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ghpeel · 12-10-2012, 02:39 PM

One last suggestion, then I'll leave you to your delicious experiment: Have you ever had Well's Banana Bread Beer? Its an amber ale with some artificial banana flavor extract added. It tastes a LOT like the banana runts candy.

I'm not crazy about it, as I prefer the more 'natural' banana flavor from Hefe yeast and wheat malt, but its definitely something you should check out. Google around for clone recipes and banana flavor extract if this is something you want to look in to. In short, banana flavor extract would make the beer taste more like banana candy, and less like Hefe, so consider your target audience. People used to Hefes and such might before the yeast-derived flavors, but people who aren't as into beer as the rest of us might enjoy the extract version more.

**nukebrewer** · 12-10-2012, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brulosopher

I've been looking for cocoa nibs on the internet and I'm wondering where the best place is to buy them?

I found mine at a local co-op food store.

**Brulosopher** · 12-10-2012, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghpeel

One last suggestion, then I'll leave you to your delicious experiment: Have you ever had Well's Banana Bread Beer? Its an amber ale with some artificial banana flavor extract added. It tastes a LOT like the banana runts candy.

I'm not crazy about it, as I prefer the more 'natural' banana flavor from Hefe yeast and wheat malt, but its definitely something you should check out. Google around for clone recipes and banana flavor extract if this is something you want to look in to. In short, banana flavor extract would make the beer taste more like banana candy, and less like Hefe, so consider your target audience. People used to Hefes and such might before the yeast-derived flavors, but people who aren't as into beer as the rest of us might enjoy the extract version more.

I've never had it and I'm not too interested... I mean, I'd try it if someone handed it to me

. My audience are 2 ranked BJCP judges, as this beer will be brewed primarily for a club competition in March. I appreciate all of your advice, so please give it freely!

Cheers.

**Brulosopher** · 12-10-2012, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nukebrewer

I found mine at a local co-op food store.

Cool. I'm thinking about checking out Whole Foods first. If they don't have it, I found some decent looking stuff on Amazon. I'm assuming I should buy the "raw" nibs, right?

**nukebrewer** · 12-10-2012, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brulosopher

Cool. I'm thinking about checking out Whole Foods first. If they don't have it, I found some decent looking stuff on Amazon. I'm assuming I should buy the "raw" nibs, right?

Yeah, that's what I used.

**Brulosopher** · 12-14-2012, 02:21 AM

I just ordered the nibs, vanilla, and WLP300. Here we go!

**nukebrewer** · 12-14-2012, 02:40 AM

Good luck! It will definitely be an interesting experience. Interested to hear about your results.

**Brulosopher** · 12-14-2012, 12:07 PM

I made a minor tweak to the grain bill, here's how it looks now:

5.00 lbs White Wheat Malt
4.25 lbs Pilsner Malt
1.00 lbs Munich Malt (10L)
0.25 oz Crystal 10

I think the addition of a pound of Munich will add a nice malt backbone. I'm imagining a chocolate dipped banana, dipped in waffle cone bits. We'll just have to see, I guess.

How long does the beer have to be in contact with nibs and vanilla? Here's my plan, which I'm willing to change:

- Ferment 7 days
- Add nibs and vanilla to fermenter, leave for additional 5-7 days
- Cold crash for 24-36 hours
- Keg and carbonate to about 2.8 volumes

I make big starters (though maybe not for this beer) and have precise control of fermentation temp; I've never seen any benefit to leaving beer in the fermenter for 3 weeks. I also never use secondaries, not even for dry hopping, though I could if I "needed" to- my thinking is the nibs will be easier to clean up afterwards from a bucket, so that's my plan.

Thanks!

**nukebrewer** · 12-14-2012, 02:46 PM

I left my nibs in for two weeks, but 7 days ought to do the trick. I put mine in one of those grain bags you can get at the LHBS just like I do with dry hops. Makes it a cinch to just pull 'em out come bottling/kegging time.

**Brulosopher** · 01-12-2013, 11:01 PM

So I updated the recipe. I backed off just a bit on the Pils, upped the wheat, added 6 oz C120 and 4 oz Carafa II. I wanted to avoid a murky brown, diarrhea looking beer. So now the base is closer to a Dunkelweizen, which I think will play very nice. Brewing this on Monday!