Batch #3: Snow Day Coffee Stout - Coffee is cold brewing

Took another hydrometer reading tonight (earlier readings are attached to the original brewing page here), and its holding steady at about .021. (In checking the link back there, it seems I forgot to post the first reading where it seemed to creep back up to .021.) I can only assume that I had a bad reading when I thought it was at .018. So, after poking around a bit online, I found what seemed like good directions for cold brewing coffee to add to beer HERE and HERE.

Since the coffee included with the kit was 4oz., I also halved the recommended water from the brewing site, to 14oz. I plan on taking the concentrate and boiling the priming sugar in it, which will simultaneously sterilize the coffee and the primer, making it perfect to add.  It only needs to be a short boil, and while that will somewhat affect the flavor of the coffee, its *NOT* the same as just brewing with hot water, despite the protestations at homebrewtalk.com.  The problem with hot brewing is that the higher temps also pull some bitter astringent flavors from the beans. Heating the coffee AFTER the beans have been removed will NOT spontaneously cause those flavors to appear.  However, it WILL cause the delicate flavors that are created by cold brewing the coffee to change a bit. How much is a question that will most likely never be known, since the coffee is going into beer. Stout, in fact, so the idea that the coffee needs to be of the utmost, apex of perfection is a bit humorous to me. If its that good, I'd rather just drink the coffee! Then enjoy some beer! ;)

Bottling should be complete by this time tomorrow night, hopefully. Hm. Gotta sanitize some bottles! Doh!!!