"Dry hopping" different ingredients

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dubicus360

dubicus360

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I've done a little research by reading some old threads, but I was looking for some specifics. I have an imperial porter in my primary right now. I want to add something extra to my secondary. I thought of vanilla beans, cacao nibs, or coffee. I think I'm going to go for the vanilla beans. I've read you should sterilize them in some alcohol, ie vodka. I need to know how long. Does the vodka leech out any of the flavor? Should I just pour the vodka and beans into the secondary? Looking for any input from those who have tried. I'd also like to try some bourbon soaked cacao nibs for an upcoming brew.
 
I just cut mine down the middle to open it up and spray it with a sanitizing spray gun.
 
That is what I did to the beer I'm drinking right now, I put mine in after the beer hit FG and the alcohol does a pretty good job of keeping infection out.
 
If I use a sanitizer I know it's a 30 second deal. If I use the vodka would it be roughly the same amount of soak time?
 
Give it enough time to saturate middle of bean. A day or two usually works. Just use enough vodka to cover bean. Add vodka solution and bean to brew. I'd avoid using sanitizers as a means of sanitizing something that is not already clean. A sanitizer does not clean anything and you cannot sanitize a surface that has not been cleaned. This is a great misconception that needs to be squashed before more beers get infected!
 
Small amount of sanitizer, but you gotta wonder about flavors imparted from it too. Soaking/sanitizing in booze works great and you can add it to the fermentor to avoid losing any flavor imparted to the sanitizing solution that way. Bourbon with vanilla works great in an imperial porter- search: Denny Conn's Bourbon Vanilla Imperial Porter.
 
The advantage of using alcohol to sanitize is that it will aid in the extraction of the flavors. Toss the vodka and bean/nibs right into the fermentor all together!
 
"Small amount of sanitizer, but you gotta wonder about flavors imparted from it too. " But a sanitizer does nothing without a cleaner so you might as well not even use it. Clean then sanitize, don't rely on SANI to do anything other than keep a clean surface clean. A cleaner is the key to sanitizing...
 
I have added vanilla beans to beers dozens of times. I have never soaked them in alcohol or sanitized them in any way and it's never caused a problem. By the time you add them, the alcohol content and low pH of the beer protect it.
 
I wouldn't rely on the alcohol content and low ph to sanitize something potentially infectious. Taking short cuts on sanitation is a recipe for disaster. Don't Do It! Protect your brews by taking the steps to make sure they'll be tasty.
 
demianb said:
I wouldn't rely on the alcohol content and low ph to sanitize something potentially infectious. Taking short cuts on sanitation is a recipe for disaster. Don't Do It! Protect your brews by taking the steps to make sure they'll be tasty.
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All I can tell you is that I have dozens of batches of experience with the technique and it's worked every time. I've even added chanterelle mushrooms that I picked myself and not had problems. I did nothing more than brush off the dirt and chop them up. Try it before you knock it. I learned something from it and maybe others will, too.
 
demianb said:
I wouldn't rely on the alcohol content and low ph to sanitize something potentially infectious. Taking short cuts on sanitation is a recipe for disaster. Don't Do It! Protect your brews by taking the steps to make sure they'll be tasty.
Click to expand...

I think Denny has you on this one. You won't likely hurt anything with being overly cautious, but you might waste some time and cause other issues to come up.
 
I decided to soak the vanilla beans in brandy. I think it will be an interesting flavor. I'm also going to add about a cup of cold coffee at bottling time. I had a vanilla coffee porter not too long ago that was delicious. The owner of my local homebrew store recommended using the cold coffee as opposed to dry hopping the beans. Anybody dry hopped coffee beans out there?
 
Has anybody tried using a good bundle of blackcurrant leaves for dry hopping?
 
I did this before for a stout I have. I love it.

Take your cocoa nibs and add it to a tupperware container or bowl or something. Add enough of a neutral (no flavor) spirit - I used Smirnoff Triple Sec - to rise just above the top of the nibs. Then take your vanilla bean(s) and split it in half. Scrape out the insides into the mixture and stir it all around to get the nibs and vanilla in. Then cover it and put it in the fridge.

I let it sit for a while. The vodka or liquor will sanitize everything and help extract more flavors. When you are ready to rack to secondary just add the entire thing into the carboy and then add the beer.

Hope that helps!
 
I don't recall what it was I read that made me think of this, but has anyone ever thrown a good cigar in the fermenter?!?

I can imagine a good tobacco taste to a porter or IPA...
 
MarkIafrate said:
I did this before for a stout I have. I love it.

Take your cocoa nibs and add it to a tupperware container or bowl or something. Add enough of a neutral (no flavor) spirit - I used Smirnoff Triple Sec - to rise just above the top of the nibs. Then take your vanilla bean(s) and split it in half. Scrape out the insides into the mixture and stir it all around to get the nibs and vanilla in. Then cover it and put it in the fridge.

I let it sit for a while. The vodka or liquor will sanitize everything and help extract more flavors. When you are ready to rack to secondary just add the entire thing into the carboy and then add the beer.

Hope that helps!
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Are you sure you used Triple Sec? I have been considering using it to add orange flavor to a beer. Not very neutral- perhaps you used plain Smirnoff?
Your technique is what a lot of people use, works well, just not sure about what you used to sanitize and extract flavor.
 
Denny said:
Yeah. I dry bean for aroma and add brewed coffee at packaging for flavor.
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brewing a cream stout right now that i've been planning to add coffee into. never thought of aroma and flavor additions..for the aroma do you grind the beans or just put them in whole?
 
glassbottom said:
brewing a cream stout right now that i've been planning to add coffee into. never thought of aroma and flavor additions..for the aroma do you grind the beans or just put them in whole?
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I pur 4-5 oz. of coarsely cracked beans into a bag and add it to the secondary for 5-7 days. How much to use and how long to leave it in is up to your tastes.
 
pdxal said:
Are you sure you used Triple Sec? I have been considering using it to add orange flavor to a beer. Not very neutral- perhaps you used plain Smirnoff?
Your technique is what a lot of people use, works well, just not sure about what you used to sanitize and extract flavor.
Click to expand...

My mistake I meant the regular triple distilled one, whichever that is.
 

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