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Im new to homebrewing (this'll be my 3rd batch ever, but only my second with this kit) using a Mr Beer 2 gallon kit. Im making an American Porter (from extract) and want to impart some coffee flavors into my beer. Ive read on here that the best method for adding coffee to beer is to cold brew the coffee, and add it at flameout or into my fermentation tank. Im currently only using a primary.

Most of the questions/answers Ive seen on here are in regards to 5 gallon batches... About how much cold brewed coffee should be added to my primary fermentation? Should I add cold brewed coffee, or just put the beans into the tank?

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  • Strictly speaking, by BJCP guidelines, this would be 21A. "Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer" with a base style of American Porter, except while there is an American Stout (13E), there is no American Porter (just 12A. Brown Porter, 12B. Robust Porter and 12C. Baltic Porter)
    – Wyrmwood
    Mar 18, 2014 at 23:18

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The most important thing to stress is to start small, and add more as needed until you get that flavor character you're looking for. Add too much, and you can't undo it. I've never cold pressed coffee before adding it, so someone else may be able to speak to that. If you want to go the coffee beans route, give them a coarse grind (they will need to have some sort of grind), and start off at a rate of 0.5 oz (14 grams) of coffee grinds per gallon of beer. If that is too subtle, bring it up to 0.75 oz (21 grams) per gallon. Chances are you won't need to go this high unless it's a high gravity beer, but often times people say coffee-forward beers call for around 1 oz (28 grams) of coffee grinds per gallon. I steep them in a muslin bag in the fermenter for 24-48 hours, your times may vary depending on your desired coffee flavor. You'll need to draw samples frequently to determine whether or not it's as you like or if you need to wait it out longer or add more coffee.

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  • Thanks Scott! 0.5oz per gallon (1oz for my 2 gallon brew) sounds like a great starting point. Would you recommend steeping the grounds near the beginning of fermentation or towards the end? I'll likely be fermenting for 14 days before bottle conditioning.
    – MatticusVP
    Mar 18, 2014 at 22:21
  • Definitely after fermentation completes and you let it age. I'd say time it so that the coffee comes out the day you go to bottle. Reason being CO2 generated by the yeast during an active fermentation will carry that beautiful coffee aroma you'd want to retain right out of the beer. Wait until fermentation is done and then a day or two before adding your coffee, it won't need to be in for more than a day or two.
    – Scott
    Mar 18, 2014 at 22:32
  • Just wanted to follow up, I went with your advice of 0.5oz per gallon. I added the slightly ground coffee, along with some fuggle hops, to my fermentation tank after 12 days and left it in for 2. I checked a sample before bottling last night and the flavor profile was spot on! Will the coffee flavor diminish during bottle conditioning, or will the finished beer taste close to the sample I pulled?
    – MatticusVP
    Apr 4, 2014 at 17:33
  • The loss of flavor would be minimal, probably unnoticeable. The biggest thing that will diminish the flavor is time in the bottle. After a couple of months, you may notice the coffee flavor reducing.
    – Scott
    Apr 4, 2014 at 18:02
  • Oh, I doubt it'll last long once theyre ready to drink. Im hosting a bottle share the day after theyre ripe for drinking and that'll use up half of them. The others will likely be drank within the week. Thanks for the advice!
    – MatticusVP
    Apr 4, 2014 at 18:05

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