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Coffee additions vs. head retention

markok

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My Founders Breakfast Stout clone turned out excellent in taste. Although its adequately carbonated (bottle conditioned with 4.5oz. corn sugar in 5 gallons) and has sufficient carb mouth feel, there is no head no matter how I pour. My suspicion is my use of real coffee (Sumatra and Kona). I used almost a half gallon of real coffee (cold pressed) some at flame out and the rest at the end of fermentation. I understand that the oils from the coffee can destroy the head. Any thoughts? Would coffee extracts be less oily? Would they taste as good as real coffee? My grain bill provided sufficient amounts of proteins necessary for head retention including:
8+ lbs of pale malt
8+ lbs of Pilsner
1+ lbs of flaked oats
1+ lbs of choc. Malt
1+ lbs of wheat malt
Roasted barley
Chrystal malt
black barley
Rice hulls
Magnum, saaz, cascade

Thanks,
Mark
 
64 oz of coffee (10% of batch?) seems to be a lot.  You could try malts that lend a coffee flavor, such brown malt and Franco-Belges coffee malt.  That may reduce the amount of coffee needed.  I've used both, and they have a noticeable coffee character.

I don't know if adding all the coffee at flame-out would help break down the oils?  Instead of post-fermentation where neither the boil nor the fermentation can modify it? 
 
I use Millstone Velvet Chocolate in some of my porters and stouts.  I've made espresso and regular coffee.  I've used four of the small pots of expresso or a regular carafe of coffee.  I always add it with 10 minutes left in the boil.  I've never noted any problems other than a longer aging time needed to start getting a good head and good head retention on my beers.
 
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