New to forum and already asking stupid questions

[Wicked_Wally]

Hello fellow brewers! I’ve been out of brewing for almost six years due to a move to a new house and life’s constant intrusions. I’ve decided to put aside the excuses and get back into it with a small 5 gallon batch of peanut butter stout. I put together a few ingredients and was hoping to get some constructive criticism. I plan on using the water from my well as it appears to be decent enough for the task at hand. It’s currently showing a ph of 5.4. Any input regarding ph levels and if I need to add something to adjust would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know what you think.
Thanks.

Wicked Wally’s
Peanut Butter Imperial Stout

Beer Stats

Method: All Grain
Style: Imperial Stout
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 gallons (ending kettle volume)
Pre Boil Size: 6.58 gallons
Pre Boil Gravity: 1.062 (recipe based estimate)
Efficiency: 70% (ending kettle)

Original Gravity:
1.081

Final Gravity:
1.025

ABV (standard):
7.45%

IBU (tinseth):
50.4

SRM (morey):
33.7

Fermentables

12 lb United Kingdom - Maris Otter
1.00 lb American - Chocolate Malt
0.50 lb American - Caramel / Crystal 120L
0.50 lb American - Carapils (Dextrine Malt)
0.25 lb Patagonia - Black Pearl
1 lb Flaked Oats

15.25 lbs

Hops

1 oz Warrior Pellet AA16  Boil 60 min.
0.50 oz Willamette Pellet AA4 Boil 30 min
0.50 oz Willamette Pellet AA4 Boil 15 min

Other ingredients

2 oz Cocao Nibs Boil 1 hr.
2 oz Espresso beans Boil 1 hr.
1 tsp Irish Moss Fining Boil 15 min.
2 oz Cocao Nibs Secondary 14 days
2 oz Espresso beans Secondary 14 days
16 oz Peanut butter powder Secondary 14 days
1 oz Vanilla Bean Secondary 14 days
8 oz Lactose last ten minutes of the boil

Yeast

1 pkt Fermentis - Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05

Priming

dextrose      Amount: 4 oz      Temp: 68 °F

[BrewBama (Dwain)]

Have you used coffee and cocoa nibs in the boil before?  I have only used them in the fermenter.

This is the advice I follow:

@majorvices

Cacao nibs have always been pretty straight forward for me, just age the beer on them for a couple days or until you extract the flavor you want. For coffee beers the best result I ever got was using a strong cold steeped coffee post fermentation. I used a local roaster who specialized in making strong cold steeped coffee. I had planned to adjust the end results with a cold whole been steeping but found I didn’t need to.

For coffee I have always found that the darker roast more “chocolate” character coffee works best. At home right now I am drinking Ethiopian Hambela Gouji - which is delicious - but also has a very strong blackberry/currant character. A standard, fresh roasted Brazilian/French Roast blend would be my goto for beer.

[dmtaylor (Dave Taylor)]

Welcome to the forum!  Great first post.  Your recipe looks great.

One piece of advice: If you really want this to taste like peanut butter, I’ve found that there is little else in the world that tastes more peanutty than some toasted Maris Otter.  Put 2-3 pounds of your base malt into a 350 F oven for about 20 minutes prior to brew day, and you’ll have a very nutty beer indeed, even without adding any PB powder.  It will get your beer 3/4 of the way to where you want it.

[DBhomebrew]

In lieu of the chocolate barley malt, you might find more chocolate character from chocolate rye or chocolate wheat.

[Wicked_Wally]

@BrewBama

Have you used coffee and cocoa nibs in the boil before?  I have only used them in the fermenter.

This is the advice I follow:

@majorvices

Cacao nibs have always been pretty straight forward for me, just age the beer on them for a couple days or until you extract the flavor you want. For coffee beers the best result I ever got was using a strong cold steeped coffee post fermentation. I used a local roaster who specialized in making strong cold steeped coffee. I had planned to adjust the end results with a cold whole been steeping but found I didn’t need to.

For coffee I have always found that the darker roast more “chocolate” character coffee works best. At home right now I am drinking Ethiopian Hambela Gouji - which is delicious - but also has a very strong blackberry/currant character. A standard, fresh roasted Brazilian/French Roast blend would be my goto for beer.

I never tried it but was wondering if dividing it up between boil and secondary would make a difference

[Wicked_Wally]

@dmtaylor

Welcome to the forum!  Great first post.  Your recipe looks great.

One piece of advice: If you really want this to taste like peanut butter, I’ve found that there is little else in the world that tastes more peanutty than some toasted Maris Otter.  Put 2-3 pounds of your base malt into a 350 F oven for about 20 minutes prior to brew day, and you’ll have a very nutty beer indeed, even without adding any PB powder.  It will get your beer 3/4 of the way to where you want it.

Thanks, I will definitely do that! I chose Maris Otter over standard 2-row for its nutty flavor but it didn’t occur to me to roast some.

[goschman (Iliff Ave)]

I love it but I don’t consider anything a stout without roasted barley. Just a personal point of delineation.

[Wicked_Wally]

I love it but I don’t consider anything a stout without roasted barley. Just a personal point of delineation.

Aside from the nibs in the boil, this was my only real change. I substituted the Patagonia Black Pearl for the usual roasted barley because I was going for a less harsh taste. My wife always said it made the beer taste like a wet ashtray. I told her it was the black patent malt that did that, so I omitted it and the barley, doubled the 120L, and added the pearl. I don’t know what the result will be but that’s why I ask all of you for your opinions. I may just have to keep this recipe traditional and make her a barrel of NEIPA, since that’s what she really wants anyway. If you really feel I should add some roasted barley to the bill, how much should I use? And if so, do I reduce or remove something else?

[BrewBama (Dwain)]

You could try adding the roast barley after the main mash is complete for about 15-20 min.

Adding Body to your Stout | Bru'n Water

[goschman (Iliff Ave)]

@Wicked_Wally

I love it but I don’t consider anything a stout without roasted barley. Just a personal point of delineation.

Aside from the nibs in the boil, this was my only real change. I substituted the Patagonia Black Pearl for the usual roasted barley because I was going for a less harsh taste. My wife always said it made the beer taste like a wet ashtray. I told her it was the black patent malt that did that, so I omitted it and the barley, doubled the 120L, and added the pearl. I don’t know what the result will be but that’s why I ask all of you for your opinions. I may just have to keep this recipe traditional and make her a barrel of NEIPA, since that’s what she really wants anyway. If you really feel I should add some roasted barley to the bill, how much should I use? And if so, do I reduce or remove something else?

I actually like it the way it is and agree with your thinking. I’m not a fan of roasted barley in general hence I don’t brew stouts. I suppose my comment was more of style police one which wasn’t necessary…

[denny]

Please don’t put coffee or nibs in the boil.

[Cliff (Cliffs)]

no experience with vanilla or peanut butter flavorings, but Ive had good results adding coffee flavoring to beer with the concentrated coffee thats sold at trader joes added at kegging, theres also coffee malt which will give  coffee flavor as well

English Coffee Malt - Simpsons

[fredthecat]

@dmtaylor

Welcome to the forum!  Great first post.  Your recipe looks great.

One piece of advice: If you really want this to taste like peanut butter, I’ve found that there is little else in the world that tastes more peanutty than some toasted Maris Otter.  Put 2-3 pounds of your base malt into a 350 F oven for about 20 minutes prior to brew day, and you’ll have a very nutty beer indeed, even without adding any PB powder.  It will get your beer 3/4 of the way to where you want it.

that is really interesting. im neutral about peanut butter as a taste, but the idea that this could work with just malt, or even get very nutty - i want to try this

also note about cacao nibs: i neglected to roast them but added a good amount of some to vodka, let it sit for a few weeks. it ended up not being chocolatey (maybe i should have roasted), but sort of sub-chocolate nutty flavour with a good amount of tannin-harshness to it. again, maybe i should have roasted them before adding or used stronger spirit, but it wasnt my cup of tea. i added some to a brown porter made with pale chocolate malt and didn’t improve the chocolate flavour vs. not-added imho.

[Wicked_Wally]

@Wicked_Wally

Hello fellow brewers! I’ve been out of brewing for almost six years due to a move to a new house and life’s constant intrusions. I’ve decided to put aside the excuses and get back into it with a small 5 gallon batch of peanut butter stout. I put together a few ingredients and was hoping to get some constructive criticism. I plan on using the water from my well as it appears to be decent enough for the task at hand. It’s currently showing a ph of 5.4. Any input regarding ph levels and if I need to add something to adjust would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know what you think.
Thanks.

Wicked Wally’s
Peanut Butter Imperial Stout

Beer Stats

Method: All Grain
Style: Imperial Stout
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 gallons (ending kettle volume)
Pre Boil Size: 6.58 gallons
Pre Boil Gravity: 1.062 (recipe based estimate)
Efficiency: 70% (ending kettle)

Original Gravity:
1.081

Final Gravity:
1.025

ABV (standard):
7.45%

IBU (tinseth):
50.4

SRM (morey):
33.7

Fermentables

12 lb United Kingdom - Maris Otter
1.00 lb American - Chocolate Malt
0.50 lb American - Caramel / Crystal 120L
0.50 lb American - Carapils (Dextrine Malt)
0.50 lb Patagonia - Black Pearl
1 lb Flaked Oats

15.25 lbs

Hops

1 oz Warrior Pellet AA16  Boil 60 min.
0.50 oz Willamette Pellet AA4 Boil 30 min
0.50 oz Willamette Pellet AA4 Boil 15 min

Other ingredients

2 oz Cocao Nibs Boil 1 hr.
2 oz Espresso beans Boil 1 hr.
1 tsp Irish Moss Fining Boil 10 min.
2 oz Cocao Nibs Secondary 14 days
2 oz Espresso beans Secondary 14 days
16 oz Peanut butter powder Secondary 14 days
1 oz Vanilla Bean Secondary 14 days
8 oz Lactose Bottling

Yeast

1 pkt Fermentis - Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05

Priming

dextrose      Amount: 4 oz      Temp: 68 °F

@fredthecat

@dmtaylor

Welcome to the forum!  Great first post.  Your recipe looks great.

One piece of advice: If you really want this to taste like peanut butter, I’ve found that there is little else in the world that tastes more peanutty than some toasted Maris Otter.  Put 2-3 pounds of your base malt into a 350 F oven for about 20 minutes prior to brew day, and you’ll have a very nutty beer indeed, even without adding any PB powder.  It will get your beer 3/4 of the way to where you want it.

that is really interesting. im neutral about peanut butter as a taste, but the idea that this could work with just malt, or even get very nutty - i want to try this

also note about cacao nibs: i neglected to roast them but added a good amount of some to vodka, let it sit for a few weeks. it ended up not being chocolatey (maybe i should have roasted), but sort of sub-chocolate nutty flavour with a good amount of tannin-harshness to it. again, maybe i should have roasted them before adding or used stronger spirit, but it wasnt my cup of tea. i added some to a brown porter made with pale chocolate malt and didn’t improve the chocolate flavour vs. not-added imho.

I tried that too. I put about 4oz in a Mason jar with everclear for about a week, then put it in the secondary.  Didn’t really do much, but what I don’t want is an over the top, nestle quik type of finish to my beer.