Coffee and beer, my two favorite beverages! In this article, I’ll outline my coffee porter extract recipe to combine both of these divine liquids!
I will also discuss how to add coffee to beer using a variety of methods.
How to Add Coffee to Beer:
There are three main ways to add coffee to beer:
- Add crushed/coarsely ground beans to the boil
Pros: Balanced coffee flavor and bitterness, easiest method, don’t have to worry about sanitization as beans are added to the boil
Cons: Will make the beer darker, will add bitterness to beer (bad if trying to avoid this)
Comments: Best added in the last 10 minutes of boil or whirlpool, great for porter/stout - Add brewed coffee to the beer (either drip or cold brew)
Pros: Will add more coffee flavor without the associated bitterness (especially cold brew)
Cons: tastes less ‘natural’, in my humble opinion, will add a slight amount of color to beer (less than method #1)
Comments: Adding cold brew is recommended over drip coffee - Add crushed beans to the fermentor
Pros: Adds good coffee flavor without affecting color very much
Cons: Biggest worry regarding sanitization as beans are added after/during fermentation
Comments: Best suited for blonde stouts, coffee Kolsch, or other light beers. Can extract a good amount of flavor in just 2-3 days in the fermentor/keg.
I have experience with all three methods noted above. My personal favorites are method #1 when brewing a porter or stout and method #3 when brewing a light colored beer.
Now onto the recipe!
Stats:
Volume: 2.5 gallons
Predicted Original Gravity: 1.062
Predicted Final Gravity: 1.016
Predicted SRM: 28.4
Predicted IBU: 30.8
True OG 1.056
True FG 1.018
ABV- 5.0%
Steeping Grain:
5oz Chocolate Malt (350L)
4oz Crystal 60L
2oz Crystal 75L
2oz Carapils (1.5L)
2oz Extra Special Malt (130L)
Steep at 160F for 20 minutes
Extract:
3.3lb Sparkling Amber LME
0.5lb Golden Light DME
Hops:
0.25oz Cluster (60 minutes)
0.5oz Cluster (30 minutes)
Other Additions:
1/2 tsp Irish Moss (10 minutes)
3oz Local Firecreek Coffee (or similar medium roast coffee, such as this one) (coarsely crushed added to whirlpool in muslin bag)
Water:
Local Flagstaff, AZ Tap Water
2 gallon steep, 3 gallon boil
Yeast:
Safale S-04 (0.7 packet)
Directions:
Heat water to 160°F (71°C). Add crushed specialty grain and steep for 20 minutes. Remove steeping grain. Heat to boiling. Remove pot from heat, add both dry and liquid malt extract. Return wort to boiling. Boil for 60 minutes, following the hop schedule. Add Irish moss at 10 minutes.
After the boil, chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 64°F. Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 67°F (18°C) for 2-3 weeks, then cold crash the beer to 35°F. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.25 volumes of CO2.
Tips:
Coffee choice does make a difference. Darker roasts will generally give you a richer coffee flavor and aroma; however, these often decrease head retention due to increased oil. Lighter roasts will lend a more subtle aroma and flavor, but won’t affect head retention as much.
It is important to keep in mind that coffee (especially when boiled) will increase bitterness. You may want to decrease the overall hop bill while accounting for the increased bitterness from the coffee.
Thank you very much for stopping by!
For information on how to brew using the extract method, please see my post here.
This beer was fermented in a keg, and then transferred using my no-oxygen method. If you are interested in learning about how to ferment in a keg, please see this article here.
If you are interested in learning how to transfer beer from keg to keg, please click here!
For additional information on brewing with coffee, click here.