I bought NB's Nut Brown Ale on its Columbus Day sale. I've always added honey at flameout on that kit on the past with good results, but this time around, I was thinking of adding some hazelnut flavoring to it. AIH sells several - just wondered if anyone else has tried this, and if so, which hazelnut flavoring did you use? Secondly, did you add it at bottling or add it to secondary. AIH chat said you could do either way.
Hazelnut addition on NB Nut Brown Ale
- Thread starter eadavis80
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BrewerBrad82
Well-Known Member
If you have a hazelnut extract, I would add a little bit at a time to your bottling bucket/keg and give it a taste. Keep adding more and more until you get the flavor profile you are looking for, then write down that amount for future reference. Proceed with bottling, or stick the keg in the fridge. Sounds yummy!
BrewerBrad82
Well-Known Member
^^^Very true. Another good way to go is to pull a known amount of beer out of the fermenter and add the extract drop by drop until it tastes just how you want it. Once you know how many drops per 12 oz (or whatever the volume) simply multiply that out to your full batch volume and then add the corresponding amount of drops and proceed with packaging.
Now I was toying with adding maple syrup to secondary instead of the Hazelnut. What, is everyone's thoughts/experience with adding maple syrup? Would you add it at secondary or flameout? How much for a 5-gallon batch? 12 ounces? Maybe I'll just stick with the hazelnut, but this beer would be coming out a week or two after Valentine's Day - just about the time people start tapping trees here in Michigan.
Maple syrup's sugars are all completely fermentable, so you're left with not much of anything. The flavor is REAL subtle. I've added 16fl. oz. to secondary and gotten nothing. Did prime a light wheat ale with maple syrup once and think I maybe got a little flavor. If you do try it, get the dark Grade B syrup, which is more flavorful and should be a little cheaper anyways. Save the light Grade A for waffles.
As another aside, once I added 1 lb. of crushed Filberts/Hazelnuts to the mash of NB's Nut Brown. I figured why not? The mash tasted great- I kept checking it and robbing the nuts that floated on top. Alas, none of the flavor came through the boil and fermentation.
I would have eaten the mash with a spoon though.......
I would have eaten the mash with a spoon though.......
I have made a hazelnut brown. Added the hazelnut extract in the secondary. Turned out awesome.
Yeah, I have the hazelnut flavoring from AIH (they sell several), but it's a Brewers Best flavoring (4 oz.) that says add to a 5-gallon batch. I am thinking maybe doing 1 oz. in secondary for 2 weeks and then taste and if it needs more add the other ounce at bottling with my priming sugar solution. I'd hate for the beer to come out too sweet and be 'coffee creameresque.' Thoughts?
