Crushed whole walnuts with shells in mash

[phillipsrx]

Anyone who has ever picked the nuts out of black walnut shells knows how hard it is & how long it takes. So, if all you are aiming for is getting the black walnut flavor into your beer, would cleaning & drying the walnuts thoroughly then crushing them (shells & all) to coarse consistency, possibly roasting in oven a while & absorbing as much oil on brown paper bags before adding to your mash be a reasonable option? My first concern is what flavor the shells would impart - possibly some tannins or who knows what? Anyone with experience or info in this area?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Inclusion of the shell will add a crapton of tannin. Blech.

 

[giraffe]

I have no idea, but steep a few shells in 160 degree water at 5.4 ph for 90 minutes and take a taste. Frankly, Id take the time to shell em. Whats another hour? Especially when you can listen to music, or watch a movie, or what have you while doing it.

 

[phillipsrx]

Thanks! Great idea to steep & try. I was planning on making a large amount & using a large amount of nuts. So, 1 extra hour per lb x several more pounds ads up. However, sometimes it just pays to put in the extra work!

 

[Ian123]

Crush em a little more than normal and pick out the nuts.