Quote (blind_chief @ Sat - Apr 27 2013 - 00:44:55)
Quote (xstakemx @ Fri - Apr 26 2013 - 21:37:52)
Quote (blind_chief @ Sat - Apr 27 2013 - 00:24:00)
i assume its due to the absolute freshness, but the espresso is in your face. the ris is total backseat. i imagine this changes with time, though ive never aged a coffee beer.
coffee fades just slightly slower than the rate that hops do in an ipa. however, the way that the coffee was introduced in the beer plays a big part in it's ability to be less volatile.
ie: aged over coffee beans verse strong coffee added to the brew itself
so aged over ingredients last longer than brewed with ingredients? or is this coffee specific?
either way, as of week 1 this was an espresso ris all the way, but mighty tasty
i honestly have no idea which way to use the coffee in the brewing or aging process makes it last longer. it is an experiment i am planning on doing sometime. ive had some coffee beers that seeming lost all coffee character after a year where the coffee like dissolved into the roastiness of the grain to the point where you couldnt really tell coffee was added. you know how some stouts have that roasted character that seems like coffee or chocolate without it actually being added?
then there are other coffee beers that at 4 years old taste like the coffee was added to it that morning. the beer im specifically thinking of is called vortex by pisgah in north carolina
dome brewers are very open sbout their beers and the brewing process. i bet if we made a list of favorites we could send some emails and get a good starting point for an experiment
some usage of coffee ive thought about was:
grinding it and adding it to the mash (150-175 would be the highest temperature for an hour, then it would be boiled)
adding to the end of the boil or at flameout (it would be at boiling temps temporarily and drop to 70 degrees)
adding it just to the fermenter for extended aging (70 degrees would be highest temp)
this last would could be either grind coffee beans, whole beans or a strong brewed coffee thats added