help! Almond extract/ adding nuts for beer

cruzr1290 · 02-06-2012, 10:42 PM

Hey, I planned on making a chestnut brown ale and bought everything for the beer but it turns our chestnuts are seasonal. any recommendations what to use instead. I know you can't just add any nut because they are too fatty and heard somewhere that extracts are better so I bought almost extract. will that work/does anyone have any recommendations? thanks!

bdupree · 02-07-2012, 12:20 AM

just don't buy a cheap extract from the grocery store. They usually have a medicine taste.

audger · 02-07-2012, 07:19 PM

you can make your own extract with 4 parts grain alcohol to 6 parts distilled water (making around 40% ABV). blend up the nuts and put them in a canning jar with the liquid for a few weeks. if there is a visible oil slick on the top, put it in the freezer to solidify the oil and then skim it off. then just pass it thru a coffee filter and add it to the keg.

i ususally do a taste test before adding, because the stregnth of the mixture is so variable. pour a few 1oz cups of the beer, and use a medicine dropper to put varying amounts in each cup until you find the stregnth you like, then just do the math to scale it up for the entire keg.

**smokeyfisherman** · 02-07-2012, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audger

you can make your own extract with 4 parts grain alcohol to 6 parts distilled water (making around 40% ABV). blend up the nuts and put them in a canning jar with the liquid for a few weeks. if there is a visible oil slick on the top, put it in the freezer to solidify the oil and then skim it off. then just pass it thru a coffee filter and add it to the keg.

i ususally do a taste test before adding, because the stregnth of the mixture is so variable. pour a few 1oz cups of the beer, and use a medicine dropper to put varying amounts in each cup until you find the stregnth you like, then just do the math to scale it up for the entire keg.

Wow.... That is awesome! I plan on trying this...