Vanilla beans question

Hey everyone. I am about to try an all grain recipe that calls for 2 oz. vanilla extract and I would like to use the vanilla beans to make the extract. Having never done this before I already know how to cut them and put them in vodka and all that. My questions is the recipe calls for 2oz extract. I would assume I would soak the beans in 2 ox or a little more of vodka. How many beans would I put in there?

Iceman6409 said:

Hey everyone. I am about to try an all grain recipe that calls for 2 oz. vanilla extract and I would like to use the vanilla beans to make the extract. Having never done this before I already know how to cut them and put them in vodka and all that. My questions is the recipe calls for 2oz extract. I would assume I would soak the beans in 2 ox or a little more of vodka. How many beans would I put in there?

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Don't quote me on this, but I've been told 2-3 is decent vanilla flavor, and 4-6 is "over powering" and as the oz of vodka, I'm not sure if the amount matters or if its just make sure the beans are all covered? Good luck! I used vanilla beans in one of my last brews and when they weren't gushers it was superb. 2 vanilla beans and 1 or 2 shots of Jim bean.
Also someone told me that longer time beans are in secondary=higher chances for off flavors?

1 bean for 2 ounces extract.

This will give you the FDA minimum for single-fold extract, which is what you buy at the store. You can buy double fold, etc, with more vanilla per ounce. In fact, I'd double that since your extraction won't be as good as the companies that do this for money.

Math available upon request.

I've used one bean in a 5 gallon batch and been happy with the results. I scrape and cut the bean and let soak in an ounce or two of Scotch. Adds a nice flavour to the beer and detectable mostly at the end of the sip.

What do you guys think about using amaretto instead of scotch for soaking a vanilla bean? I'd like to do this for my pumpkin ale I brewed last Friday. I'm too cheap to go out and buy some scotch, but I have a whole bottle of amaretto lying around from a housewarming party me and swmbo had a few months ago.

This may be a bit off topic, but I hate you all for this fabulous idea. I really want to try it now (except use rum). Any good vanilla recipes?

Hey guys heres just random throw outs from a chef....longer time you soak vanila beans they will become bitter. The most flavor extraction of vanila should not be more than 72 hours. I hope my little tid bit of information helps future brewers...also remember if your using ingriedents like pecans they also have a point where extraction will turn better.

Cheers

dirtypirate23 said:

Hey guys heres just random throw outs from a chef....longer time you soak vanila beans they will become bitter. The most flavor extraction of vanila should not be more than 72 hours. I hope my little tid bit of information helps future brewers...also remember if your using ingriedents like pecans they also have a point where extraction will turn better.

Cheers

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That''s good to hear since I soaked mine for exactly that long. But, then I dumped the whole shebang into my fermentor. So, it's actually still sitting in alcohol, right?

Can you point to a reference that says that somewhere? Is this something that you've experienced yourself?

I always thought tasty mcdoles method was very good. Make your extract, pull a known volume of beer before packaging and add drops to the glass until it tastes right to you. Scale up the drops total to your final volume and add to bottling bucket/keg.

I've actually read it in a book called The Science of the Kitchen. That is a general rule for most vinalla beans...(i've also learned by trial and error steping different ingredients in liquor) If you have the real good vanilla beans ( i e madagascar) they are very potent and you shouldn't have too much trouble with them. As far as throwing in the whole shebang, it would be interesting to see if it turns bitter...in theory if you removed the beans themselves you should be golden.

Cheers

depending on the brew bitter isnt necessarily a bad thing either (its why we add hops)

dirtypirate23 said:

Hey guys heres just random throw outs from a chef....longer time you soak vanila beans they will become bitter. The most flavor extraction of vanila should not be more than 72 hours. I hope my little tid bit of information helps future brewers...also remember if your using ingriedents like pecans they also have a point where extraction will turn better.

Cheers

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I love chefs and I love cooking. I absolutely appreciate the crossover of skills and knowledge between brewing and cooking. I have applied knowledge of one to the other frequently.

In this case I'm wondering if the use of vanilla beans and their extraction might be something that is more applicable to pastries and desserts where you absolutely wouldn't want bitterness. We already have a ton of bitterness in our beers that may be masking any bitterness that is accidentally extracted from the vanilla bean.

I have friends who brewed a Vanilla Pecan Barley Wine this past year and the beer sat in secondary on the vanilla bean for the full year. No bitterness. At all.

I'm just wondering if there is a difference in the texts or teaching for chefs regarding vanilla bean versus what might work or is in practice for brewers.

Pcollins:

You have an excellent point. The post i made was reffering to theory and what I have expierenced in a restaurant and bar atmosphere when steeping our own liquors. The best part about cooking (and brewing) is there is not one single way to do somethng, neither is a way right or wrong. There our also major variables that come into play when chosing certain ingredients such as quality of beans, the ammount of liquor or substance you are going to soak them in to extract the most flavor, using of extracts, quality of the extracts. I live in Tx and i brewed a beer expirementing with mexican vanila. I already new that there vanila beans soaked appropriatly so i added to secondary fermantation and it worked out great. Basicly the sad truth about vanila in beer is trial and error and taking notes. Remeber your grains (if you brew all grain) and your hops are also a deciding factor. I'm glad your buddys beer turned out well for him

Cheers