Base recipe: 8.5lb Maris Otter (72.8%) 9.6oz Victory (5.1%) 9.6oz Flaked Oats (5.1% 6oz Pale Chocolate (3.2%) 6oz Briess Chocolate (3.2%) 5oz Crystal 60 (2.7%) 5oz Crystal 40 (2.7%) 9.6oz Brown Sugar (5.1%) 1oz Chinook / 1oz Fuggles to 30IBU Yeast: WLP001 I`ve got a good handle on the coconut addition. I plan to roast off 1lb unsweetened coconut until golden brown, then add to secondary in a paint strainer for 10-14 days, but I can`t find much information on the almonds. Could they be roasted along with the coconut to extract most of the fats and oils or would they be better used in the mash or end of the boil? I am looking for a subtle almond flavor with coconut being the dominant adjunct flavor.
A raw almond doesn't have a lot of flavor. A toasted almond has more flavor. I'd crush the almonds and toast them with the coconut.
No comment on the coconut or almond, but that seems like a lot of specialty malts for 73% Marris Otter to convert. You may want to consider replacing a lb of the MO with US 2 row or mashing for 90 minutes at a slightly higher temp.
marris otter give the nut type taste for brown or stout type ale. Personally i'd keep it. when I make a coconut stout I use a whole coconut that I processed then toasted in the oven , then toss it right into the secondary. Never used almonds.
I think I will go with toasting the almonds along with the coconut and adding to the secondary. And I usually mash for 90min anyway, so conversion should not be a huge issue.
Not a bad idea, I enjoyed Westbrook's 4th Anniversary. I did toasted/ground walnuts in the mash years ago for a brown ale; the fat killed any head retention. Seems like cold side would be a better bet for process and flavor. FWIW 5.1% is brown sugar, so MO is 76.7% of the grist. I wouldn't worry too much from an enzyme perspective.
That beer reminded me of the almond extract that I used once. Definitely try almond extract if you want the flavor they achieved. I am an advocate of many extracts, but that extract and the Westbrook beer tasted medicinal to me.
Sounds good but I don't like the chinook. It's an assertive hop that I don't think pairs well with the specialty ingredients. I'd go all fuggles or similar. I us could be too high, too
The idea for the recipe is based loosely on Burial`s Bolo Coconut Brown Ale. The IBU, yeast, brown sugar, and victory were suggestions they made. I may consider switching out the hop, was just throwing in what I had in the freezer. Any suggestions other than fuggles?
If you're adding all the hops at 60 minutes, I don't think it really matters. Very little of the varietal character will come through with so much else going on. That said, because of their high cohumulone content, Chinook can produce more IBUs than you might expect given the standard formula.
