So I've got a sweet stout in the fermenter for about 10 days now, and I'm thinking it's time to start working on the vanilla. I've decided on splitting the bean(s) lengthwise, chopping them into half inch pieces, and soaking it in Ketel One vodka for about a week. After that, I might just add the vodka and top the container off with more vodka, to see how much more flavor I can get out of the bean(s). They're not cheap! And everything is more expensive here in Canada
My question is mainly about how much/many beans to use. It's pretty high gravity for a sweet stout, and the focus is going to largely be on the two or three additions of chocolate I'm adding, so I don't want it to be overwhelming.
I've read a lot of threads on the issue, and there ARE a lot of answers, but invariably they are given as the number of beans, which isn't very helpful. A more useful answer would probably be by weight, or even inches of bean. Many people seem to have beans just a few inches long... the 3 I got for $8.99 from my LHBS are all between 9 and 10 inches. So... can anybody help me out and give me a rough idea in some sort of unit that is actually meaningful?
My question is mainly about how much/many beans to use. It's pretty high gravity for a sweet stout, and the focus is going to largely be on the two or three additions of chocolate I'm adding, so I don't want it to be overwhelming.
I've read a lot of threads on the issue, and there ARE a lot of answers, but invariably they are given as the number of beans, which isn't very helpful. A more useful answer would probably be by weight, or even inches of bean. Many people seem to have beans just a few inches long... the 3 I got for $8.99 from my LHBS are all between 9 and 10 inches. So... can anybody help me out and give me a rough idea in some sort of unit that is actually meaningful?