie said:


> It was Petesbrew.... he ended up putting coconut essence in which he regretted... (this is from memory)...



That's the link that Tropical has posted to, already....and thats where NG mentioned his coconut curry brown....It was also, apparantly, 100% monkey poo free.
:lol: 
It won a club competition, and a limited run was sold in a local liquor store...reviews are here.


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## Supra-Jim (25/2/09)

Damn, i really prefer my brews with at least 5% monkey poo!  

:icon_cheers: SJ


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## Katherine (25/2/09)

buttersd70 said:


> That's the link that Tropical has posted to, already....and thats where NG mentioned his coconut curry brown....It was also, apparantly, 100% monkey poo free.
> :lol:
> It won a club competition, and a limited run was sold in a local liquor store...reviews are here.



noticed that to late... drrrrrrrrrrr


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## chappo1970 (25/2/09)

Actually in the reviews it reads great. Might have to put it in the things I could brew section?


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## kevo (25/2/09)

I had a few cans of Coconut porter from hawaii.

Really good once it had warmed a bit - like drinking a bounty chocolate bar. really rich smooth porter with just enough coconut to shine through.

I have a feeling they toast their coconut before adding it - it was mentioned in a brewing network show ages ago. maybe have a look on their forum. But I recall their advice was to avoid the hassles and use an essence/concentrate.

great if you can get it right.


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## newguy (25/2/09)

Heatseeker, as it was commercially named, was originally named Heatsikher by me. Dunno why they changed the name.  You can find another review here.

The following recipe is for 40l, but I only spiced 20.

Grist:
4.52kg pale 2 row
1.73kg munich
1.73kg caramel 60
173g choc malt
86g brown malt

Mashed @ 68C for 60 min.

Hops:
21g Chinook pellets (11.6%) 90 min [13.5 IBU]

Yeast:
Wyeast 1318 London III, pitched @ 16C.

OG 1.056
FG 1.007

Fermented @ 16-17C for 16 days, then kegged. Heatsikher was created by adding a coconut/curry "broth" to one keg and racking the beer onto it.

Coconut/curry broth:
4 cups (packed) semi-sweet shredded coconut + 4 cups water + 1/2 tsp safeway generic brand medium curry powder stewed for an hour. The mixture was initially brought to a boil, then covered and the heat reduced to low to allow it to gently boil/simmer. After an hour, the mixture was strained to remove the coconut and briefly boiled again to sterilise, and then added to the keg.

Things I'd change next time: just one thing, and that's to use unsweetened coconut. Apparently semi-sweet coconut is about 33% sugar by weight, so I got quite a bit of refermentation. I set aside a few bottles for competition from the keg and they were waaay overcarbed.

I actually didn't really like it, but the owner of the liquor store where I won the right to brew a batch kind of likes weird beers so I thought what the hell. That, and it was the only beer I've ever brewed that people searched for/asked about at our competition. That told me I was onto something. It disappeared really quickly when I brought the keg to our club meetings. :beer:


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## chappo1970 (25/2/09)

newguy said:


> Heatseeker, as it was commercially named, was originally named Heatsikher by me. Dunno why they changed the name.  You can find another review here.
> 
> The following recipe is for 40l, but I only spiced 20.
> 
> ...



Wow that sounds good! 

I am an avid curry muncher. In fact the wife and I quite regularly have curry cook off nights where we try to out do each other. All scratch made from fresh ingredients.

That recipe is going in the to do list! Cheers newguy for sharing. :beer: 

Only thing I think I would change straight off the bat is the use of the curry powder and subs for fresh cardomon pods, cumin seeds and tumeric ground. Maybe a little nutmeg? But that's it!


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## newguy (25/2/09)

Chappo said:


> That recipe is going in the to do list! Cheers newguy for sharing. :beer:



My pleasure. Let us know how it comes out.


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## Fourstar (25/2/09)

Ive always wondered how the 'still spirit' essences would go to flavour beers. e.g. the coconut rum essense aka malibu would probably be a good use for this kind of beer.


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## chappo1970 (25/2/09)

Fourstar said:


> Ive always wondered how the 'still spirit' essences would go to flavour beers. e.g. the coconut rum essense aka malibu would probably be a good use for this kind of beer.



Actually good point there's really no reason why it wouldn't work? Just need to work out the quantities. Maybe I buy one and dose a schooner of amber I have and scale it back up so the taste isn't over powering, maybe? I imagine the essences would be reasonably potent (flavour wise) as the make up to 8-9lts?


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## Screwtop (25/2/09)

As someone mentioned previously Maui Brewing make a Coconut Porter:



> Commercial Description:
> Our Coconut Porter is a classic robust porter spiced with all natural toasted coconut. It is black in color and crowned with a creamy, dark tan head. It begins with a malty-toasted-coconut aroma followed by a rich, silky mouthfeel with tastes of dark malt, chocolate, and hints of coffee. It then finishes with flavors of toasted coconut and hoppy spice to balance the finish. 5.5% alc. 32 IBU.



Coconut Porter is on my to-do list. Pretty sure there was a recipe on a Brewing Network Podcast, uses organic coconut extract, got it from Herbies Spices via the net www.gourmetshopper.com.au

Screwy


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## petesbrew (25/2/09)

Haha,
Just saw this thread.


Katie said:


> It was Petesbrew.... he ended up putting coconut essence in which he regretted... (this is from memory)...


Ah yes, I regretted it.
Still it's kinda drinkable. Not totally horrible, but it makes me think of what to do next time:-
More coconut, maybe the young coconut juice.
Maybe some lactose
Drop the belgian yeast and go for a simple S-04 yeast.


Not sure about the malibu spirit essence. Someone actually suggested to throw in a bottle (or hipflask) of malibu... I can only think it would taste marginally better than the essence.


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## j1gsaw (25/2/09)

Thanks for all the advice gents, writing it all down...


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## winkle (25/2/09)

kevo said:


> I had a few cans of Coconut porter from hawaii.
> 
> Really good once it had warmed a bit - like drinking a bounty chocolate bar. really rich smooth porter with just enough coconut to shine through.
> 
> ...



Kona Coconut Porter is the beasty, really tasty from a drunken beer tasting memory.


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## chappo1970 (26/2/09)

I am definitely going to do the Heatsikher. It's up on the brewery chalk board and locked away in beersmith...


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## chappo1970 (18/3/09)

newguy said:


> Grist:
> 4.52kg pale 2 row
> 1.73kg munich
> 1.73kg caramel 60
> ...



I gunna give this one a bash probably friday night.

Just tweaked a few things to what's in the cupboard.

I'm going to dose the lot bottle half and keg half.

Batch size: 40lt/38lt (see how we go)

4.6kg Maris Otter (TF)
1.8kg Caramunich 1
1.8kg Caramalt
0.18kg Choc malt
0.10kg Carafa T3

Mashed @ 68C for 60 min.

Hops:
21g Chinook or Clusters pellets 90 min. Not exactly sure what's left in the freezer?

Yeast:
Wyeast 1318 London III, pitched @ 16C.

Coconut/curry broth:
8 cups (packed) semi-sweet shredded coconut + 8 cups water + 1 1/2 tsp home made curry powder (tumeric, cardamon, fennel etc) stew for an hour. Strain, boil and add as per NG's instructions.
Searching for unsweetened coconut but without much luck ATM. Going to check China Town in Brissy. If not still tossing up the idea of coconut escence as a sub?


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## petesbrew (18/3/09)

Chappo said:


> I gunna give this one a bash probably friday night.
> 
> Just tweaked a few things to what's in the cupboard.
> 
> ...



Chappo, I am speaking from experience... Coconut essence will F#%K your beer up big time.
Chinese grocers give you a good selection, Eg. Coconut milk, cream, juice (in the canned drinks section), even coconut sugar.
I stress, DO NOT USE COCONUT ESSENCE


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## chappo1970 (18/3/09)

Cheers Petesbrew.

I forgot about your experience with that stuff... D'oh!


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## petesbrew (18/3/09)

Chappo said:


> Cheers Petesbrew.
> 
> I forgot about your experience with that stuff... D'oh!


haha, no worries.
It's still "drinkable" (meaning, my beer supply is getting that low I'm not very fussy), but very plastic-y.

I was gutted ruining a knk, but it would be a disaster to destroy an AG.


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## dannymars (21/8/14)

BUMP

What about subbing one porion of the fermentables with coconut sugar?


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## davedoran (21/8/14)

Could try this.

Was in the shop the other day. Definitely can smell the coconut,

Made me think, what if i did a tropical island beer. Sitting on the beach in fiji or bali etc with a nice cold fruity coconutty ale

Back to work h34r:


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## TimT (21/8/14)

Could use dried coconut, toast it in the oven for a bit to get rid of remaining oils (like you do with other adjuncts like nuts, oats, etc) before chucking it in.

I took a look in my trusty copy of Stephen Harrod Buhner. He doesn't mention coconuts specifically but does have a recipe for palm sap beer (well it's more a wine, recently - the recipe is just 'palm sap' and 'yeast'). The palm could, of course, be a coconut palm (and you'd think the sap would have a coconutty flavour).


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## hijukal (21/8/14)

In addition to the Maui coconut porter, Sam Fuss (currently at Young Henry's?) did a coconut porter for GABS in 2012 while working at True South. You might drop her an email for some tips (not sure of the best way to contact her)? I don't think it ever made it to commercial levels so you might get a response considering there's not a commercial consideration there.

From memory (pretty hazy though) it smelled coconuty but didn't taste much of it. Anyway, coconut porters or stouts seem to be the way to go. The additional oils imparted from coconut probably wouldn't be as much of an issue with a darker beer.

Notes from the GABS booklet:


> Sam Füss accepted a dare from her Twitter followers to brew this beer and one Tweeter actually assisted on brew day. Sam simply describes this delicious beer as a porter made with “shite loads of coconut” and WYSIWYG. The beer’s name comes from a Jimmy Buffet as both Tiff and Sam grew up on a diet of Jimmy Buffet.


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## Mr. No-Tip (22/8/14)

I made a coconut water porter - mash and sparge were 100% coconut water. I added no salts but it was still rather salty post ferm once the sugars from the coconut water (~1020 OG IIRC) were gone - kinda gose like. I added some vodka soaked toasted coconut and crash chilled to lose the oils.

It came out an odd but tasty beer - one for small sips and best paired with citrus desserts.


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## Josh (22/8/14)

I brewed a cherry coconut porter once. The cherry was kinda lost in the beer, didn't use enough, didn't use it well.

The coconut on the other hand tasted great. I just took all the flesh from one or two fresh coconuts and toasted in the oven. We were in a granny flat at the time, so I used one of those portable round glass ovens until the flesh had about 50% brown toasty bits. I would do it exactly the same next time. From memory, the aroma was only slight, but the flavour was fairly present. Or the other way around. Can't really remember.


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## O-beer-wan-kenobi (22/8/14)

The Monk in Fremantle do a seasonal stout with coconut called Bounty. http://www.themonk.com.au/#!drinks/c11rf
I saw an interview with the brewer who said he toasted coconut in the oven for the recipe but I cant remember if he added it to the mash, boil or fermenter. I have tried the beer and its a nice drop.


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## bobsantos (29/8/14)

Brewing coconut, you might be going into secondary. Many brewers seem to make coconut beers without causing problems with oils.


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