Real hazelnuts in a nutbrown ale?

So, on deck for me to brew is a hazelnut brown. I've found countless recipes and all seem pretty tasty. They also all have one thing in common: hazelnut extract. I can't seem to find any that use real hazelnuts. Are they not to be used in a recipe?

If anybody has used them, can you let me in on quantity and timing (do i add them to the mash or place them in primary). Thanks a bundle!

I've never used them in a beer, but I think people go with the extract for two reasons. The first is that a tiny bottle dropper is pretty hard to screw up. The second, is that taking a pint of the finished beer, sans hazelnut, and using the drop and taste method is a lot easier than adding all the hazelnut at one time and hoping for the best.

I realize that the purpose of your post is to determine what quantity of hazelnuts would produce a suitable hazelnut flavor, but I've got nothing in that department. My only recommendation is to steer clear of the flavor in Leinenkugel's nut brown. Whoa boy was that a wake up call.

You could toast some hazelnuts, crush them and then put them in a mason jar. Cover them with vodka and seal it up. Give it a shake when you think about it. Do that for a month or two. Then filter the nuts out and the remaining liquid will taste strongly of hazelnuts and can be added to taste to your bottling bucket or keg.

I made a walnut liquer in the same way, using 1 cup of walnuts, 1 cup of vodka and 0.5 cups of brandy. It tasted awesome but I drink it by itself, not added to beer.

I've done a Rogue Hazelnut Brown clone and used Hazelnut extract from Brewcraft. Extract is added at bottling/kegging. This stuff goes a long way so be careful how much you use. You can always add more, but not take any away. It was a 2 oz bottle that said to add all 2 oz. I didn't, but added about 1 oz and it was honestly too much. I say .25 or so should do good, but use the method Heinz mentions to get it to where you want.

Thanks gang. It sounds like using an extract is almost inevitable. Have you ever heard of somebody using real hazelnuts or am I crazy to think than anybody has every done it?

I don't have any experience with it, but Jamil on the Jamil show said it was a terrible idea because of the fats. The "nut" flavor in the nut brown should be from properly chosen malts, not actual nuts.

A) They can leave a slick of oil on your beer (though I'd think you'd have to use an awful lot to get that much oil out of them) B) they'd harm head retention or formation c) as they oxidize they can go rancid, which is not yummy.

I can't answer that but I believe extract 'brewing' is a hobby in itself. Imagine making all of your own extracts for use as adjuncts. I'm starting some myself.

wendelgee2 said:

I don't have any experience with it, but Jamil on the Jamil show said it was a terrible idea because of the fats. The "nut" flavor in the nut brown should be from properly chosen malts, not actual nuts.

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I feel slightly silly. It never even crossed my mind that the nut character came from malts. I always just assumed it was real hazelnut flavor. I'm a dork. Thanks!

I actually am in the same boat, well, kind of..... it is a secret ale that will involve hazelnuts, that's all I can say as of now
Here are a couple of links I have found with people using real hazelnuts. I do know about the oils and the head retention, but you have to try everything yourself, right?
Here they are:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f67/natural-hazelnut-brown-ale-105240/
http://beerrecipes.org/showrecipe.php?recipeid=1127