I've brewed pilot batches with coffee beans in cask and keg. I've added brewed coffee hot and cold to beer on packaging. I've also added beans in primary and secondary, but I'm wondering about adding cracked beans to the kettle at knock out or the hop back during transfer. Basically we'd like to brew a beer with coffee on our system, but I've concerns about being able to give sufficient contact time in fermenter, the quantity required if the contact time has to be short, getting the beer out of the tanks while they are in there loose, getting the beans out of the tank if they are bagged and an inconsistent variable contact time if added to cask and keg for customers. I can't really brew coffee on the scale required to add it to tanks or on packaging. What works for people here?
I'm guessing if it is added to the kettle I'm basically brewing coffee, but with a really long contact time that isn't going to favour aromatics. If I add it to the hop back, then I'm basically brewing coffee again, but with crappy extract due to it having to be left in larger pieces. I feel 'dry hopping' with it would be the way to go, but don't know if it'll pack down and clog ports lose, and not sure how to haul a wet heavy bag out from atop a ladder if bagged. Also doubt we can spare more than 4-5 days.
I'm guessing if it is added to the kettle I'm basically brewing coffee, but with a really long contact time that isn't going to favour aromatics. If I add it to the hop back, then I'm basically brewing coffee again, but with crappy extract due to it having to be left in larger pieces. I feel 'dry hopping' with it would be the way to go, but don't know if it'll pack down and clog ports lose, and not sure how to haul a wet heavy bag out from atop a ladder if bagged. Also doubt we can spare more than 4-5 days.
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