Experimenting with vanilla

[businesstime]

I'm getting ready to bottle an Imperial Stout tonight and I wanted to experiment with vanilla extract in a few of the bottles. Does anyone have suggestions on how accomplish this?

Should I drop extract into individual bottles or perhaps drop some extract into the beer after I've bottled the ones that I don't want vanilla in? How would I know how much to use at that point?

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

I'm getting ready to bottle an Imperial Stout tonight and I wanted to experiment with vanilla extract in a few of the bottles. Does anyone have suggestions on how accomplish this?

Should I drop extract into individual bottles or perhaps drop some extract into the beer after I've bottled the ones that I don't want vanilla in? How would I know how much to use at that point?

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

I don't know this to be a fact but I would think even a DROP of vanilla extract in a bottle of beer would be overwhelming.

 

[businesstime]

I don't know this to be a fact but I would think even a DROP of vanilla extract in a bottle of beer would be overwhelming.

I've found the same.. many suggest 2 oz per 5 gallons. I suppose I'll rack half, then add some vanilla and rack the rest.

I see that 1 fluid oz = 6 teaspoons, but I'm sure that's for water. Vanilla has got to be more dense.

 

[jim4065]

Fluid ounces and teaspoons refer to volume - density is not a factor. 1 fluid ounce will always equal 6 teaspoons for US volumetric measurement, just like 4 quarts equals 1 gallon.

 

[weirdboy]

I recently made a beer that had vanilla (real beans) in it in secondary, as well as some other stuff. At bottling time, it had a very strong vanilla flavor that was pretty much equally balanced with the other flavor additions. By the time the bottles were carbonated, the vanilla flavor had faded dramatically and was difficult to pick out amidst the other flavors.

 

[businesstime]

Fluid ounces and teaspoons refer to volume - density is not a factor. 1 fluid ounce will always equal 6 teaspoons for US volumetric measurement, just like 4 quarts equals 1 gallon.

LOL, that had occurred to me after I posted, thanks. I ended up bottling 2/3 without vanilla, then added 2 teaspoons (1/3 oz) to the remaining 1/3 of the batch. I could definitely smell the vanilla as I bottled. Hope it mellows after carbonation..

 

[twst1up]

For others dabbling with vanilla extract remember to make sure you're not using the fake stuff.
Real beans are definitely the way to go...and it really makes a difference where they come from; Tahitian & Madagascar beans are different but both nice.
Hope your beer turns out tasty...i once had a golden vanilla ale someplace in san francisco (thirsty bear) that was just amazing.

 

[businesstime]

Wow, I think the vanilla proportions were pretty accurate. If anything, I think I could go back in time and put just one more teaspoon in that batch! It's just enough to notice a difference.

This Imperial State (northern brewer, btw) just now seems to be at a good carbonation level, too. It's taken about 4 weeks to reach it.