When to add a nut butter

[Jtvann]

I’ve got a pecan brown ale that my wife loves. I have had luck using actual pecan butter in the past. I’ve heard the cautions about the oils affecting head retention, and possibly even going rancid. I’ve never had issues in the two batches I’ve done. I don’t want to use an extract.

Looking for opinions on when to add it.

1- In the boil, 15 minutes before flame out
2- when pitching yeast
3- after active fermentation has slowed
4- a long secondary inside the unitank, no transfers.

It’s been a few years since I’ve made it. I feel like I did it at the end of fermentation before. I can’t remember.

 

[day_trippr]

Is pecan butter of similar consistency and oil content to other nut butters - like, peanut or almond?
If so, I can't imagine it would break down much if introduced once the wort has left the kettle.
On that basis I would add it at flame out and give it a good stir...
Cheers!

 

[Dgallo]

First off, I giggled when I read the title of this thread... ultimately solidifying that fact that why wife says I’m still a 15 year old boy at heart..

this just sounds messy to me at any time you add it and scary due to the oil like you said. If your experience proves it works who am I to argue, I’ve used peanut butter powder and the oils completely killed the head.

I would think using crushed almonds and roasting them in the oven really low, sub 200, would preserve the almond character and minimize on the oil. Than a 3 day cold crash close to freezing would help solidify any extracted oil then you could skim it before racking.

good luck and I’m interested in a follow up if you do use the butter.

 

[Jtvann]

This isn’t a beer I’d enter into a competition ... I don’t think. It’s really more to suit the wife. It is a good dessert beer.

It’s modeled directly off of rogue hazel nut brown, but using pecan butter instead.

I use this for the pecans ...

Georgia Grinders Premium Nut Butter, Pecan, 12 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L9MN1XA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_-1S3FbV173CYD

It’s very much like natural peanut butter with the oil coming to the top. It’s pretty easy to pour off, but you can’t get it all. I figured one method would be to drop it in in small spoon fulls at the last 15 mins and whirlpool it. That’s the same time I sanitize my counter flow chiller any way. Just hoping it doesn’t clog.

Only concern I had with putting it in the boil is totally throwing off my OG calculations. I’m sure it will make it more dense, but not with sugars. OG might read falsely higher.