Vanilla Beans

placervilledan · 02-06-2008, 05:13 PM

I put a vanilla bean in a gallon of cider that had been in secondary for about a 1 1/2 mos. I started fermenting again. I think. Strange bubbles have appeared on the top, and the airlock has a small amount of activity. This is the first time I have used vanilla and don't know what to expect. Does the vanilla bean have enough sugar to start it all over again?

beala · 02-06-2008, 05:32 PM

According to a website I found (http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=175) there's no calories or sugar in a vanilla bean, so I'm guessing it wasn't additional sugar in the bean that restarted it. My guess would be maybe the fermentation was stuck, and adding the beans stirred things up enough to restart it. Another possibility is some of the CO2 stored in the liquid was released when you poured the beans in. Not to scare you, but my third guess would be an infection. How did you clean the beans before adding? Anyway, the best clue to solve this mystery would probably be a gravity reading.

placervilledan · 02-06-2008, 06:06 PM

Well,
I didn't clean the beans. The supposedly came in a sterile foil package. I was told to drop one right in. If it is infected, it is only a gallon, and not the greatest tasting stuff at that (pretty bland juice with a dry ale yeast). Hence the vanilla to try and help it out.