Help with my "eggnog porter"?

[blanchmd]

Hi all - I'm experimenting with a recipe for Christmas, I brewed a porter that has maybe a week left in the primary that I want to be hinting of the flavors of eggnog. For that reason I added some lactose in the end of the boil (borrowing from my favorite cream stout recipe) and I already have a couple vanilla beans scraped and soaking in some bourbon that I will add to the secondary. 3 questions:

(1) How long should the vanilla be in the secondary? I was planning on leaving the beer in the secondary for about a month, should I add the vanilla for the whole time or what?

(2) I have some fresh nutmeg I plan to grind, soak and add as well, how much and for how long? I am having a hard time finding experience with fresh nutmeg in beer for any guidance.

(3) Finally, because I like brandy in my eggnog, I was thinking of maybe dumping a pint or so into the secondary as well (it's a 5 gallon batch). Any thoughts on how brandy might be in the beer and the quantity? I know folks add bourbon to stouts, this is the same concept just with brandy.

Thanks!!!

 

[BargainFittings]

I would say pull off a measured sample and dose it with calculated amounts of sherry to get the right balance.

Tough work but someone has to do it.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

May be even look at your local liquor store for a bottle of "Catdaddy Spiced Moonshine".

It is a vanilla and nutmeg spiced Carolina Moonshine (straight corn whiskey with no barrel aging) and tastes like Egg Nog liqueur without the cream or egg.

 

[dmtaylor]

I would use the brandy to make a tincture with the nutmeg and vanilla. I would only use about 1 cup of brandy, not a pint. I think about one teaspoon of nutmeg seems right for 5 gallons. Add the nutmeg and vanilla to your brandy and allow to soak for at least a day, or several days if you have time. Then just add the flavored brandy to the beer. No need to "secondary" the spices then, because all the goodness is already extracted into the liquid brandy. Leave any solids behind at the bottom of the tincture.