How to Make Coffee Stout Beer

Adding coffee when brewing a stout is a simple way to customize the beer's flavor.

Stout beer, which is very dark in color and has a roasted chocolate flavor, is a popular style for home brewers to brew, especially during the fall and winter. There are a number of stout sub-styles, such as oatmeal stout and milk stout. But one of the most popular sub-styles is the coffee stout. The roasted and slightly bitter coffee flavor blends well with the stout's flavors, making it an excellent pairing. Here's how to home brew a stout and add freshly brewed coffee to it to make a coffee stout.

Things You'll Need

• Digital scale
• 4 grain bags
• Brew kettle
• Long-handled spoon
• Digital thermometer
• Funnel
• Beer racking cane
• Bottling bucket
• Bottling wand
• 48 12 oz. beer bottles
• French press coffee pot
• 6 lbs. light liquid malt extract
• 1 lb. dried malt extract
• 9 oz. crystal 60L
• 8 oz. chocolate malt
• 8 oz. German Carafa II
• 4 oz. roasted barley
• 1 oz. Sterling hops
• 2 oz. UK Kent Golding
• 1 oz. UK Kent Golding
• 8 oz. cold-brewed coffee
• 1 tablet Whirlfloc
• English ale yeast
• 4 oz. corn sugar

Instructions

1. Weigh the grains and hops with the digital scale.

2. Place the crystal 60L and chocolate malt in one grain bag, the German Carafa II and roasted barley in the second grain bag, the Sterling hops and 2 oz. of the UK Kent Golding in the third grain bag, and 1 oz. of UK Kent Golding in the fourth grain bag.

3. Add 3 gallons of water to the brew kettle. Bring it to a boil.

4. Steep the two bags of specialty grains at 155 degrees F for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the grains, turn off heat and add 1 lb. dried malt extract and 6 lbs. liquid malt extract to the kettle. Bring to a boil, and add the bag with the Sterling and UK Kent Golding hops. Begin the 60-minute boil.

6. Add the Whirlfloc tablet after 40 minutes.

7. Add the bag of UK Kent Golding hops at 55 minutes.

8. Remove the two bags containing hops at the end of the 60-minute boil. Chill the wort to 75 degrees F.

9. Pour wort into the fermenter using the funnel and dilute to 5 gallons.

10. Add yeast and aerate thoroughly using the long-handled spoon. Ferment it at between 70 and 75 degrees F.

11. Transfer the fermented beer to a secondary fermenter using the racking cane after one week in the primary fermenting vessel. Let it sit for two to three days to allow the sediment to settle.

12. Brew coffee using a French press and cold water. Filter dregs and add coffee to the bottling bucket.

13. Transfer the beer to the bottling bucket.

14. Boil 4 oz. of corn sugar with 1 cup of water. Cool and add to the bottling bucket. Mix well with a spoon.

15. Bottle the beer, and let it age for two to three weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• Weigh all of the ingredients in advance to make the brewing process simpler.

• Using a flavored coffee, such as hazelnut, will add another layer of flavor to the coffee stout.

• Brew the coffee with cold water for a fresh flavor. Hot water can cause coffee to go stale quicker.

References

• How to Brew: Ale Styles
• Brew Your Own: Stout Recipes

Resources

• American Homebrewers Association
• Zymurgy magazine
• Brew Your Own magazine