Vanilla Bean vs Extract - Denny Conn Recipe

I’ve ordered up all the ingredients to make Denny Conn’s Bourbon Vanilla Porter.

I’ve seen various descriptions on cutting, scraping and chopping the beans but I’m left a little unclear about what part of the bean to use. Do you scrape out the insides and only use the bean? Or Do you scrape out the insides (only use the insides) and throw away the bean. Or do you scrape it out, chop it up and use the whole damn thing (insides and all)?

Alternatively I’ve looked at the extracts but have not seen a posting for how much to use if going the extract route. Any suggestions on this would be appreciated. I want there to be just the hint of vanilla not an overpowering flavor.

I'd also be curious to hear from anyone who has tried the recipe both ways. Can you tell any difference between the extract or whole bean?

Wasn't with this beer but I've used beans in the past. I sprayed the bean(s) down with star-san and cut it open longways with a sharp knife. Pried it open and dropped into the bottom of my secondary before I raked the beer on top of it.

I just finished conditioning a vanilla oat nut brown ale and it is perfect. Everyone that has tried it so far have really enjoyed it. Here's what I did:

As I racked to the secondary fermenter, I purchased two whole beans at my local "Whole Foods" grocery store.

Most of the recipes I read said to use one bean and only carve out the goodness in the middle of it. However, a friend of mine recently tried to add an adjunct to flavor his beer and you could hardly taste a hint of it. It was not vanilla but something else but it was enough for me to decide to go for it and stick two whole beans in knowing that if it is overpowering that over time, it will calm down. I would rather over-do it and let it condition itself out than under-do it and not really get the effect I was out to get.

Having said that, on racking day in the secondary fermenter, I took two vanilla beans out and cut them lengthwise down the middle. I then plowed a knife into the gooey goodness and dropped it into the secondary. Do this with all four peices. Finally, I chopped the four peices into 1/8-1/16 inch lengths and chucked them in for good measure.

I let it set in the secondary for roughly 9 days - kegged and waited an addtional 7 days and a fabulous vanilla aroma now engulfs my nose with each creamy smooth glug of nut brown.

I think it makes for a good dessert beer but not one that I would want to have a session with.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the outcome! Good luck on yours!

I've wanted to do a vanilla porter for a long time...after scouring threads here, this is what i ended up doing -- and i just racked to secondary about half an hour ago.

3 weeks ago, i bought two Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla beans. I sliced them, cut them and scraped the insides and put everything into a small glass. I bought some vodka and poured in just enough to cover the beans. Cover that, and let it sit...when it's time to rack to secondary, dump the entire concoction and rack onto that.

I'll let you know how it turns out! The vodka/bean mix smelled fantastic. I'm psyched!

Use the whole bean. Split it open, scrape out the goo and put the goo and the beans in the fermenter. You scrape them to expose more of the tasty, tasty goo where all the flavor is.

I also spray my beans down with starsan before splitting and scraping (for the tasty goo). No need to mess with vodka then.

ive brewed the recipe twice, using 2 vanilla beans each time, and although it came out as the best porter ive tasted, i couldent detect any vanilla flavor. my beans must of been poor quality

Thank you all for the comments. I see the light.

I honestly can't say that beans are better than extract, but there's just something about spitting that bean, scraping it and letting it soak in your beer as opposed to just putting a spoonful of extract in it. Kind of like the difference between mashing grains and just pouring a can of hopped extract in water. It just feels feeds the feeling of creating something.

I have just tasted the best beer ever. Made this recipe on May 1 and just got it kegged and carbed and it's the best beer I ever made. Others have very good but this one is great. BTW used pure vanilla extract could not easily locate the beans when I needed them, it is still outstanding.