Hops Infused Coffee

[jimfarris]

Greetings,
I've been challenged by my son, who works in the "Craft Beer" industry, to try to make some Hops Infused Coffee. I've seen at least one commercial roaster that sells this product. I've read about infusing or adding flavors to coffee, we add syrup and spices in our cafe. My son and I would like to infuse green coffee beans matching coffee flavors with hops flavors. The plan, so far, is to store some beans and hops dry for a month or so (I'll probably shake them every day) and also try boiling a "hops only" wort and soaking green beans in it (should not take as long as a dry process).
SO, who has tried this before who is willing to share success and pitfalls?
I, in turn, will share my plan and any success or failures.
Happy roasting!
Jim Farris
Seeds Coffee
Homewood AL

 

[BuzzRoaster]

What I am about to say is just speculation so please feel free to tell me I am wrong.

I think the roasting process will destroy any hop essence gained by storing them together. Also soaking green coffee in a hop only wort seems like it wouldn't work well either. It may pick up some of the hop bitterness but little else. Most hoppy craft brews get their flavor from "dry hopping because boiling destroys a lot of the aroma but has little effect on the alpha acids which gives the beer it's bitterness.

Maybe try storing the coffee and hops together post roast? I'd be interested to hear the outcome of such an experiment. Keep us posted!

 

[chast]

there was an article similar to this. They were storing their green beans in aged bourbon/whiskey/rum barrels for a period of time then roasting. Other have done it other ways. There is a cafe in Taiwan that does it with soaking beans with whiskey and people have raved about it.