cbmoore43

Recipes 

About 2.5 weeks ago I brewed a porter recipe and decided to add vanilla beans into secondary to make a vanilla porter. After soaking the vanilla beans in bourbon for about a week I added it to my secondary after the beer had been fermenting for about a week.

The vanilla has been sitting in with the beer in the fermenter for about 10 days so I thought I would give it a try to make sure there was enough vanilla flavor for my liking. I tried some of it and I did not taste much vanilla at all. I had added 6 whole vanilla beans (which I had read was a bit on the extreme end of the spectrum), but there is not as much vanilla taste as I would like.

I have a couple beans left and am thinking about throwing those in as well. I am just worried that more vanilla taste will come out after I have bottled it. I like the taste as is, but ideally I want more vanilla. Any ideas if I should add more vanilla? Or should I just anticipate that the vanilla will be more prevalent after bottling? Any advice would be appreciated!

BREWERBOB64

Recipes 

did you slice the beans down the center and scrape the insides of the beans? also you don't have to put the beans in alcohol,theres no danger of adding them in the secondary! with 6 beans you should be tasting it good.

cbmoore43

Recipes 

Yes, I sliced them down the center. The problem is at this point I am not tasting a lot of vanilla. Do you think I should just go with it and hope for the best? Or should I add more vanilla?

justabrewin

Recipes 

That's a lot of vanilla beans. IMHO, I would stick with what you have. If it's not enough, you'll know for next time. Better to have a good beer with a slight vanilla taste than a ruined one.

I just brewed a vanilla porter two weeks ago. Two beans in the boil for 10 minutes. Has the vanilla aroma and slight vanilla taste, but is not overwhelming at all.

I always hesitate with adding too much spices/flavorings, because I screwed up a raspberry wheat once because I was too ambitious.

Do you mind sharing your recipe?

BREWERBOB64

Recipes 

i did the beans in the boil ...no flavor what so ever.then i did the vanilla beans in primary first sip you could barley taste it,second drink the flavor was gone. then next time i put the beans with out any alcohol in the secondary and lagered 2 months and you could taste it pretty good. myself i would add the other beans your not gonna ruin a beer with vanilla beans. i anything it will taste good imo. ive been brewin for 10+ years and have won many awards at the old michigan state fair. i took second with a bourbon barrel vanilla stout. good luck with your beer let us know how it turns out!!

BREWERBOB64

Recipes 

it also depends on how long your gonna lager it,if its gonna be another 2 months you might want to just leave it,but if your not and want more vanilla flavor add them other beans.

stikks

Recipes 

I make a chocolate vanilla porter twice a year,I`ve found that vanilla flavor diminishes over time.My method is to use 2 oz pure extract at flameout.I usually
rack to secondary with 2 to 3 rum soaked beans,When it comes bottling time I
taste for amount of flavor I`m looking for,if I want more vanilla flavor I add 1
to 2 oz of pure extract to the bottling bucket.This usually isn`t the case because
the beans were about right.I would think 6 beans is plenty though.If you need
more flavor try the extract addition at bottling.This is just my method of getting
the taste I want in a porter.I`m sure your beer will be great anyhow.Hope
this helps ya out some.

Cheers

BREWERBOB64

Recipes 

ive found its better to add flavorings in the secondary,the boil boils it away,and in the primary, the yeast eat the flavor up!

stikks

Recipes 

I agree with not adding to the boil,I usually add the extract at about 190.
I`ve found the real flavor comes from the secondary beans but at times
the extract at bottling was just what i needed for flavor.The early addition
I do has worked well for me though.Point well taken on what you said
about adding to the boil.

Cheers

justabrewin

Recipes 

Putting in the boil worked great for me, but to each his own, I guess