Coffee Run

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Armyman82ND
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Coffee Run

Post by Armyman82ND »

I have branched out a bit and now am experimenting with a coffee mash. My question is which enzyme to use if any. Coffee is technically a bean/fruit. Would it be pectic enzyme or amylase or both?
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NZChris
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by NZChris »

If you are using whole fresh fruit, you might not need any enzymes.
Armyman82ND
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by Armyman82ND »

20221126_164603.jpg
Thank you for the reply. Folders breakfast blend. Mild roast. 2 lb in each 5 gallon carboy with 6 lbs of sugar. I put the amalyse in. Thinking the coffee is dry and carb like. It may help or may not. I did not put in the pectic enzyme. We will see what happens. Hope it has the spirit coffee flavor.
I am using red star dady yeast. It is working away as we speak. Fingers crossed.
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NZChris
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by NZChris »

After roasting I doubt that there is anything left to convert or ferment, so it's all about the flavor.

Let us know how it goes.
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bcook608
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by bcook608 »

Definitely interested to see what if any flavors carry over. Might be useful for those of us looking to make our own take on Kahlua.
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bluefish_dist
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by bluefish_dist »

For a true coffee liquor I have used both made coffee and beans. Made coffee was better. Did a cold maceration of coffee, sugar, rum, vodka.

I also did a chocolate coffee Porter and it was just a beer that was super heavy in chocolate malt. Turn out that is what gives a coffee flavor after fermentation. The taste comes over in the distillate. Had a friend who bought a bottle of it and had not finished it, so got to try it over the holiday. Still an interesting whiskey.
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NZChris
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by NZChris »

bcook608 wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 8:34 pm Definitely interested to see what if any flavors carry over. Might be useful for those of us looking to make our own take on Kahlua.
There are plenty of good recipes around for making Kahlua style liqueurs that don't require starting with fermenting roasted coffee beans, but I bet they could all be improved by using a coffee bean based sugar wash spirit rather than Birdwatcher's, SSS, or TFFV, etc.
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bcook608
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by bcook608 »

NZChris wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 9:17 pm
bcook608 wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 8:34 pm Definitely interested to see what if any flavors carry over. Might be useful for those of us looking to make our own take on Kahlua.
There are plenty of good recipes around for making Kahlua style liqueurs that don't require starting with fermenting roasted coffee beans, but I bet they could all be improved by using a coffee bean based sugar wash spirit rather than Birdwatcher's, SSS, or TFFV, etc.
Yeah, I have a couple of those recipes bookmarked for when I get around to my neutral spirit run (probably going to be a couple weeks out). But if the flavor carries over well enough, it might enhance the recipes found here having the coffee flavor in the base spirit even if it is very subtle.
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NZChris
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by NZChris »

Except for the flesh of the ripe berries and the sugars in the raw beans, I doubt that there is much in the way of fermentables to be had.

I have made a very nice liqueur using coffee berry flesh.

I propose that a sugar wash using spent coffee beans for nutrients would make an economical and desirable base spirit for Kahlua clones using the online recipes.
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Steve Broady
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by Steve Broady »

NZChris wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 9:59 pm I propose that a sugar wash using spent coffee beans for nutrients would make an economical and desirable base spirit for Kahlua clones using the online recipes.
Great, now I have to start saving up used coffee grounds! :lol:
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NZChris
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by NZChris »

In NZ, you can get them free from coffee shops. They are good for the garden and in your compost.
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by The Baker »

Tried infusing coffee grounds from our bakery in some spirit.

Tasted just like coffee grounds. Yuk.

Those coffee machines sure leave NO coffee flavour.

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bcook608
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by bcook608 »

The Baker wrote: Sun Nov 27, 2022 5:47 am Tried infusing coffee grounds from our bakery in some spirit.

Tasted just like coffee grounds. Yuk.

Those coffee machines sure leave NO coffee flavour.

Geoff
The good flavor is in the oils of the bean, which is what's washed away in the brewing process. Fresh roasted or green coffee will have the most to give.
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by tommysb »

According to this paper:

https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/4/4/105/htm

Get used coffee grounds, microwave with water (this part of the process I don't understand well).
Add sugar at about 180g/L.
Ferment - to around 10% ABV.
Distill.
Produce something 'acceptable'.
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NZChris
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by NZChris »

tommysb wrote: Sun Nov 27, 2022 12:30 pm According to this paper:

https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/4/4/105/htm

Get used coffee grounds, microwave with water (this part of the process I don't understand well).
Add sugar at about 180g/L.
Ferment - to around 10% ABV.
Distill.
Produce something 'acceptable'.
They went to a lot of trouble to do something that is very easy.
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dunluce
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by dunluce »

Making coffee wine is not new, there are plenty of recipes to be found on the internet.

In fact, searching "country wine recipes" to convert to distillate would be a very decent 3am rabbit hole to go down.....
Armyman82ND
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by Armyman82ND »

Armyman82ND wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 2:37 pm I have branched out a bit and now am experimenting with a coffee mash. My question is which enzyme to use if any. Coffee is technically a bean/fruit. Would it be pectic enzyme or amylase or both?
So here is the update:
I am super happy with it! Great coffee flavor. Not a huge coffee smell but the taste is there.
I ended up not using any pectic enzymes.

I used two 5 gallon water bottles. I cooked 6 lbs of fresh ground Foldgers Breakfast Blend coffee in two pots. 2 lbs in each pot. I added 6 pounds of sugar to each pot. I poured each into a water bottle with about filled each to about the 4 1/2 gallon mark with water. I let them cool to temp. Agitated to oxygenate and then added my yeast.
I popped on the bubble up and let er perk.
When it was finished working the wine had the coffee oil floating on top.
For the distillation:
I added 1/2 pound of fresh ground coffee into the pot and the other half pound into the thumper with about a pound of sugar. I distilled it slow and low. Tossed the heads and ended up with 5 qts. 140p, 130p, 120p, 110p and 100p. Cut it with spring H2O and ended up with 6qts at 100p.


I have French vanilla syrup to go in it that I haven't tried yet. We shall see how it goes.

Thanks for the input.
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Ben
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Re: Coffee Run

Post by Ben »

I would heat the water, steep the beans for less than 5 minutes, then add sugar and ferment. The stuff pulled from coffee in long extracts isn't very desirable (try a cup of Turkish coffee that's been sitting on beans for a half hour). It's part of why pour over is done in under 5 minutes (the beans are ground with intent to hit that mark), and a big part of why espresso carries the flavor it does is the fast extraction. It's also why coffee made in giant batches at shitty truck stops tastes different than what comes out of your drip machine at home.

If you were using green beans the process would be different, but green coffee has already gone through a fermentation at the plantation... there isn't much left in them that can't be extracted with just a roast, grind and quick dip in hot water.

If you want a meaningful contribution from coffee solids in the ferment you will need to source coffee cherries (the fruit that surrounds the bean). You can usually find them dry.
:)
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