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Using coconut in a stout

stcampbell

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Hi,

Currently have an all-grain Imperial stout in primary in a stainless conical fermenter.  I am going to add some bourbon soaked vanilla beans after primary is finished.  (I don't rack to a secondary).  OG was 1.120 and FG is projected at 1.028 to yield a 12% final product. 

I want to try adding some toasted coconut to a portion of the beer as an experiment.  I will fill a demijohn and add the coconut to 3-4 L of beer.

My question is how much coconut to add?  Do I toast it first?  Should I use a blend of toasted and raw coconut?  I would imagine that it is the oils I want from the coconut, but worry that toasting will reduce the oils present.  Any recommendation on how long to leave the coconut in the beer? 

I would think that 100g of toasted coconut (in 3-4 L) in a muslin bag for about a week would impart the flavour I am hoping for, but that is a total guess...

Feedback from anyone with experience would be most helpful! 

Cheers
 
Greetings stcampbell - as it turns out, BYO had an article in the November 2016 issue about your exact question.  I just checked their website and they have still not made the article public, but I believe they will soon if you can wait.

However, I only breezed through the article, but I believe the general consensus was to toast the coconut first, but I don't recall the quantities used.....sorry.

Check out:

Www.BYO.com and search for Brewing with Coconut

Hope this helps!
Good luck!
 
I recommend toasting it; it brings out much more of the flavor/aroma. In a 5.5 gallon batch we used a full lb along with cocoa nibs in a muslin bag in secondary. We also used a lb in the mash. How much to use is a very subjective thing. Taste it every few days and when it's where you want it remove it.

Mark
 
Thanks for the feedback.  Toasting it this morning and going to add it to secondary for a week or so.  I'll try to let you know how it works out. 
 
SO???? How did it turn out? Been toying with coconut, but haven't had the stones to try it. Thought it would be great in a brown ale. What was your reaction to yours?
 
I used 400g of toasted coconut for a 20L brew.  I dry hopped with it for about 10 days.  I'm left with a smoothness that I love in the beer.  I made a comparison between some with coconut and some without.  The beer with coconut was better.  There was no detectable coconut flavour based on feedback from people who tried it.  I didn't tell them the difference between the two.  Overall I would use it again, but increase the quantity to be able to get a hint of the coconut.  I am not looking for an overwhelming coconut flavour from it. 
 
stcampbell said:
Hi,

Currently have an all-grain Imperial stout in primary in a stainless conical fermenter.  I am going to add some bourbon soaked vanilla beans after primary is finished.  (I don't rack to a secondary).  OG was 1.120 and FG is projected at 1.028 to yield a 12% final product. 

I want to try adding some toasted coconut to a portion of the beer as an experiment.  I will fill a demijohn and add the coconut to 3-4 L of beer. My question is how many cups oolong tea to drink to lose weight and how much coconut to add?  Do I toast it first?  Should I use a blend of toasted and raw coconut?  I would imagine that it is the oils I want from the coconut, but worry that toasting will reduce the oils present.  Any recommendation on how long to leave the coconut in the beer? 

I would think that 100g of toasted coconut (in 3-4 L) in a muslin bag for about a week would impart the flavour I am hoping for, but that is a total guess...

Feedback from anyone with experience would be most helpful! 

Cheers
You should toast it first for more flavor and add 300g coconut oil.
 
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