Help With Designing Ag Cherry Ripe Beer

[manticle]

So I've convinced my partner to do a brewday with me. Her choice of beer to make is a cherry ripe stout so cherries, chocolate and coconut. I'm not opposed although I reckon brewing in autumn for winter would be better than brewing in spring for summer.

Nonetheless I need some advice on using ingredients I've never used before.

First cacao nibs. How much and when (mash, boil, primary, secondary, ageing vessel??)

Secondly coconut. I figure using unsweetend, dessicated coconut would be best which I could then toast and drain on absorbent paper to remove the fat content. I'm aiming not to kill head retention. Anyone used coconut successfully? again -mash, boil or secondary? My thoughts currently are secondary (GF will be disappointed to make a cherry ripe beer that doesn't feature cherries, choc or coconut in the first process but we'll all live with that).

I'm likely to go with the grist from either my regular stout (usually sweet but done oatmeal before too) or my robust porter. Both recipes are around 21 litre batch size, both involve chocolate malt, black malt, biscuit malt and roast barley although I might drop the roast here to lessen the coffee (don't want it to get too confusing) and a base malt (probably a trade ale and marris otter blend).

I'll possibly also protein rest this one and also do a glyco protein rest to aid head retention (cheers screwy) to counteract any possible effect from the coconut.

So of those who've used cacao nibs successfully - advice? Anyone used coconut successfully (BABBS winter warmer brewers?) Lastly - what yeast ?

I have 1099, pro 103 and 1187 on hand (in terms of UK - also some brewlabs sants - need to check what I ordered). I'm also happy to try a new one if there's a standout.

Cheers

 

[fasty73]

Just chuck in a couple of cherry ripes!!!!! (sorry for being stupid) It does sound like a nice beer though!!!!

 

[barls]

id use coconut extract as per this recipe
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/vie...coconut#p103194

 

[pk.sax]

So I've convinced my partner to do a brewday with me. Her choice of beer to make is a cherry ripe stout .............

Cherry ripe, nuf said... I hope u don't let that beer walk out of ur door ever lol.. cheery ripe!! omg!! and I'm not rligious dammit.. ur a brave man

 

[barls]

or heres one using toasted coconut
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/vie...coconut#p168013

 

[Fourstar]

caco nibs where used in my MB annual dinner Choc Hazelnut Brown Ale. i used 50g because i was being conservative and wanting the hazelnut to shine. Going forward 100g would be a minimumto really puch that chocolate bittersweet flavour.

Also look at roasting them, adding raw nibs is asking for trouble because they are a fermented product. :icon_cheers:

i roasted, ground and steeped mine for 24 hours in a few shots of havana club to extract as much chocolate flavour as possible.

ever thought of using coconut juice as a part of your brewing water? that adds a distinct coconut flavour and none of the fats!

 

[petesbrew]

I definitely would steer clear of imitation coconut essence.

edit: just found my knk dark coconut ale from 2 years back.
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...&hl=coconut dark ale&st=0

 

[manticle]

Practicalfool - cherries and chocolate are regular flavours in many beers. Coconut has been used in commercial porters so it's really not that strange an idea.

Cheers Barls - I'll probably aim for the toasted as I tend to avoid extracts in cooking and beer.

Cheers fourstar - I might aim for 75g of nibs and see how she goes. I'll toast them too. Good idea on the coconut water - might have a go. Fresh young coconut juice from an asian grocer could be a goer.

Petesbrew - I wouldn't use imitation anything.

 

[stanko]

How about sum cherry brandy :icon_drool2:

 

[pk.sax]

haha.. thats cool, I just have horrible childhood cheery ripe memories... I won't relive them for anything (I'm not even talking beer) But, yeah.. I kno... stuff made well tastes good, I hated turkish delight until I had some real stuff gl dude

 

[felten]

Nibs are already roasted, it causes the chemical reactions that make it taste like chocolate. The beans are fermented and then roasted to aid in breaking them into nibs and removing the outer husk, but I would agree with fourstar to roast them again but don't go over ~150c.

 

[petesbrew]

Practicalfool - cherries and chocolate are regular flavours in many beers. Coconut has been used in commercial porters so it's really not that strange an idea.

Cheers Barls - I'll probably aim for the toasted as I tend to avoid extracts in cooking and beer.

Cheers fourstar - I might aim for 75g of nibs and see how she goes. I'll toast them too. Good idea on the coconut water - might have a go. Fresh young coconut juice from an asian grocer could be a goer.

Petesbrew - I wouldn't use imitation anything.

Just making sure you don't take any shortcuts!

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I used a windsor yeast on my last cherry dark beer - it isn't a fantastic attenuator but left the body really thick and creamy and the cherry (and in my case honey) flavour really came to the front of the palate.

@manticle - agree with you - winter beers I always brew in autumn.

Goomba

 

[aaronpetersen]

Manticle, I can't offer any advice but I will be following this thread closely as I'd love to give something similar a go. I made a choc porter that I reckon would be a good base. Please post the final recipe you decide to use.
:icon_offtopic: can anyone tell me how to bookmark or subscribe to a thread?

 

[aaronpetersen]

:icon_offtopic: can anyone tell me how to bookmark or subscribe to a thread?

Nevermind, I just figured it out

 

[Fourstar]

Cheers fourstar - I might aim for 75g of nibs and see how she goes. I'll toast them too. Good idea on the coconut water - might have a go. Fresh young coconut juice from an asian grocer could be a goer.

I recently decided to try the tinned coconut juice/water for when i make Thit Kho (vietnamese dish with pork belly, soy sauce, egg, star anise etc) due to the asian gorcer near me only sells the frozen fresh thai stuff with the flesh in 4 bulk lots. Not only was it cheaper, it tasted the same, cost less and didnt loose any juice space to flesh.

Just another idea.

Nibs are already roasted, it causes the chemical reactions that make it taste like chocolate.

So the raw organic cacao nibs i purchased below are not raw? :blink:

http://www.raw-chocolate.net/products/10/r...anic-cacao-nibs

There is still little bits of broken husk on the outside of the beans. they taste kinda flat and bitter but after i roasted them it was like lindt 75% :icon_drool2:

 

[Supra-Jim]

Hi Manticle,

The following recipe is for a Black forest stout taken from JZ's Brewing Classic Stlyes. It doesn't help you much with the coconut, but might give you a few pointers re chocloate and cherry flavours.

OG: 1.071 (1.075 with fruit)
FG: 1018
IBU: 38
Colour: 39 SRM
Boil 60 mins
Pre boil gravity: 1.60
Mash single infustion @ 67degC

Grains:
6.3kg English Pale Malt
340g Black Roast ed Barley
284g Crystal 40
284g Crystal 80
227g Choclate Malt

Hops:
EKG 5%AA, 60mins 60g (38.4 IBU)

Extras:
227g Low Fat unsweetend Chocolate powder, 0min addition
2.7kg Cherry puree (secondary)

Yeast: 1028 London Ale

Ferment @19C

As primary fermentation slows, rack into a secondary onto the cherry, bringing as much 'chocolate sludge' from the primary as you can, as this helps enhance the cholocate flavour.

Cheers SJ

 

[sydneyhappyhour]

Secondly coconut. I figure using unsweetend, dessicated coconut would be best which I could then toast and drain on absorbent paper to remove the fat content. I'm aiming not to kill head retention. Anyone used coconut successfully? again -mash, boil or secondary? My thoughts currently are secondary (GF will be disappointed to make a cherry ripe beer that doesn't feature cherries, choc or coconut in the first process but we'll all live with that).

Done a Chocolate coconut stout myself around 6 months back and am currently waiting for a spring apricot coconut wheat beer to age at the moment.
My advice is to get two whole coconuts from the super market drain the liquid inside then smash the thing into pieces with a hammer put into a pot, cover with water boil for 10 minutes then cool. This makes it easier to separate the meat from the husk and after drunkenly stabbing myself while doing my stout I can't recommend this step enough.

Then simply use a cheese grater to grate up your coconut meat and toast in the oven until its roasted to your desired level. I have used it both in the primary and secondary, but the secondary seems the better approach.

I have never suffered any head issues whilst using coconut so you should be okay on that front.

Good Luck!

 

[brettprevans]

So the raw organic cacao nibs i purchased below are not raw? :blink:

http://www.raw-chocolate.net/products/10/r...anic-cacao-nibs

There is still little bits of broken husk on the outside of the beans. they taste kinda flat and bitter but after i roasted them it was like lindt 75% :icon_drool2:

the nibs from Ross are ready to use. I think thats probably what he's referring to

nibs rock

edit: also i recon that 1099 you used in last years xmas porter held those flavours really well. id be tempted to stick with that or be adventurous and split the batch and ferment with 2 differant yeasts

 

[manticle]

Thanks for all the replies so far. Quite a few things to consider. I'll post back the eventual recipe we settle on and tasting notes etc.