Peanuts in a randall vs head retention?

[MtnHiBrewin]

I was wondering if anyone knows if the oil in peanuts would cause a loss of head retention.
I made a chocolate peanut butter imperial stout with PB2, and it's very good, but I want more peanut flavor. I was thinking of running it through a randall from keg to keg with crushed unsalted peanuts in the randall.
Do you think it would work, or will it kill the head retention?
Thanks.

 

[thomasjr16]

The PB2 works well since it has been crushed and pressed to remove most of the oil, but crushing regular peanuts and running the beer over will probably extract many of the oils that have not been pressed out like PB2.

Since peanut oil has a density slightly less than water and beer, it will float on the top of the beer and most likely inhibit head production/retention.

I made a choc PB ale with PB2 and cocoa powder, both added at the end of the boil. I'm OK with the results, but not completed satisfied. When did you add the choc PB2 in your recipe and how much did you add?

 

[MtnHiBrewin]

This time I put the PB2 (1 pound) in the primary and dumped the wort onto it. Then I used a drill with a wine degasser to stir it in. For the chocolate I used 4 ounces of cacao nibs in the mash.

Last year I tried the pound of PB2 in the boil. The results weren't as good that way, I think because much of the PB2 didn't make it to the primary. I used cocoa powder in the boil last year also.

I wasn't satisfied with the chocolate or the peanut butter flavor last year or this year. I added 1/4 tsp of peanut butter extract this year when I kegged it and soaked some more cacao nibs in the keg as well. I don't like the artificial extracts, but it did help the flavor some. I don't want to use any more for fear of the "artificial" taste that often comes with flavoring extracts. The cacao nibs in the keg helped the chocolate as well.

The chocolate and peanut butter come though well when the beer is getting warm, but most people like their beer cooler, and the flavors are hard to pick up then.

I was hoping to find a way to increase the peanut flavor without any artificial taste. That's why I was thinking of trying peanuts in the randall.

I may just bottle half of it from the keg and try the peanuts in the randall with the other half just to see what happens. I'm trying to make an awesome specialty for a competition.

 

[MtnHiBrewin]

The randall worked great for adding more peanut and chocolate flavor!

I have a randall made from a water filter housing. I filled it 3/4 full of peanuts and 1/4 full of cacao nibs. I ran the stout through the randall into another keg. It knocked most of the CO2 out of solution and made the beer flat with no head. I let it carbonate for another week, and it turned out way better. THE PEANUTS AND CACAO NIBS DID NOT HURT THE HEAD FORMATION OR RETENTION.

Next time I do this I will do it before carbonating the beer.

 

[thomasjr16]

Awesome!! Glad to see the oils were not leeched and everything worked out.

I bottled my choc PB ale, but will be kegging the next while trying out your method

 

[MtnHiBrewin]

I've tried bottle conditioning stouts made with PB2 in the past, and have always had trouble with them eventually turning into gushers.
That's why I went to kegging and bottling from the keg for competitions and to give to friends.
There's a local competition on Feb 21 for Stouts and Porters. I'm hoping to take the Specialty category with this beer.

 

[MtnHiBrewin]

The competition went well. My Chocolate Peanut Butter Imperial Stout had an average score of 42. It took second place in the Specialty category. My wife and I entered a Breakfast Stout that took 1st and BOS with an average score of 42.66666.
This was a BJCP competition with 3 judges per table.
My Oatmeal Stout also took the Best Stout award with an average score of 37.66666.
I'm happy with the results!

 

[WayFrae]

The competition went well. My Chocolate Peanut Butter Imperial Stout had an average score of 42. It took second place in the Specialty category. My wife and I entered a Breakfast Stout that took 1st and BOS with an average score of 42.66666.
This was a BJCP competition with 3 judges per table.
My Oatmeal Stout also took the Best Stout award with an average score of 37.66666.
I'm happy with the results!

Awesome! Congrats! What is your recipe for the peanut butter stout? I have been looking to brew one lately.

 

[MtnHiBrewin]

This beer was brewed as a partial mash. Ingredients:

6 lbs Maris Otter LME
3 lbs Dark DME
1 lb Amber DME
1 lb Maltodextrin All above in boil.

Mashed:
1 lb Roasted Barley 500L
1 lb Carapils
1 lb Carawheat
1 lb C120
1 lb C60
1 lb Chocolate Malt
1 lb Coffee Malt
1 lb Six Row
4.24 oz Cacao Nibs (milled & mashed with grain)

2 oz Magnum pellets 12.3% AA 50 min boil

1 tsp Gypsum
1 tsp Calcium Chloride (before mash)

1 tsp Irish Moss 17 min boil
6 tsp yeast nutrient 17 min boil

2 tbsp Vanilla Extract 4 min boil (helps with chocolate flavor)

yeast cake from 1600 ml starter of Pacman (must be alcohol tolerant yeast)

Be sure to aerate well. I use a wine de-gasser on a drill on high speed to aerate and mix everything well before taking an OG reading.

This is for a 6 gallon batch and boil. I use distilled water to top off with. The calculator I use said: OG 1.094, FG 1.024, IBU 50, SRM 50, ABV 9%
My actual readings were: OG 1.140, FG 1.041, ABV 12.99375% (13%)

If I were to brew this all grain I would probably use all Maris Otter or sub 2 Row for the Dark and Amber DME. Maybe add a bit more Caramel malt as well.

I didn't weigh the peanuts or cacao nibs I used in the randall. I just filled it up about 3/4 with peanuts (uncrushed at the bottom, crushed at the top) and 1/4 with cacao nibs. It will knock the CO2 out of suspension if the beer is carbonated, so it would be best to do it before carbonating.

Try it or something similar. I think you'll like it. Everyone who's tried mine wants more.

 

[WayFrae]

Wow that is a mean peanut butter stout! I might do something similar in a month or so. Thanks for posting!

 

[Singletrack]

Oh, I think I'm going to puke. No offense, but ever since 3rd grade when my mom let me make peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies and then eat a dozen of them while watching the Wizard of Oz and coming down with the flu...

Arghwoth... ughernkw... pfthrjh...

Well that recipe just won't work for me... Arghwoth...

Enjoy!

 

[MtnHiBrewin]

Oh, I think I'm going to puke. No offense, but ever since 3rd grade when my mom let me make peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies and then eat a dozen of them while watching the Wizard of Oz and coming down with the flu...

Arghwoth... ughernkw... pfthrjh...

Well that recipe just won't work for me... Arghwoth...

Enjoy!

LOL. Everyone has different likes and dislikes. Sorry to hear a childhood experience has made you not like chocolate and peanut butter. The flavors fit well in an Imperial Stout. I got the idea for this from DuClaw's Sweet Baby Jesus porter. A friend really liked it and had me try one. It's good, but this is better.

Brew and drink what you like!