Pina Colata

Daniel Parshley

Daniel Parshley

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How many questions can I get into one post? I'm going to do this 3.5 gallon pina colata brew and have a lot of questions. Coconut flavor has been allusive. I plan on 11 oz of toasted coconut in the last 15 minutes of the boil and 22 oz fresh sweetened coconut "dry hop" for 5 days before bottling. The pineapple will be juice added with the coconut (how much TBA). What about lactose?? How much time needed to ferment the coconut and pineapple sugars? I promise to be back to more lucid brewing after this foray. Any insights from others that felt compelled to try this are welcome.
 
sounds interesting.

only thing I can think of is to be careful with the pineapple juice. very acidic and added to early could kill your yeast.
 
Not to derail the plan, but something to consider...

You might try dry hopping with Sabro hops. I was at a brewery that used it in an IPA (curiosity got me... IPA with coconut?!?) and it was surprisingly amazing with its coconut aroma.
 
Minbari said:
sounds interesting.

only thing I can think of is to be careful with the pineapple juice. very acidic and added to early could kill your yeast.
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Good call. I carbonate in the bottle but can add the pineapple juice a day or two before bottling. Using Safale 04 will let me know within a day if it wants to eat on some sugar for a few days more.
 
Zefram said:
Not to derail the plan, but something to consider...

You might try dry hopping with Sabro hops. I was at a brewery that used it in an IPA (curiosity got me... IPA with coconut?!?) and it was surprisingly amazing with its coconut aroma.
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My bride had a brown ale in Maui with coconut that she likes and now has me make it once in awhile. After being warned not to use too much, the coconut taste was mild and seemed to smooth out the other flavors. Putting 33 oz in 3.5 gallons sounds heavy-handed, but it is what I figure is needed to go with pineapple juice. Sabro hops - have not tried yet but sounds interesting.
 
Daniel Parshley said:
My bride had a brown ale in Maui with coconut that she likes and now has me make it once in awhile. After being warned not to use too much, the coconut taste was mild and seemed to smooth out the other flavors. Putting 33 oz in 3.5 gallons sounds heavy-handed, but it is what I figure is needed to go with pineapple juice. Sabro hops - have not tried yet but sounds interesting.
Click to expand...
Related data point: I use a half pound of toasted coconut in a porter, as a dry hop, and it is barely noticeable. Sweetened or not, but roasted in the oven, both tasted about the same.
 
Daniel Parshley said:
How many questions can I get into one post? I'm going to do this 3.5 gallon pina colata brew and have a lot of questions. Coconut flavor has been allusive. I plan on 11 oz of toasted coconut in the last 15 minutes of the boil and 22 oz fresh sweetened coconut "dry hop" for 5 days before bottling. The pineapple will be juice added with the coconut (how much TBA). What about lactose?? How much time needed to ferment the coconut and pineapple sugars? I promise to be back to more lucid brewing after this foray. Any insights from others that felt compelled to try this are welcome.
Click to expand...
Wonder if pineapple juice ferments similar to acidic ciders. I think you should read a bit on tepache, should be pretty similar to what you're looking to do.
 
Jeembo said:
Wonder if pineapple juice ferments similar to acidic ciders. I think you should read a bit on tepache, should be pretty similar to what you're looking to do.
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That was a good call. Tepache looks like it depends on natural yeast in the environment that will withstand cinnamon (an natural anti-fungal). That would be some hardy yeast. And, they look to have it drinkable, and carbonated in 3-5 days. I understand their warning about exploding bottles. Anyway, I've been pouring over the BF recipe search terms for those with pineapple, lactose, and coconut. A lot of good information in there. I've not settled on the final recipe, but the Sabro hops and lactose arrived yesterday and I think I'm close. I'll put the link to the recipe on this forum string when all is said and done.
 
Donoroto said:
I like the recipe, and it seems like it will deliver the desired results.
I do wonder why the pre boil gravity is larger than the post boil gravity
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Gravity - The boil is 2 gallons (plus DME, dextrose, & lactose) and the final volume will be 3.5 gallons. I'm light on the water because there will be 64 oz of pineapple juice added in the last 5 minutes of the boil (to heat neutralize the protein enzymes). The makeup water to 3.5 gallons will be distilled water. I wondered about that, too. This is my best guess why the disparity.
 
Daniel Parshley said:
Gravity - The boil is 2 gallons (plus DME, dextrose, & lactose) and the final volume will be 3.5 gallons. I'm light on the water because there will be 64 oz of pineapple juice added in the last 5 minutes of the boil (to heat neutralize the protein enzymes). The makeup water to 3.5 gallons will be distilled water. I wondered about that, too. This is my best guess why the disparity.
Click to expand...
Yup the pineapple juice will also add fermentables so should help to bolster OG.
 
Trialben said:
Yup the pineapple juice will also add fermentables so should help to bolster OG.
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I guess you saw that coming. The recipe has been corrected and pineapple moved under fermentables from flavoring. Also, it looks like the lactose added to the BRIX and O.G. Just pitched yeast and O.G was 1.078 and BRIX was 19.2, a bit higher than the recipe calculator program predicted. https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/edit/1382595
 
Daniel Parshley said:
I guess you saw that coming. The recipe has been corrected and pineapple moved under fermentables from flavoring. Also, it looks like the lactose added to the BRIX and O.G. Just pitched yeast and O.G was 1.078 and BRIX was 19.2, a bit higher than the recipe calculator program predicted. https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/edit/1382595
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Hopefully turns out great Daniel.

I love these kinds of beers where you've done all that thinking about it in your head.
Now to wait and see if them expectations will be met:).
 
Trialben said:
Hopefully turns out great Daniel.

I love these kinds of beers where you've done all that thinking about it in your head.
Now to wait and see if them expectations will be met:).
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If anything close to what the wort tasted, it will be smokin' good. The BF search of recipes yielded some good hints and the Sabro hops should be divine. Yea, I'm looking forward to this one.
 
Daniel Parshley said:
Here is the Pina Colata recipe. Comments welcome. https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1382595/pina-colata-65
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UPDATE - Summary: Not a total fail but not great either. Very sweet but drinkable if poured warm over a glass of ice. Tastes like a Corona-Rita (Margarita with a 7 oz bottle of Corona in the glass). Coconut and pineapple are fairly balanced.

This was a learning curve situation. Lesson Learned - Lactose is very sweet and use sparingly.
 
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