13 replies to this topic

[HVB]

I was listening to the BN Sunday Session where they had the owner of Lagunitas on and they asked about the cappuccino stout stout and how they add the coffee.  he indicated that they just sprinkle the coffee on top of the mash before they start to sparge. Interesting approach and I am wondering if anyone here has tried it.  I am pretty pleased at the results of my coffee porter by dry beaning but I would not be opposed to another method.

[neddles]

I've never had that beer so I can't comment on the character they get. It just seems like boiling coffee for an hour wouldn't do much good for the flavor.

[HVB]

I've never had that beer so I can't comment on the character they get. It just seems like boiling coffee for an hour wouldn't do much good for the flavor.

That was my thought also.  I also wonder if it would ferment out?

[neddles]

That was my thought also.  I also wonder if it would ferment out?

I did the dry bean method like you did and really liked that character. Hard to imagine it being more pleasant that what I got. I wonder what other professional breweries do. For them, they have the issue of worrying about the sanitary nature of the beans. They bottle it up and ship it to all sorts of places where it is often stored warm for long periods of time. For me I don't care if there is a tiny bit of microbial load added to a coffee stout. It will go in my fridge in the keg and stay there. Nothing is likely to grow in it before it is gone.

[HVB]

I agree that the character from dry beaning was really want I was hoping for and for me it was easy with no mess as I did not even crack the beans.  As a side note, I had my coffee porter on nitro and also on CO2.  For me the CO2 is far Superior.  The nitro version just seemed to strip all the coffee aroma and flavor out of the beer.

[neddles]

 As a side note, I had my coffee porter on nitro and also on CO2.  For me the CO2 is far Superior.  The nitro version just seemed to strip all the coffee aroma and flavor out of the beer.

Well that's an interesting tid-bit. Sounds like the same thing that happens when you put a hoppy beer on nitro or through the sparkler on a beer engine. Knocks back the aroma.

[positiveContact]

I wouldn't have guessed that about nitro.  Shows what I know

[HVB]

Well that's an interesting tid-bit. Sounds like the same thing that happens when you put a hoppy beer on nitro or through the sparkler on a beer engine. Knocks back the aroma.

 

I wouldn't have guessed that about nitro.  Shows what I know

 

I also did not expect it but it was a night and day difference when I took it off the nitro.  I was worried that the coffee had just "fell out" but it was still there at the same level it was the day I kegged it.

[denny]

I've never had that beer so I can't comment on the character they get. It just seems like boiling coffee for an hour wouldn't do much good for the flavor.

 

Agreed.

I agree that the character from dry beaning was really want I was hoping for and for me it was easy with no mess as I did not even crack the beans.  As a side note, I had my coffee porter on nitro and also on CO2.  For me the CO2 is far Superior.  The nitro version just seemed to strip all the coffee aroma and flavor out of the beer.

 

IMO, nitro in general strips flavor from beer.

[positiveContact]

is the nitro stripping flavor or is it just masking it somehow?

[HVB]

is the nitro stripping flavor or is it just masking it somehow?

Seemed to strip it to me.  I also tried the smoked brown ale on Nitro, same result.

[neddles]

Seemed to strip it to me.  I also tried the smoked brown ale on Nitro, same result.

Took the smokiness out or dulled all the flavors of the beer?

[HVB]

Took the smokiness out or dulled all the flavors of the beer?

Well, the main flavor in that beer really is the smoke and that was dialed way back.  I guess it could have dulled the rest but I do not remember, to be fair it was last year that I put that beer on nitro. 

[denny]

is the nitro stripping flavor or is it just masking it somehow?

 

It strips it because of the way nitro works.  The idea is that nitro doesn't dissolve as readily as CO2 so you can serve the beer at much higher pressure.  That's what creates the cascading head effect.  But by knocking out the carbonation, which is what's happening, you also knock out aroma compounds.  Since aroma is a major component of flavor, that suffers, too.