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slim chillingsworth · 02-24-2009, 06:02 AM

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: S-04
Yeast Starter: No
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.013
IBU: 21
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 15
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 days @ 63
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 3 weeks @ 45
Tasting Notes: Good background hazelnut character behind a carmelly brown ale.

I am a huge fan of hazelnuts, but I can't stand the artificial flavor of hazelnut extract (notable in Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar). My lady wanted a hazelnut beer for her birthday, so I brewed this up.

The grain bill started as a mild ale that I was planning to brew. I was running out of time to have this beer ready for her birthday so I just added some things to get to a Northern English Brown style beer.

As for the hazelnut flavor, I took a note from a local brewery. (512) Brewery does a wonderful pecan porter by roasting the nuts and adding them to the mash. I crushed a pound of hazelnuts in my food processor and roasted the at about 200* for 20 minutes. I put 3/4 in the mash and 1/4 in the kettle at 5 minutes.

Yes this killed the head retention. The oils in the nuts are probably the reason the head on this beer dissipates so quickly, but it's tasty and appearance is always second to flavor in my book. I wanted a nutty brown ale and I got it, even if there might be some detraction in the look of the pint.

The flavor of this beer is mostly the flavor of a lot of browns, good caramel and toasty character, but with a nice distinct background note of hazelnuts and some buttery english yeast character.

I fermented on the cool side and cold crashed after a week to 40* (mostly to make room in the primary fermentation chamber). I force carbed and tapped the keg just over a month after brewing, and it's drinking nicely right now.

Amount Item Type % or IBU
7.50 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 84.46 %
0.75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 8.45 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2.82 %
0.25 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 2.82 %
0.13 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 1.46 %
.75 lb Hazelnuts (Mash 1.0 hours) Misc

1.00 oz Williamette [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 20.1 IBU
0.25 oz Williamette [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 1.0 IBU
.25 lb Hazelnuts Misc (5 min)

1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale

Mashed 45 minutes @ 158*

stevedasleeve · 12-20-2010, 01:12 AM

I am brewing a similar beer tomorrow; looking around I found this. Mine is a Northern Englishish nut brown, but bigger and just a tad darker using a little chocolate wheat as well as pale chocolate malts. 1.062 or so and 35 IBUs with 4-5 oz of toasted hazelnuts in the mash. If it turns out good I'll post the recipe!

trigger · 12-23-2010, 09:03 PM

I just kegged a hazelnut brown. I used 1.5 lbs of toasted hazelnuts in the mash, then another 1 lb in the boil for the last 10 mins. I had 30 IBU in a 1.071 OG. Since I really wanted the nuts to come through I used 1.5 lbs of Fawcett crystal II, 0.5 lbs of brown malt and 0.2 lbs of carafa special I. I didn't want too much roast/bread flavor in it.

Going into the fermenter the wort had a lot of hazelnut aroma, and the nuts were definately present in the flavor. After 2 weeks, though, most of the aroma is gone, although there is still a bit of flavor. I think in the future I'll skip the mash nuts and "dry hop" with a pound. Hopefully the alcohol will help pull some of the flavors and aroma out into the beer.

funkstrman · 11-02-2011, 08:53 PM

I'm brewing this recipe right now for SWMBO. I'll keep you guys updated on the outcome, and post a picture of the final product for you also. I love this hobby!

Edit: That sure was an interesting brew using hazelnuts. I am cooling the wort now, and can definitely see an oily film lingering on the top of it. The Williamette hops smell so good, and the hazelnuts added to them makes it heavenly. Thanks for the recipe Slim, looking forward to drinking this one in several weeks. I'll post a pic of the first pint I pour for anyone who is interested. Cheers!

BrewinBigD · 11-27-2011, 05:56 AM

Just drank a bottle of rogue hazelnut nectar tonight. Has anyone considered using frangelico (hazelnut liquor) as their flavoring? Its made with real hazelnuts. And saves the hassle of head loss, and will boost the ABV a bit too! Just a thought...

Definately would like to brew a similar beer, and perhaps try a few 2.5 gallon batches with different nuts in it too!

Sent from my MB502 using Home Brew Talk

funkstrman · 12-20-2011, 03:45 AM

Update: I bottled my beer almost 3 weeks ago, and popped one tonight. Definitely not long enough in the bottle. I am thinking maybe three to four weeks longer and it should be perfect. Beer is heady at first pour, but loses it quickly. I'll post again in about a month with updates.