Additions to boil or secondary?

[OJ Orange Juice]

I am going to make a citra/wiliamette hopped stout with cocoa nibs, coffee beans, fresh ginger and dried orange peel. I am not going to add much of the additions. Just to give hints of flavor/aroma. What are the pros and cons of adding each of the additions to the boil or to the secondary?

 

[thehaze]

Cocoa nibs, coffe beans can be added to the primary ( I would not use a secondary in order to avoid further oxidation of the beer ).

The other two can be added to the end of the boil. Maybe 5-10 minutes before the end of boil.

I would however throw everything in the fermenter and leave it for 5-7 days. Cold crash and bottle/keg.

Regarding the hops: you are wasting Citra on a Stout. Just use Willamette.

 

[J A]

Agree with all that^^^...except to say that if the Citra were in whirlpool it might add some interesting depth and character with it's tropical notes.
Personally, I think you have too many things going on and I'd lose either the coffee or the ginger. To me chocolate/orange/Willamette sounds interesting or maybe coffee/chocolate/Wilamette or ginger/orange/Citra with Willlamette for bittering. Just throwing everything at it is confusing to the palate. At best, you'll lose the subtleties in small additions and at worst you'll have big clashing flavors that make for a mess.

 

[thehaze]

I also agree with the JA's post.

Orange peel will possibly add some bitterness, which you eventually get from hops and from the roasted malts. That being said, you could drop it or try to re-balance the beer, in the way JA tried to advise above.

Coffee beans are nice, but using (enough ) the right roasted malts, will get you strong coffee aromas and flavours, without the need for the actual coffee beans.

Cocoa beans - I tried it - they are nice. Soak them for a few days in some vodka, whiskey, rum, etc. and then dump the whole thing in the fermenter. However, cocoa beans can add astringency, so make sure not to use too much of it. Crush the beans before for a better effect.

Personally, I like cocoa beans and lots of vanilla in my Stouts and some porters.

 

[OJ Orange Juice]

I have not yet decided on the additions and will have to see how the wort tastes. This is for a big brew event and the style is not yet decided but is going to be in the stout to porter end of the spectrum. I have done a real nice coffee ginger cocoa ale before. I put strong brewed coffee and dutch cocoa powder in the boil and sliced fresh ginger in the secondary.

 

[Brewer #89247]

I've had great results adding coffee beans and/or cacao nibs at knockout. Agreed with the truth behind specific roasted malts providing similar notes, for example, chocolate malt....will give some great roasty coffee flavor if used over and above what the general public brewers would use. Awesome idea adding the orange peel, should be fantastic. I made an organic orange peel, clove, cinnamon stick tea once and added it to a wintery type of ale...did nothing, so if you add the peel, use a mega crap ton. Just my $.02! Interested to hear/read how it comes out!

 

[GFHomebrew]

Same as cacao nibs i doubled the additions in previous batch and still not enough but coffee keep it low i used 30g and its THERE. As for the rest good luck.

 

[OJ Orange Juice]

So here is an update. I found out that the recipe will be for 6% ABV Black Ale. I will scratch the coffee since that should be covered by the malts. I will use willamette hops as the bittering hops and either willamette and/or citra for the aroma hops. Shall have to see how strong the flavor of the wort is going into the boil. I shall put the shredded fresh ginger, dried orange peel and cocao nibs (cracked) to the boil in the last 5 minutes. I shall transfer all to the primary fermenter and pitch a slurry of Safale US-05 Ale yeast. I will rack off the dregs after about a week when the fermentation calms down. Cold crash and keg. More suggestions.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Sounds like your set probably wise loosing one of the ingreedients there is a lot going on with that stout. Looks like it's time to brew.

 

[OJ Orange Juice]

Sounds like your set probably wise loosing one of the ingreedients there is a lot going on with that stout. Looks like it's time to brew.

Thanks. It will be fun!