Laneway Latte Stout Coffee Beans?

[DennisH3]

Hi, I am currently brewing Laneway Latte Stout and new to steeping gains,  they said to hit with rolling pin in a zip tie bag, I used my large pestle and mortar and pounded it in the coopers bag it came in, is this overdoing it and could I spoil it by crushing too much? tomorrow is day 5 and asks for adding coffee beans to the wort in a mesh bag, I want to know would it be better to crush the beans first as it does not mention this at all?

Thanks for your advice, Denny

[Coopers DIY Beer Team]

As long as you used the Chux cloth it doesn't matter how fine your grist is (cracked grain) but don't grind your coffee beans because you'll probably make your brew too astringent. 

 

[Journeyman]

1 hour ago, Coopers DIY Beer Team said:

but don't grind your coffee beans because you'll probably make your brew too astringent. 

I ground 100g coffee beans in a Sunbeam EM480 grinder - I mention the type because it's a conical burr grinder, not the 'atom-smasher' blade type. I use the same grinder for grains to ensure consistency of mill. I only do partials so no, I am not standing there feeding 5 kg of grains through the 250g hopper.  

I took apart the grinder and removed the shims under the burrs, (I have 3 of them so I wasn't messing up my coffee one) then wound it all the way to coarsest grind it will go to. It mills grains with very little dust at all and did the same for the beans. The coffee is not astringent but it is strong. I like it but then I drink my coffee stronger than most, so next time I might back the beans down to 75g so others don't bruise their eyelids when they snap open on the first mouthful.

The beans went in as a 'dry hop' along with 1 dessertspoon of vanilla extract - I might make that a tablespoon next time as it is barely a hint in the coffee flavour.

[Frankie4Fingers]

I'm fermenting this as well at the moment in my fermentasaurus (original type with pressure kit) and have a question if possible. This is first Coopers (and extract) recipe I have done to date as I have been successfully brewing all grain FWK's that my local HBS produces.  I don't have an issue with the dry hop into the top of the vessel but I'm not sure whether to just throw them in without a hop sock or whether I should really use one?

I think my only concern is whether the coffee beans could potentially clog the floating dip tube in the 'saurus when I transfer into the keg?

Would it just be easier to tie a knot in the hop sock, sanitise, throw the beans into it, tie off the other end and drop it in and then worry about fishing it out at the end?

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with a vessel of this type? 

[Shamus O'Sean]

Hi @DennisH3, welcome to the forum.  I would not crush the coffee beans.  I did the Jitter Juice recipe a while ago now.  It had 35g of coffee beans in it, added whole, dry hop style.  I could still taste the coffee fine.

[Shamus O'Sean]

Welcome to you too @Frankie4Fingers.  I cannot help with your query because I do not have one of those fancy fermenters.  Could you still have a similar issue with the floating dip-tube trying to suck on the hop sock or do you remove the hop sock before transferring to a keg/bottles?

PS - I have got to ask: What happened to the other finger?  Or are some things best left unsaid?

Cheers Shamus

[Frankie4Fingers]

6 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Welcome to you too @Frankie4Fingers.  I cannot help with your query because I do not have one of those fancy fermenters.  Could you still have a similar issue with the floating dip-tube trying to suck on the hop sock or do you remove the hop sock before transferring to a keg/bottles?

PS - I have got to ask: What happened to the other finger?  Or are some things best left unsaid?

Cheers Shamus

Thanks Shamus.

I have never used a hop sock with the 'saurus so not sure whether a similar issue would occur on transfer.  The dry hops done to date have been with proper hops which have always sunk once saturated so the problem was never there.  It's difficult to get the sock back out without getting my arm right in there which I think would likely introduce bacteria.

I will just give it a go and see. I think the sock is a better option than individual beans as if one of them gets stuck it's games over, at least with the sock there is a better chance.

Regarding the name, all digits are intact thankfully.  If came from the Guy Ritchie movie Snatch from back in 2000.

Cheers.