Chicory Coffee Mild Brewday

This beer was Elli’s idea; after trying this coffee and complaining about the need for more of a caffeine pick-me-up, she followed up with the observation that the roasted chicory and coffee flavors would work well in a mild. How’s that for the best observation ever over breakfast? So here we are...

Picture on loan from French Market

94. Chicory Coffee Mild
Mash:
6 lbs. Thomas Fawcett Maris Otter
½ lb. Muntons Crystal 60° L
½ lb. Muntons Dark Crystal 2-row 135-165° L
½ lb. Crisp Chocolate
½ lb. Breiss Flaked Maize

Mashed @ 154° F w/ 3 gallons of RO water for 60 minutes
Batch sparged @ 168° F w/ 3 ½ gallons RO water for 20 minutes

Collected 5 ¼ gallons; added to brew kettle and topped off to 6 gallons; brought to a boil (60 minute) and added:

w/60 to go: 1 oz. Sonnet leaf 4.1% AA

w/15 to go: 1 tsp. Irish Moss

w/5 to go: 2.45 oz. French Market Chicory Coffee cold-pressed for 24 hours in 30 oz. (weight) RO water

Chilled, racked to carboy, and pitched slurry from batch 88 (Wyeast Northwest Ale 1332)

Brewed: 6/29/2011 @ 73°
Secondary: 7/19/2011 @ 1.010
Bottled: 8/3/2011 w/ 2.75 oz. table sugar @ 70°

OG: 1.040
FG: 1.010

Tasting Notes: at bottling, this was tasty both warm and flat, so here’s hoping that some carbonation and cold make this dee-licious!

(12/7/2011): I damn near drank all of this before I realized I hadn’t typed up any notes. And as it stands, this is one of the last ones left. So this is mainly for posterity. Which means I am doubly anxious to get at the most recent version of this beer—the Coffee Mild I bottled last Saturday. Chicory Coffee Mild pours a clear chocolate; there are some orange hints that are almost highlights, and a pretty solid tan/cream head that absolutely refuses to depart. You know, like relatives during the holidays. The nose is chocolate and coffee with a touch of roastiness and creaminess (which could be the head). Flavors are a nice balance between coffee and chocolate with small amounts of roast flavor in the background, which is either from the coffee or the chicory, since no roasted barley went into the beer. There is a touch of caramel sweetness, but it is rather subdued—the coffee and chocolate are more pronounced. There are, however, enough residual sugars to give the beer a delicious mouthfeel—light, but not dry, with just enough presence to linger subtly on the tongue. Mixed with the touch of creaminess, the palate sensations are excellent once the carbonation calms down (yes, it was a tad overcarbonated). The flavor is complex, but the beer is light, refreshing, and crisp—I know I’m gonna keep experimenting with this beer, if for no other reason than to have it on hand at all times. Done well, it is easy drinking magic. Does this mean I’m falling for a malt-focused beer? Oh, the deliciousness!