Whistler Brewing's Chestnut Brown Ale Clone

[OkanaganMike]

Hoping someone may be able to offer some feedback here. I'm attempting to clone this beer made by the Whistler Brewing Co. in Whistler, British Columbia. I feel I have the grain bill and hops fairly close but have never used actual chestnuts in a beer before. I've seen some folks boil them for 60mins, some 10mins, some in primary and or secondary, some even do one or a combination of blanching and/or roasting and milling them for the boil pot.

Anyone have experience and if so how did it work out for you? How much did you use etc? Below is my recipe less the chestnut component.

Title: Whistler Chestnut Brown Ale
Author: Okanagan Mike

Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: American Brown Ale
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.038
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.051
Final Gravity: 1.013
ABV (standard): 5.04%
IBU (tinseth): 25.93
SRM (morey): 34.68

FERMENTABLES:
8.5 lb - Canadian - Pale 2-Row (73.9%)
1 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 60L (8.7%)
1 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 40L (8.7%)
0.5 lb - American - Black Malt (4.3%)
0.5 lb - American - Chocolate (4.3%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Challenger, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 16.42
0.5 oz - Cluster, Type: Pellet, AA: 6.5, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 6.23
0.5 oz - Challenger, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.5, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 3.27
0.5 oz - Cluster, Type: Pellet, AA: 6.5, Use: Boil for 0 min

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 each - whirlfloc, Time: 15 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 75%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 54 - 77 F

 

[2grainz]

Hello. Did you ever end up trying this one? Thats such a good beer and I'm doing a Chestnut brown today and looking for a recipe. Din you add any chestnuts?

 

[brewman !]

I've had this beer and it isn't my favourite. I'd rather drink Granville Island's Winter Ale than Whistlers Chestnut Brown Ale. But each to their own.

How about cloning Crannog Ales Back Hand Of God stout for those of us who can't get it ?

 

[Gonjeshk]

This beer has been on my mind for a while now, and tonight it was back on tap at the local pub, so I was trying to get a little more analytical with it.

This beer definitely strays in the sweet side, bitterness is almost imperceptible and I’m not getting much hop flavour or aroma. I don’t have much experience with challenger and cluster, but I was thinking of using an ounce of a noble-ish hop (Mt. Hood) at 60 mins, just enough to keep it from being cloyingly sweet.

Your malt bill looks about right, though I almost wonder if there might even be a little more caramel/crystal. I’m thinking I’ll try out 1.5 lbs of C40.

I also have not worked with chestnuts before, but I have worked with a few other flavours & spices, so this will require some experimentation.
- I was tasting some vanilla, so I’m thinking I’ll add one bean (sliced to scrape the seeds & oil out, then chop the bean husk as finely as possible & use it all) at the 5 minute mark, then take two to three more, put them in a mason jar with a few ounces of rum to draw out the flavours and let that sit during primary fermentation. Once the primary fermentation has died down, add in the vanilla.
- I was also getting hints of liquorice, so I’m thinking a half ounce of anise added at the 5 min. mark as well.
- Finally the chestnuts. I think this may be the toughest one to nail down, since it’s the one ingredient I have no experience with. I’m leaning towards the same addition times and methods as the vanilla (5 mins. boil & soak in rum for a week then add after primary fermentation), but I think I’ll try 8 ounces of chopped nuts for each of those additions for the first batch and adjust from there.

 

[Gonjeshk]

Another reference on brewing with chestnuts: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=456100

So maybe try chestnut flour?