Anyone successful with peanut butter?

just a thought, and it maybe wrong, but it seems like you could use the ingredients for penut butter seperately and it might be easier. like use some roasted penuts and then backsweeten later. i don't know what else is in penut butter, but you see what i'm sayin. i haven't ever done it so i don't know about the oils in penuts, but there are probably fewer than in peanut butter.

also good idea. this does sound delicious.

rycov said:

just a thought, and it maybe wrong, but it seems like you could use the ingredients for penut butter seperately and it might be easier. like use some roasted penuts and then backsweeten later. i don't know what else is in penut butter, but you see what i'm sayin. i haven't ever done it so i don't know about the oils in penuts, but there are probably fewer than in peanut butter.

also good idea. this does sound delicious.

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The key to using peanuts of any kind is getting the fat/oil out of them. PBpowder by Bell is 90+% fat free (powdered). The downside is that they add sugar. If you used peanuts, which some people have done, you would need to crush and spend a considerable amount of time removing the natural oil. The powder cuts that step out completely.

is it made out of natural stuff? i was thinking you guys were talking about some kind of artificial peanut butter. also how would you get the oil out of peanuts?

Lecithin will very effectively emulsify the oils in PB (and chocolate) and help prevent any loss of head issues. I've used it successfully in some experimental beers with a high oil content and had no lack of head issues

rycov said:

is it made out of natural stuff? i was thinking you guys were talking about some kind of artificial peanut butter. also how would you get the oil out of peanuts?

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I'm pretty sure (if I remember correctly) that the powdered stuff from Bell is just peanuts, sugar, and a little salt.

Removing oil from raw nuts is an involved process that has you pressing them between paper towels for a good amount of time, while constantly replacing the oil soaked paper.

oh ok. i didnt know anything about the powder, (or the peanuts )
i was just trying to think of other ways for the op to get it done.

thanks myschief

*Mischief

3/24/11

Okay, so I bottled it last night. Ended up with a case (24 12s/16s) exactly (it was a 3-gallon all-grain batch). It had a peanut-butter-colored "head," sort of. Well, bubbles on the surface, but not the fermenting kind, almost like a pseudo-kraeusen. The thief came out feeling kind of greasy, actually--quite odd, mildly alarming--but it all tasted damn good. Not as peanut-buttery as when racking onto the peanut butter, naturally, but the flavor was there. Next time, I may stir it very gently after a few days in secondary to mix it, 'cause . Added some chocolate extract (bit more than a 2-ounce bottle) and peanut butter extract (half a bottle), primed it for 2 volumes with dextrose, and put it in glass. We'll see how it is in a week and a half, or two if I can wait that long--and I'll try. This is one of those better-in-a-month-or-so brews, I understand, so we'll see. Updates to come in a couple weeks.

I brewed mine two nights ago. 2nd batch ever. I now have 5g of 1051 OG milk chocolate stout, 2.5 jars of PB2 now PBvodka butter, and 2.5 opened and gutted vanilla beans in Makers.

I now have two mediumish mistakes under my belt. On my first batch (robust porter) I forgot to add a liquid to my airlock when I replaced the blowoff tube. It wasn't a big deal since it was only 24 hours, most of the fermentation was complete, and the beer is better than I ever expected. (Drinking one now

This time I miscalculated the boil off. I used my keggle for the first time and started with 7.5g of water. I figured since I'm at 11k feet elevation (super low humidity) I would boil off ~2g in two hours. I think it was the blizzard outside that did me in. It was super cold, snowing sideways, and I don't have a heat shield yet. I ended up with 6 gallons at 1051, and that was after 45 minutes of extra boil (didn't want it hoppy anyway). I thought about boiling more off, but then remembered that I don't need a big beer and I can always add flavor to the secondary. Or, now I see that I could do it at bottling, too. Thanks Nige!

To my delight, the color was PERFECT, just like a Reese Cup! Buuuuuut, that was at 24hrs, not 48. I just now took the shirt off the fermenter, and it seems that color was from the cocoa that has now settled to the bottom. Hmmmm.

Nige, I love that you are a couple steps ahead of me. I can't wait to hear how it tastes.

Skultch,

Way to go, brother. That's the stuff! This is a ballsy second brew for you (I've been brewing for a bit over one year), and it shows that you're "brewing with abandon" as Randy Mosher would say. (You may want to pick up his "Radical Brewing" book as a very cool reference, just 'cause it's an amazing read and full of neat information.)

Good going on your "cherry brew," and don't it taste even better knowing all the care and thought you put into it? I know it does.

The "good stuff" does sink to the bottom, yes. I'll try stirring it GENTLY next time around (with the sanitized small end of a plastic paddle or spoon) to get more contact area. A heat shield? I can't even imagine what that is! That's Colorado for me, right?

You'll definitely hear the results of my labors; really glad to be a help in any way, and yes, it's cool that you're following my steps and taking notes. My pleasure.

From my tasting at bottling, you may want to add another vanilla bean or two to the Maker's. I had what I had for 3 gallons, and I'm pretty sure you're making 5. Just be sure to clean the beans well and to sanitize anything that touches it (chopping board, knife) first.

Stay tuned, kid.
Nige

There is a brewery in WA that fermented their beer on top of PB. I friend read about it and told me but she could not remember who it was.

I recently made a creme ale and added Frangelico and Chambord to the keg. Those two liquors, when mixed together, makes a shot that is called a PB&J. And, it does taste like PB&J, so I tried it. Not bad, but wasn't my cup of tea, so I don't plan on doing it again. However, after reading this thread, I may try a very small batch in a stout.

3/31/11 First tasting after bottling. (8 days in bottles.)

Okay, so I cracked a 12-ounce open last night to gauge progress. Out of the bottle leapt strong peanut-butter aromas--almost overwhelmingly so!--and that bode well. While I got a kssst! from the bottle, there wasn't too much head to be found just yet. Actually, there was a bit of a greasy film on the top. Not so much as to be nasty or off-putting, but perhaps enough to inhibit head retention. I was able to swirl up a bit of a head, but it didn't last long.

The taste and aroma, however, were off the hook. Smelled pretty much just like a Reese's PB cup, and the taste was as close as beer would allow to said confection. Success!!! (So far, anyway.) Was definitely beer, but the chocolate and peanut butter flavors were BANG in your face. Twas absolutely desserty and sweet. The great news is that it can only improve in the next couple/few weeks. Looking forward to tasting it after a month in glass.

This all said, I'm really encouraged by this 3-gallon "test batch," and will make it next as a full 5-gallon brew.

Oh yeah, there was a fair bit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle (I poured slowly and with care); probably peanut-butter "stuff" and possibly some cocoa left over from the boil.

All in all, just what I'd hoped for at this stage of the game, and entirely unlike anything I've ever tasted. In a very good way, of course.

Skultch: how's it coming along, mate?

Nige

@nigel31... sounds completely awesome. I have to make it now.

What base recipe did you use? Did you post it and I missed it?

Hey nigel, you and I are about on the exact pace with this. I have my first bottle in the fridge as I type. I'm gonna chug er' down before work tonight and see how it goes. It's funny, (and I don't know if you read my thread) but we used a lot of the same stuff. We both used Watkins PB and Choc extract as well. I'm glad yours turned out well! I'll let you know how mine goes!

Oh, and here's the link in case you or anyone hasn't seen it..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/extract-peanut-butter-stout-229770/

Cheers!

@powerfreak: I'd tell ya, but then I'd have ta kill ya! Actually, my recipe's in my brew log at home. I'll look into it this weekend for you. It'd work with any stout recipe, I'd guess, but the key is the cocoa powder (at flameout), the PB2 (soaked in vodka or bourbon) in the secondary, the vanilla beans (soaked in same) in the secondary, and then the extracts at bottling. I do remember that my recipe was based loosely on the Chocolate Milk Stout (All-grain) from Northern Brewer, but I can give you the details soon.

@shauntraxler: No, I did it FIRST. So you're NOT on pace with me. It was MY idea first. Totally kidding, Shaun. The Watkins extracts do seem of high quality, yeah. My batch was 3 gallons, and I believe I used maybe 2.2 oz. of chocolate extract and 1.8 (roughly) of the peanut butter extract. A bit over one bottle of the choc, a bit under of the PB. The chocolate extract smelled DOPE; very close to the Southern Tier Choklat aroma in my estimation. The PB smelled a bit odd, but I know that things mellow out and meld over time, so I added most of the 2-oz. bottle. I'd guess mine would be more of a flavor bomb than yours, but that's what I was going for. I used 1.5 jars of PB2 in the secondary for a 3-G batch, too, and didn't boil any--big credit to Mischief Brewing for the valuable info on that (he boiled some and wasn't able to taste any PB when racking to the secondary, so it seems that it may've been boiled out or scrubbed out by fermentation). Hope yours is as great as my early tasting was. Let us know.

Shoot, now I need to look into ordering the ingredients to do this one again....

I might be brewing a black IPA this weekend while cleaning out the garage (between drinking and playing pool). Nigel, if you want to come down and hang out, let me know.

Real recipe below. Changes to previous post boldfaced. I consulted my actual brew log.
Ahh wait, I found the recipe here at work:

3-gallon all-grain, no-sparge batch. (I upped the grains by 25% to make up for the lack of efficient sparging.) For the technique and info on no-sparge/small-batch all-graining, see here: http://www.classiccitybrew.com/homebrew.html. Tremendously helpful, and it's easy. I use a mash/lauter tun method (with a converted 5-gallon Rubbermaid cooler) and a 6-inch stainless steel screen (got mine at Midwest Supplies), and it's a great way to lock in mash temps.


7.2# Maris Otter
10.8 oz. Chocolate malt (Simpson's), including 2 oz. of pale chocolate for complexity)
3.6 oz. Extra dark crystal (Simpson's)
3.6 oz. Dehusked Carafa III

Mashed high (156F) for one hour.

1.2# lactose to the boil (I added it to secondary 'cause I forgot to add it to the boil)

5 oz. Scharffen Berger cocoa powder, mixed with some boiled water and stirred, added just before flameout

.6 oz. Fuggles at 60 minutes

Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale yeast (no starter, but pack was fully inflated--remember, I did only a 3-G batch)

Vanilla: Rinsed, then chopped up 2 long (~5 or 6 inch) vanilla beans, soaked in Maker's Mark (maybe 3 oz.) for a week or so in a sanitized jar, then added to the secondary. Added vanilla because I'd heard that it enhances the cocoa powder flavor, adding a bit of sweetness and making for more of a "milk chocolate" flavor vs. a cocoa flavor.

Peanut butter: Soaked 1.5 jars of PB2 (powdered peanut butter) in vodka for a week or so (covered, but not refrigerated), then added to secondary.

Racked the beer onto the beans and PB2 mixture in the carboy to ensure proper mixing.

At bottling, added one 2-oz. bottle (plus a bit more) of Watkins chocolate extract and almost one 2-oz. bottle of their peanut butter extract. Gently poured these onto beer/priming solution in bottling bucket. I aimed for 2 volumes of carbonation with dextrose (corn sugar).

That should pretty much do it. If anyone else makes it, I'd love to hear how it came out.

Nige

@Mischief. Thanks a lot, that may be a possibility. Send your email address to [email protected].

@nigel... thanks bud! without a nick or bullet wound to boot! woohoo! :cheers:

@powerfreak: Glad to help. I've updated/corrected quantities of malts and hops and have boldfaced the new numbers. Have at it!

Tried mine last night. Was severely undercarbed still. However, the flavors were very prominent. I could definitely get the PB and Choc. Surprisingly, it's almost TOO sweet at this point. But I'm chalking that up to the lack of carbonation and lack of age.

Just got back from an unexpected trip.

Here's my recipe:
http://hopville.com/recipe/576080/home-brew/peanut-butter-cup-stout

Notice the 6 gallon batch size. That was a mistake. It was 10*F outside and it was the first time using the new keggle. I thought I would have more boil off, but it was super windy, and I ended up dumping a gallon of wort. I don't use starters yet and I forgot to refrigerate the extra wort to use as gyle. Oh well. I didn't really want a big beer that much, and to even get it to 6g, the extra hour of boil probably reduced the bitterness a little more, which I think I will like.

Fermenting looks close to completion after 10 days. I'll get a reading today, then let it go the full two weeks before another test. I don't need the fermenter until Saturday, so I could leave it till then. My buddy thinks I don't need to rack; just poor the PB and vanilla in the primary. If I did that, I could brew my third batch today (India Black Ale). What would PB and vanilla do on top of the cake? Could the yeast help at all?

Nige, when you say "soak" the PB in vodka, do you mean it is beyond saturation? I just mixed in enough to give the PB2 a little more viscosity than normal PB. I also refrigerated it. Do you think that will hinder the infusion of PB flavor?

Thanks.

btw. vodka/PB? I wish I found out about that when I was younger. Sounds like a good way to sneak alcohol into music/sport events

Skultch, I'd suggest at least a 1.5-week secondary, but you could try it for one week, I suppose. I, personally, wouldn't chance selling a complex brew like this short. You probably don't want to hear it, I know. Secondarying would help clean it up a bit. The PB/vanilla would be better off not sitting on/sinking into the yeast cake, I feel. But hey, one never knows, right? Do what's good for you, and let us know how it turns out.

As for the soaking, I'd mixed the vodka into PB2 and stirred it up 'til it was more watery than regular peanut butter. I didn't refrigerate it, as I wanted it to stay as "liquid" as possible, and I know that when regular PB's refrigerated, it gets much more solid as it chills. Perhaps "soak" was the wrong word, but a more watery saturation would describe it. I think that putting it in the chiller might hinder blending and hence infusion, especially as the more solid it is, the quicker it'll settle to the bottom of the fermenter and cease mixing.

I hope this helps. What I say's all somewhat speculation, as I'm no expert on this and have only made this brew once; that said, I expect to make it again within the next few brews if it's anywhere near as good as that initial tasting was.

Cheers.

Took a hydro reading and taste test last night. OG was 1051 and the reading last night was 1022. According to the calculator, my target should be 1015/6. This is going almost exactly like my first batch, and that turned out great!! Really, the only difference between the two recipes, at this point, is the volume, less roasted barley and the lactose. I'll take another reading at the two week mark and if it hasn't moved, I'll rack to secondary.

The taste is good, but not very strong. A good base, I think. The cocoa flavor is there, but subtle. I'll add more cocoa to the secondary with the PB/vanilla.

I added more vodka to the PB and removed it from the fridge. It's now a very creamy consistency. I'm using a 5g carboy both fermenters. Any suggestions on how to get the PB/vodka into the carboy without it sticking to the sides? Maybe I want it to stick to the sides??? More exposure to the beer to leach the flavors out, maybe. ??

I wouldn't think you'd want it stuck to the sides, really. What I did was pour the mixture into a sanitized 1-cup measuring cup and pour it carefully into the carboy; then I racked the beer atop it.

You may want to get yourself some chocolate extract to add at bottling. A couple ounces (or more if you want more chocolate flavor/aroma) will help a lot to get a chocolatey flavor/smell vs. a cocoa-y one.

Sounds like you're doing things right, though. Keep going!

@shauntraxler: It CAN'T be too sweet! Impossible! haha. Well, for me it can't. Mine was pretty undercarbed as well after 8 days. Not worried. Even if it never heads up but retains that flavor, I'll still be happy.

How long are you planning to wait 'til next tasting? I'm giving mine another week or so (if I can wait).

nigel31 said:

@shauntraxler: It CAN'T be too sweet! Impossible! haha. Well, for me it can't. Mine was pretty undercarbed as well after 8 days. Not worried. Even if it never heads up but retains that flavor, I'll still be happy.

How long are you planning to wait 'til next tasting? I'm giving mine another week or so (if I can wait).

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yeah, the people i made the brew for will be in town thursday... I'm going to have to steal another one before they get here so I can deem it drinkable. lol.

Shaun, how was it received by your guests (and you)? How 'bout yours, Skultch?

Mine was just over two weeks in bottles and I had friends over Saturday. While I'd prefer more carbonation at this point (but not a lot of carb, mind you, just a bit more), everyone's raving about it. Swirling it in the snifter does coax up some foam, but not quite as much as hoped for; perhaps the next weeks will solidify that.

It's a rather unique, very desserty drink, and I'm rather happy with all the flavors and how strong they are. It's Southern Tier-style, in-your-face flavor, just as I'd gone for when working on the recipe.

The next couple weeks will only see it conditioning more and coming together further. Chime in, fellow peanut-butter brewers.

Mine's still in primary. I was planning on racking this weekend, but a beer fest, forgetting to eat dinner, and subsequent hangover changed those plans. Probably tonight. I have to remember to buy more cocoa today after work.

Nice! Beer fest and no food. Brilliant! haha.

How're you going to add the cocoa, Skultch? I'd suggest boiling it at least briefly with water to somewhat sanitize it, then cooling it (or it'll kill the yeast when you add it). Gets a bit trickier when you're adding that to the secondary.

Yeah, ill boil and cool. I was thinking about boiling some extra water to make the PB less viscous, so maybe ill add the cocoa to that. I really dont have a solid plan on how to add the PB. swmbo suggested using some of the beer from the primary to add to the PB. I wonder if i can get away with adding the beer to the PB/vodka quick enough to avoid contamination.

I used too much water to 'dissolve' the cocoa. I added the PB and lactose to that and I'm boiling off some water right now. Then, I'll chill it the best I can and rack onto the vanilla/bourbon. I'm boiling my next batch right now, and I'll need the primary from this batch. I'm cutting it close.

It's a beertastic day today. I'm doing some research for the 4th batch. Belgian. Yummy research.

Hey nigel. My parents actually loved the beer and they're not big beer drinkers. My mother actually loves Miller Lite, so her liking this was quite welcome. Haha. But yes, as far as the beer comments, my mom told me "Holy sh*t, it tastes like peanut butter!". Haha. It was still heavily undercarbed, which was to be expected.

The best treat came when I decided to layer the PB stout with Raspberry Lambic and make a PBnJ treat. This actually turned out AMAZING. The carbonation from the lambic really made this delightful. I mean, truthfully, the brew tasted EXACTLY like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You all should try this.

Note to self: PB2 gets left behind in the kettle when a bazooka screen is installed. I may have to dry-nut this batch of Smooth Jazz.

I saw this Short's Brew at the store the other day. I'll have to make sure to pick up a 6pack soon!

Über Goober Oatmeal Stout

"This highly coveted Oatmeal Stout has the largest grain bill in the entire Short’s beer portfolio. With roughly a handful of peanuts in every glass, rich aromas of chocolate and peanut nuttiness are generated along with a decadent full flavor on the palate. Creamy oatmeal, fused with peanut puree, combines perfectly with the caramel and roasted grain flavors of the malt."


which led me to find this one which also sounds delicious:

PB & J Stout
Available any time Über Goober is on tap. Take our popular Peanut Oatmeal Stout and blend it with our famous flagship fruit infused rye ale, The Soft Parade, and viola! The result, a liquid version of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This customer created concoction can also be found in bottles as a limited specialty release.

This thread was an interesting read, and based on what I've had fermenting for a few weeks now I thought I'd share my experience/recipe.

5 gallons, brewed and pitched on 3-20-11
14.0lbs light LME
0.25lbs roasted barley
0.5lbs Belgian chocolate malt
1.0lbs Special B malt
1.0lb amber candi sugar
1 oz Columbia hops 90min
1 oz Crystal hops 20 min
0.5oz Saaz hops 5 min

Wyeast 3739 Flemish Golden

I tasted the brew about a week after it started, and it was very estery and fusel-y, with an aftertaste that immediately made me think of peanut butter.

I tasted the brew again 3 or 4 days ago, the esters were still there, the fusels dropped, and the brew still tasted like peanuts! It definitely had some kind of chocolate-peanut butter vibe to it and that wasn't even what I was intending.

I'd never used Special B malt before and I would almost certainly attribute this characteristic in this beer to that malt. I am really looking forward to when this beer is ready, unfortunately I'm going to have to wait maybe another month but it should be well worth it.

I bet with some recipe tinkering, like more chocolate malts and an increase in Special B, you could get something that tasted remarkably like a peanut butter cup, without having to fuss or estimate with peanut butter.

Congrats, Shaun! Sounds like your brew's a huge hit--even with the 'rents! GOOD going.

@Ultima: Quite interesting, but it's probably not peanut-butter/chocolatey enough for my tastes. Nothing like brewing with PB and chocolate for a big-time dessert beer. Your recipe does sound tasty, though. Wonder if it has to do with the Belgian yeast. I don't brew Belgians--not my style, really--but I wonder what that would taste like with a low attenuator like WLP002 or Wyeast 1968. Hmmmm.

I'm wondering if I should carefully agitate the new PB/vodka/cocoa/lactose/vanilla/bourbon cake I now have in the secondary. When I racked, I had a friend watch it while I was busy with a India Brown Ale I was brewing. I forgot to tell him to move the siphon tube around the new cake to mix it up better. I did coat the sides of the fermenter with the mixture just before racking, though, so that might have been good enough.

Thoughts, anyone?

I'd say you're okay. I didn't move anything around once I'd racked onto the PB mixture, though I'd considered it, but mainly 'cause there would surely have been some trub and "bad stuff" under there that I didn't want to disturb or mix around. Granted, while racking, the contact time's relatively small vs. sitting there a couple weeks, but from personal experience, mine's got a huge PB/choc taste.

Don't think that coating the carboy sides was necessary, but hey, it should still net you a big, nice flavor.

I'd say to leave it and let it do its thing, mainly for the trub part of the equation.