Coffe and bourbon!

Ingredients
1

I love coffee and I love bourbon!

I am going to brew a Mexican stout soon and I want to do something a little different. I have all the typical ingredients like pasilla chillies, vanilla beans, and chocolate etc. But I have been aging about 1oz of coffee in about 2oz of Elijah Craig 18 year.It has been aging for a month and a half now and I am considering adding it to the second fermentation but I am not sure if this is a good idea, if so, I am not sure if I should add the whole concoction or just the coffee or bourbon.

Any ideas?

2

Purely objective, but being a drunk that needs a bunch of coffee to wake up, I’d ditch the chilies, vanilla and chocolate and go heavy on the coffee and booze. Seriously, I would go really light on the chocolate or completely eliminate it. Outside of that, If you need an early opinion on the final product, just ship me a twelver.

3

If it’s been sitting in the bourbon for a month, you’ve extracted everything from the coffee that you will get.

Ditch the coffee grounds/beans and add the liquor to taste.  I’d add a little at a time and sample judicously.  Coffee can be over powering, as can bourbon.  Too much is possible.

4

Okay, I am not taking anything out of my recipe, that will change the entire beer altogether. But I see what you’re trying to say.

Its been sitting for a month because I have been waiting for all the ingredients to arrive so I can start the brewing.

The original gravity is projected to be over 1.100. do you think adding the full amount ( 3 oz ) would effect it that much?

5

Sorry if I wasn’t clear.  My understanding of your initial post was that you have 1 oz of coffee beans/grounds soaking in bourbon.  If that’s the case, I would pull out the beans/grounds and go ahead and add the remaining liquid.  You won’t get any more flavor out of the beans/grounds at this point.

I don’t think the volume you’re talking about will be overpowering.  But it might be helpful to taste it before you add it to see what you think.  Or dose it in small quantities and taste each time until you get the flavor you want.

I’ve had tannins from oak chips overpower an imperial stout and leave it dry and puckering.  It’s amazing how one thing like that can be dominant.

6

You should taste the bourbon and see if it tastes good. Coffee extracts fairly quickly and overextraction can result in high levels of tannins as well as unwelcome flavors like soy sauce and green peppers (although not necessarily unwelcome for what you want to brew).

7

I have a green pepper coffee stout.  I can’t stand it.  Others don’t notice it.