Question on Nut Brown Ale

Greetings
I am attempting to craft my own Nut Brown Ale. I'm somewhat a rookie - only been at home brew for 6 months but this will be batch #14 for me and I have gotten the hang of extract brewing.

I am wondering if it's a stupid idea to add actual roasted nuts to the carboy during fermentation? I was thinking of adding them right before pitching the yeast. Not sure which type of nuts yet. I guess I am just trying to be creative but I also don't want to be stupid. Thoughts?

Firstly, the "nut brown" in nut brown ales refers to the color, not the flavor. The term began to appear as a descriptor for English brown ales in the 1800's and has persisted.

That having been said, if you do want to actually add nuts it can be problematic because nuts are fatty and will impair foam formation and retention.

You might want to look at experimenting with nut flavor extracts.

I made a nut brown that was very "nutty" in flavor... exactly what I was going for.

70% English Maris Otter
9% Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
8% Flaked Oats
6% Special Roast
5% Victory Malt
2% Chocolate Malt (US)

An ounce of fuggles hops as well... it was my take on this recipe:https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f67/nut-brown-ag-30187/

Again, it had a GREAT nutty flavor to it, loved it. Might even want to think about caramelizing some DME for a toffee flavor component as well.


However, as previously stated, the oils in the nuts will likely affect your head retention. Plus, like I've posted above, you can get the nutty characteristics you're looking for without the addition of actual nuts. But, home brewing is all about trying new things... knock yourself out if you want and see how it goes!