Took a sample earlier for a gravity reading and had a taste. Barely detectable vanilla. So 35ml of supermarket vanilla essence (10% vanilla extract) barely leaves an impression. However, I haven't stirred the wort, though it has had a swirl. I am doubting I will end up with too much vanilla. I...

Hydrometer. So the readings are somewhere around there.:D But, I will know if it is in exactly the same place in three days.

And...curiosity got the better of me. Just took a gravity reading and it is a smidgen lower than when I added the sugar solution. Now sitting at 1.020-1.0205. Sample doesn't taste at all sweet. Quite dry if anything which seems a bit odd to me with an FG as high as this. Could it be the cocoa...

Cheers Nosybear. Sounds all logical and good. I forgot to mention that we had a cold snap and despite having a temp controller and a heating element, the ferm vessel was basically in a cardboard box. Would a drop to say 16c be enough for the yeast to drop out? Or, do you think the temp bump and...

Thanks HighVoltageMan! I have read that Champagne yeast is used to mop up left over sugars after high abv fermentations, but never read about the 'kill factor' until after I dumped it all in (5g not 11g like our ale yeast packets) I kind of assumed that this yeast will be ok in the presence of...

Thanks Frankenbrewer. I hear you. I had no idea Champagne / sparkling wine yeast were so harmful to the ale yeast. Another one to learn from. This brew has been a good learning experience. The last sample tasted pretty good, but that was before the 50g sugar addition. I will also add coffee...

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, before reading this I added roughly double the amount that was too much for your brew. So, I am hoping that my essence is not as strong as the one you used. Mine was only 10% extract (just an inexpensive supermarket one). This brewing business involves a...

Thanks for the reply. I have added about 1.5% of a cheap supermarket vanilla essence that contained 10% vanilla extract so I'm reasonably sure that it will be about right. Will be taking another sample tomorrow as it has a stuck fermentation issue to add into the mixer. This one is involving a...

'Help, I have a stuck fermentation...aargghhhh' probably not the rarest question on here...but bear with me. The Chocoffee Stout: <iframe width="100%" height="500px" src="https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1080605" frameborder="0"></iframe> Went from 1.056 to 1.021 over two...

Cheers guys. Like the idea of varying it per bottle. Seems like a good idea to nail down the amount. Or, I suppose you could scale it up to put the amount into the fermentor. Appreciate the input, as always fellas.

So, the Chocoffee Oatmeal Stout is into its second week of fermentation and the yeasties are munching their way down to target-ish FG. I've read a lot about vanilla essence bringing out the chocolate flavour in brews (and baking too by all accounts). But, for a 20 litre batch roughly how much...

Also...just found out that coffee has anti-bacterial qualities. So shouldn't be any danger of infection by dropping it straight into the fermentor. This is the way forward for this brew. 250g coffee beans dropped straight in and about 150g ground coffee in tea bags (meant for loose leaf tea) at...

Cheers Mark. I am quite tempted to throw some ground coffee in the boil (5mins). For a 20 litre batch, do you reckon 100g is enough for a background coffee flavour? Will chuck the beans into the fermentor in 24hrs before packaging too. Makes sense that this is more for aroma than taste.

Cheers guys appreciate all the input. Looks like a lot of ways it could be done. I think I will just drop them in whole for 12hrs and have a taste sample to see where it is. Then if need be give it another 12hrs. Another one of those 'try it and see' moments.

<iframe width="100%" height="500px" src="https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/embed/1080605" frameborder="0"></iframe> The recipe as it stands. Freshly crafted:D

Hey brewing brethren. I am designing a chocolate coffee oatmeal stout. I think the recipe is pretty good, but I am wondering whether it is advisable (or if there are reasons why I shouldn't) dry hop 250g of coffee beans for 12 hrs prior to packaging. I know I asked about adding coffee to a stout...

I am just brewing a Weizenbock. Which I am expecting to be a darker, maltier version. I read that over pitching yeast led to more banana, but that is opposite to what I am reading here. Oh well... I am using a dry yeast, Mangrove Jack's Bavarian Wheat yeast. I threw two packets at it as one...

Cheers NosyBear. So at that amount it won't affect a great deal. Might well do as you suggest and try it first. May well add another 250g of plain cane sugar to dry it out.

Cheers NosyBear. So at that amount it won't affect a great deal. Might well do a taste test as you suggest and try it first before letting it loose on my wort. May well add another 250g of plain cane sugar to dry it out.

Just to clarify this seems to be also called Coconut Palm Sugar.