I play for the scenario paintball team Pub Crawling http://www.pubcrawling.org . We have more than 20 members on the team and with a name like Pub Crawling we drink a lot of malted beverages after our games and a lot of coffee before them.
Really beer and coffee are the two fundamental building blocks of any great team. And by their power's combined they form one of my favorite beers to make, Demon Roast Imperial Stout. This coffee infused adult malted beverage is full flavored with a rich dark color and carries a strong aroma of coffee and roasted malts to the nose. Properly brewed and aged this beer will leave nice thick legs on the glass and have a silky smooth taste. Not only does this beer finish in the 8.5% ABV range, but it also contains a gallon of high quality coffee.
This instructable is not about the differences between all grain and extract brewing or the pluses and minuses to doing either one. I prefer extract brewing because I feel it is a simpler process and leaves less to chance.
Really beer and coffee are the two fundamental building blocks of any great team. And by their power's combined they form one of my favorite beers to make, Demon Roast Imperial Stout. This coffee infused adult malted beverage is full flavored with a rich dark color and carries a strong aroma of coffee and roasted malts to the nose. Properly brewed and aged this beer will leave nice thick legs on the glass and have a silky smooth taste. Not only does this beer finish in the 8.5% ABV range, but it also contains a gallon of high quality coffee.
This instructable is not about the differences between all grain and extract brewing or the pluses and minuses to doing either one. I prefer extract brewing because I feel it is a simpler process and leaves less to chance.
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Signing UpStep 1: Ingredients and tools
The first step is to gather ingredients and tools. It is assumed that you have brewed both coffee and beer at least once in your life. While neither tasks are exactly difficult they do require some specialized tools.
The most important ingredient in beer and coffee is actually the water. Water provides the majority of the flavor profile for both drinks. If your water tastes bad or isn't suitable to drink then it really isn't suitable to make beer or coffee with. Either run your water through a filter or use bottled spring water. Do not use distilled water as it will require adding minerals and adjusting the pH balance of the water, which is far beyond the scope of this Instructable.
The coffee should be freshly ground and if possible freshly roasted as well. This recipe uses a signature roast called Demon Roast from one of the best coffee shops in the world, Prime Roast in downtown Keene, NH. Demon Roast is a dark bold flavored coffee with no trace of bitterness or heavy tannins, a perfect addition to a beer! I prefer to purchase my ingredients from my local home brew supply store, Microbe Brewers' Supply in Brattleboro, VT.
Ingredients:
The most important ingredient in beer and coffee is actually the water. Water provides the majority of the flavor profile for both drinks. If your water tastes bad or isn't suitable to drink then it really isn't suitable to make beer or coffee with. Either run your water through a filter or use bottled spring water. Do not use distilled water as it will require adding minerals and adjusting the pH balance of the water, which is far beyond the scope of this Instructable.
The coffee should be freshly ground and if possible freshly roasted as well. This recipe uses a signature roast called Demon Roast from one of the best coffee shops in the world, Prime Roast in downtown Keene, NH. Demon Roast is a dark bold flavored coffee with no trace of bitterness or heavy tannins, a perfect addition to a beer! I prefer to purchase my ingredients from my local home brew supply store, Microbe Brewers' Supply in Brattleboro, VT.
Ingredients:
- ~8 Gallons of water
- Demon Roast Coffee (or your favorite fresh ground beans)
- 3lb Light DME (Dry Malt Extract)
- 6lb Dark DME
- .25lb Dark Crystal Grain Malt
- .25lb Roasted Barley Grain
- .5lb Chocolate Grain Malt
- 1 Oz Nugget Hops
- .5 Oz Cascade Hops
- Ale Yeast (I prefer Wyeast Pacman but any hearty ale yeast should do)
- 3-5 Oz of Toasted Oak Powder (or toasted oak chips)
- Priming Sugar if using bottles
- French Press (or cold press, no drip pots here!)
- Thermometer
- Stock Pot that can hold at least 4 gallons (7 gallons is better)
- Long metal spoon or other stirring implement
- Fermenting Bucket with airlock
- Secondary fermentor
- Siphon tubing
- Bottles or Keg System
- Hop Spider
- Wort Chiller
- Hydrometer
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You mentioned force carb is the only way to carbonate your beer using a kegging system. I regularly carb my 5 gallon keg batches using 1 cup of pure cane sugar and letting it sit in temp controlled conditions of 68-72F. Of course, you still need some CO2 gas to serve the beer.
Did the whiskey taste really come through? I like the idea of oak chips with the coffee, but not sure about the whiskey! I'm hoping it wasn't overpowering the beer...
The additon of whisky does not overpower the beer, it might add a little complexity to the overall taste but really its purpose is to sanatize the oak chips
I do make my own wine, but i've never tried brewing. I might have to check into it after reading this!
It is a very rewarding and fun hobby, especially if you like good craft beer. The ability to open a bottle of great tasting beer or pour straight off from your own taps is a great feeling.
It is one thick, heavy, dark and rich beer for sure!