Adding Vanilla and Cinnamon

[fayderek14]

My friends and I have been brewing beer for the last year or so. We've now decided to try our hand at making hard cider. We live in New England so we have many options when it comes to getting cider to use. We want to make a cider that has a vanilla and Cinnamon taste. We dont like using extract for flavoring so I'd prefer yo use real vanilla beans. Ive read a few techniques about cider already incpuring info on irish moss, brown sugar and pectic enzyme. How would you recommend using these two flavors. We plan on doing a 5 gallon yeild. Thanks.

 

[jrgtr42]

I know this is a bit late, but I just finished racking over some cider I've had going for a while now.
I think I started it beginning of October, let it go for a couple months, then added pectic enzyme to primary for a month.
I split the batch of 6 gallons down the middle. Half got oak chips that have been soaking in bourbon for a couple months, I have the rest of the bourbon sitting in case I need it for when I bottle,
THe other half got cinnamon sticks (3, 2-inch chunks, and a vanilla bean, which I cut in half, them split down the middle. Everything went in, and I'll check in a couple weeks to see how things are going.
What did you do to yours, and how did it come out, if you know yet?

 

[buzzno]

I have a cinnamon clove cider fermenting right now and this is the way I did it. I broke up 3 cinnamon sticks into small chunks and then brought 2 quarts of apple juice to a boil. Cut the heat, add the cinnamon chunks and 5 cloves, let steep for a half hour, strain then add to the bulk of the batch. Added my yeast and it's been fermenting for 5 days now. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I used vanilla beans in a stout before. I sliced the beans open length wise to open them up then soaked them in a small amount of whiskey for a weak. I added that to my bottling bucket and it really did the trick!

I hope that helps but it looks like you asked quite some time ago ~