BrentR
Member
Hello,
Over the past several years I have been asked many questions about brewing with vanilla. I will try to address them here in a single page. Please do not hesitate to ask for more information.
1. When to add vanilla?
I recommend adding vanilla after the primary fermentation has already taken place. The alcohol is important for the process of pulling vanilla flavor from the vanilla beans. (this is why all extracts are made with alcohol). Adding vanilla any earlier may damage the compounds responsible for providing vanilla flavor, thus it should be added as late in the brewing stage as possible, but with at least 1-2 weeks time to extract.
2. Should I use whole vanilla beans or vanilla extract?
I typically recommend using whole vanilla beans. This will provide the most natural, full and complex vanilla flavor possible. This also allows you to better control the flavor (both quality and actual flavor) of vanilla you are adding. The flavor of generic store brand vanilla extract is nowhere near as complex or pleasant as higher-end vanilla extracts. The best way thing to do is to use whole vanilla beans. Additionally, when adding extract to your brew, you are also adding 35% alcohol and any other ingredients that might be found in the extract... who wants that!
3. Where to buy vanilla beans?
Vanilla beans can be found in most grocery stores, specialty food stores and online. Prices will range from $20 per bean to $0.50 per bean. I recommend looking for a store with high inventory turnover so that you are sure the beans are as fresh as possible. Grocery stores will be most expensive. Online stores will be the best value.
4. What type of vanilla bean to use? Is bourbon the best?
There are many types of vanilla beans, each has a different flavor. The best type to use depends on the flavor you are looking for. Below is a very quick summary:
Madagascar: rich and creamy
Mexican: bold and smokey, earthy
India: bold and chocolatey
Tonga: fig, raison, cherry
Tahiti: cherry-chocolate, floral aroma
Uganda: very bold, caramelized sugar, brown sugar
Bourbon: this is a tricky one because it really depends on the origin. Bourbon is a general name for the species vanilla planifolia, which includes all of the varieties listed above, except vanilla from Tahiti (vanilla tahitensis).
The most common is the Madagascar vanilla beans.
5. How to use vanilla beans?
Simply cut the bean in half lengthwise and toss into the carboy. Most of the flavor of vanilla is found in the paste on the inside of the vanilla bean, so it is important to expose the center of the bean directly to the beer so that the flavors can extract more quickly than being forced to diffuse through the skin of the bean.
Wow, I hope this helps. Please do not hesitate to contact me with more questions so that I can continue to update this post. My hope is to make this a location to house everything we need to know about vanilla in 1 convenient location.
Thanks again,
Brent
Over the past several years I have been asked many questions about brewing with vanilla. I will try to address them here in a single page. Please do not hesitate to ask for more information.
1. When to add vanilla?
I recommend adding vanilla after the primary fermentation has already taken place. The alcohol is important for the process of pulling vanilla flavor from the vanilla beans. (this is why all extracts are made with alcohol). Adding vanilla any earlier may damage the compounds responsible for providing vanilla flavor, thus it should be added as late in the brewing stage as possible, but with at least 1-2 weeks time to extract.
2. Should I use whole vanilla beans or vanilla extract?
I typically recommend using whole vanilla beans. This will provide the most natural, full and complex vanilla flavor possible. This also allows you to better control the flavor (both quality and actual flavor) of vanilla you are adding. The flavor of generic store brand vanilla extract is nowhere near as complex or pleasant as higher-end vanilla extracts. The best way thing to do is to use whole vanilla beans. Additionally, when adding extract to your brew, you are also adding 35% alcohol and any other ingredients that might be found in the extract... who wants that!
3. Where to buy vanilla beans?
Vanilla beans can be found in most grocery stores, specialty food stores and online. Prices will range from $20 per bean to $0.50 per bean. I recommend looking for a store with high inventory turnover so that you are sure the beans are as fresh as possible. Grocery stores will be most expensive. Online stores will be the best value.
4. What type of vanilla bean to use? Is bourbon the best?
There are many types of vanilla beans, each has a different flavor. The best type to use depends on the flavor you are looking for. Below is a very quick summary:
Madagascar: rich and creamy
Mexican: bold and smokey, earthy
India: bold and chocolatey
Tonga: fig, raison, cherry
Tahiti: cherry-chocolate, floral aroma
Uganda: very bold, caramelized sugar, brown sugar
Bourbon: this is a tricky one because it really depends on the origin. Bourbon is a general name for the species vanilla planifolia, which includes all of the varieties listed above, except vanilla from Tahiti (vanilla tahitensis).
The most common is the Madagascar vanilla beans.
5. How to use vanilla beans?
Simply cut the bean in half lengthwise and toss into the carboy. Most of the flavor of vanilla is found in the paste on the inside of the vanilla bean, so it is important to expose the center of the bean directly to the beer so that the flavors can extract more quickly than being forced to diffuse through the skin of the bean.
Wow, I hope this helps. Please do not hesitate to contact me with more questions so that I can continue to update this post. My hope is to make this a location to house everything we need to know about vanilla in 1 convenient location.
Thanks again,
Brent