[beerbrewinwizard]

I am searching for another nut to add to a Elnglish Brown Mild Ale. I have used hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds and pecans but want to try something else that is different and unusual. Chestnuts came to mind but my mind is still open to others. Has anyone used chestnuts before or do you have other suguestions? I plan to use the standard soak, freeze and skin method to remove the fatty oils. Thanks!

[ajk]

Black walnuts have a very robust flavor.

[Pinski]

cashews and macadamias?

[morticaixavier]

Chestnuts don't have any fat. They can be mashed with your grain as a sugar source. I haven't tried it yet so I can't speak to flavor but it's on the list for the summer.

[pete b]

We have had some fun this past winter/ fall with shagbark hickory nuts. I don't think these are commercially available but are easy to find where I live in Massachusetts. They are very hard to shell so we crack them and use both meat and shell. We made hickory nut bitters for cocktails, hickory liquer, and shagbark hickory bark syrup, which is actually made from the bark. I put the shagbark syrup in a dark belgian that was possibly the best beer I ever made. It has an earthy nut flavor kind of like pecan but less refined.

Black walnuts have a very robust flavor.

I'm also getting into black walnuts and I agree that they are something to experiment. They have a funk. Kind of like the runny, stinky cheese of nuts. A little goes a long way. Nuts Online carries them.

[quattlebaum]

This one is quite tasty.

Style: Northern English Brown Ale
---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
SRM: 14.6 SRM      SRM RANGE: 12.0-22.0 SRM
IBU: 20.2 IBUs Tinseth   IBU RANGE: 20.0-30.0 IBUs
OG: 1.050 SG      OG RANGE: 1.040-1.052 SG
FG: 1.016 SG      FG RANGE: 1.008-1.013 SG
BU:GU: 0.403      Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz   Est ABV: 4.5 %      
EE%: 75.00 %   Batch: 3.00 gal      Boil: 4.43 gal   BT: 75 Mins

---WATER CHEMISTRY ADDITIONS----------------


Total Grain Weight: 5 lbs 8.1 oz   Total Hops: 0.52 oz oz.
---MASH/STEEP PROCESS------MASH PH:5.50 ------
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD WATER CHEMICALS BEFORE GRAINS!!<<<<<<<
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
2 lbs 14.6 oz         Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett)  Grain         1        52.9 %       
1 lbs 7.0 oz          Amber Malt (30.0 SRM)                    Grain         2        26.2 %       
7.9 oz                Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM)              Grain         3        9.0 %         
7.9 oz                Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM)                   Grain         4        9.0 %         
1.8 oz                Brown Malt (65.0 SRM)                    Grain         5        2.0 %         
0.9 oz                Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM)               Grain         6        1.0 %         


Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Mash In           Add 2.06 gal of water at 170.9 F        154.0 F       60 min       

---SPARGE PROCESS---
>>>>>>>>>>-RECYCLE FIRST RUNNINGS & VERIFY GRAIN/MLT TEMPS: 65.0 F/68.0 F
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD BOIL CHEMICALS BEFORE FWH
Fly sparge with 3.03 gal water at 168.0 F

---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.035 SG   Est OG: 1.050 SG
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
0.32 oz               Horizon [8.50 %] - Boil 75.0 min         Hop           7        20.2 IBUs     

Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
0.20 oz               Goldings, East Kent [5.70 %] - Steep/Whi Hop           8        0.0 IBUs     

---FERM PROCESS-----------------------------
Primary Start: 21 Sep 2012 - 4.00 Days at 67.0 F
Secondary Start: 25 Sep 2012 - 10.00 Days at 67.0 F
Style Carb Range: 2.20-2.70 Vols
Bottling Date: 05 Oct 2012 with 2.3 Volumes CO2:
---NOTES------------------------------------
Add 1.5 oz of roughly chopped/roasted/unsalted macadamia nuts to begining of the mash. Baked 350 for 15 min.