Dark Grains and Ale

[Jensen]

I made my first Schwarz bier a few months ago and it is conditioning along just fine-- getting better every week. I really like the delicate flavors this dark lager has to offer. The cold conditioning with lager yeast, along with the small amount of dark grain, keep grainy\tannic bitterness to a minimum. It got me thinking about dealing with an Ale variation on this style

Keeping a dark colored beer real soft made me think about what cold steeping coffee does for its flavor. If you really want that great cup of smooth flavorful coffee, without the astringent tannins-- cold steeping the grind in water, in the fridge overnight, makes a wonderful cup of coffee.

Has anyone tried cold steeping their dark grains (roasted, chocolate, black patent) the night before a brew day, and adding the liquid to the boil? You would not be concerned with conversion of specialty malts, like you would with base malt. It seems to me like this would be a good step for an ale to better achieve more subtle characteristics. Any thoughts or experience?




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[Greenblood]

Seems logical enough. I used to make cold press espresso by the gallon when I worked in a coffee shop. I always preferred drinks made with cold press to those made with traditionally brewed espresso for the reasons you mentioned above. Would be worth an experiment.