adding Vanilla Bean

[BLusky]

Hello. New to the site. I figured I would start in the beginner forum because I consider myself a beginner with only a year in and 4 batches of AG under my belt.
Question: When do you guys like to add your Vanilla bean to your wort or beer and how long ?
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I brewed a Vanilla Porter and from some of the recipes I've researched they have added extract or beans to the secondary for up to 10 days.
Thoughts?

 

[Calder]

Vanilla extract is made with alcohol for a reason. It is efficient at extracting the vanilla flavor.

I cut/scrape the bean and place in a small glass jar and add vodka to cover. Rum would do just as well and may be good in a Porter. I leave it for months, until I need to use it. I always have some available.

Soak in some liquor. It will extract the flavor more efficiently than the beer. Then add the vodka and bean after fermentation has subsided (or secondary if you plan to use a secondary), or just add liquor to the bottling bucket (that's what I do).

 

[BLusky]

Thanks. I don't plan on using a secondary. Well.....I probably only have 5 -7 days left of fermentation. I am comfortable leaving my beer sit longer but you think pitching 5 slit open beans for 10 days would not leave behind much flavor?

 

[Calder]

5 beans is quite a few. Add then to some liquor now, and add the liquor to the bottling bucket. Then add more liquor to the beans, and leave them until you need them .... could be months. I don't think you will get everything out of the beans in a week or two.

 

[JLeuck64]

I've made a couple of vanilla oatmeal stouts in the last few months and I did this: Soaked 2 cut up vanilla beans in a few ounces of vodka while the primary fermentation was going. Transferred to the secondary on top of the vanilla extract/beans (pitch it all in there). After a week or so in the secondary I bottled.

The Vanilla presence is VERY noticeable with just the extract from 2 beans! It is more than enough when the beer is green but does mellow after a few months.
HTH ( ;

 

[SippinSudz]

This is my first stout(coopers stout) with a brew enhancer 2 and 500g light DME. The krausen ring is present and all the foam has almost fallen back into the brew.

I bought some pure vanilla extract(in alcohol) but only came in 1.55oz or 46ml.

Does anyone think this will be enough for my 5gal brew, or should I maybe go for a couple vanilla beans plus the 1.5oz extract.

I want a very aromatic, and flavourful vanilla stout.

I bought a vanilla stout last night from beer store, was so disappointed. Vanilla aroma, but zero vanilla taste.

What's the best time to add all this vanilla. I bottle straight from my fermentor into primed bottles. I was thinking 7 days remaining in fermentation to add all the vanilla...

Any thoughts?

 

[Kidagora]

My experience for what it's worth: I recently used Mexican vanilla beans in a 5 gallon porter with mixed results.

Initially added 2 vanilla beans that were split and scraped and tossed into secondary (3 weeks primary/fermentation). Pretreated and dried them with a dip in Starsan prior to splitting/scraping. Tasted after 3-4 days and although the vanilla was present I wanted more. I added another vanilla bean and the flavor was too much after 9 days.

Having used vodka, rum, and other liquors for tinctures for habanero, vanilla beans, and pumpkin, I am steadfast against using them. I get more heat from the alcohol and feel it detracts from the final product. Even store bought extracts have an alcoholic quality to them that I'm sensitive too.

So for what it's worth my preference is to add 1.5 to 2.5 vanilla beans to your secondary and be patient (tasting every week). Start with 1 or 1.5 and then add accordingly to your taste. The flavor seems to increase exponentially with time and then fade with age (bell curve).

 

[SippinSudz]

Just simply can't have it all can we!
A strong, deep vanilla flavor that I can "cap off" and keep the flavor locked in while this stout conditions for 2 weeks to 4 months.. Heh heh.
Oh well.

I'm in the same boat as everyone else I guess. Try some vanilla, slowly add to taste over time and record my results.

Thx for quick input

 

[sww35]

I soaked a single cut vanilla bean and seeds in a jar with 80 proof vodka for days. What i decided was, I didn't have enough vanilla but, I don't want anymore vodka. I went to my wife's vanilla extract, read the ingredients and found they used 40 proof alcohol, water and vanilla beans and realized it sounded as good as what I made with 1 bean but less alcohol. I added a teaspoon and moved it all to the secondary.

 

[unionrdr]

I use 2 South African vanilla beans split, scraped & chopped into 1" pieces. Put'em in the small jar they come in with grocery store vodka (40-42 proof) to soak during primary. Then I strained them into the priming solution for my robust porter & add to beer in bottling bucket. Plenty of vanilla flavor against roasty grains in the recipe. It does fade with time, like dry hops. I have found that a coffee filter in a funnel would be better than straining to get the tiny beans out when adding to the priming solution. The beans are about the size & color of celery seed. They seemed to go right through the strainer.

 

[SippinSudz]

I picked up a pack of (2) vanilla beans. Need to get some vodka eventually and sanitize them for a week. I have 2 weeks left of primary fermenting, would like to add the vanilla in about a week

 

[SippinSudz]

Well... I added my 2 beans soaked in small amount of vodka(over a week) to my fermenter of Coopers Stout and they've been in there a week now.

I notice ZERO aroma, and poured a taste with zero vanilla hint at all.

I still have 1.3oz of store bought pure vanilla extract. Thinking it may need this before bottling

 

[unionrdr]

In my experiences with vanilla beans, I had to soak them for the entire time the robust porter was in primary to get good flavor & aroma. The paste inside the beans seems to take awhile to dissolve into the vodka.

 

[Brauer]

Well... I added my 2 beans soaked in small amount of vodka(over a week) to my fermenter of Coopers Stout and they've been in there a week now.

I notice ZERO aroma, and poured a taste with zero vanilla hint at all.

I still have 1.3oz of store bought pure vanilla extract. Thinking it may need this before bottling

Did you slice them open and scrape them? If not you'll probably want to. Slice them length wise open them up scrap out the black stuff inside and add it all to the vodka.

 

[SippinSudz]

They were sliced and scraped, all added back into their glass tube and filled with vodka yup.

 

[russell58]

I am working on a Coconut Vanilla Porter used one bean split scrape and cut into pieces covered with Vodka. Didn't get the strong Vanilla until about the second week. Shaking once in awhile and keeping in a dark cabinet.http://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/smilies/occasion14.gif

 

[curious_monkey]

I've decided since this my first batch, I'm going to leave it alone. I'll post it when it's all done. Thanks for all the help!

 

[SippinSudz]

After letting my two beans split, scraped and soaked in vodka extract sit in the primary for 2 weeks, I had a taste. Could not taste or smell vanilla. I added another 1.5oz pure vanilla extract into the primary. That was 5 more days before bottling. I bottled last night and could taste a light hint of vanilla. The aroma is dark coffee, not vanilla which is ok. The taste was confirmed by the Mrs.

I've bottled and set a case aside for 3 months, as well as have many bottles I'll be trying along the way after about 3-4 weeks.

I'm happy the beer does not have an extract taste, but will be trying this batch again with 3-4 beans, and possibly adding more extract at bottling time.

Cheers

 

[unionrdr]

I strained the fresh vanilla into the priming solution on bottling day. But the beans are so small, they're like celery seeds & go right through the fine mesh strainer. I'm going to try pouring it through my radiator funnel with a coffee filter next time to get the small, seed-size beans out.

 

[eadavis80]

I did Adventures in Home Brewing vanilla porter and cut and sliced the 2 beans they included. I soaked them in regular vodka (for fear that vanilla vodka would be vodka overload) and I ended with a really pleasant aroma/flavor. I bet it will come around.

 

[unionrdr]

It all seems to be in how well you scrape & chop them. Besides how long you soak them. I soak mine during the entire primary fermentation.

 

[SippinSudz]

13 days in the bottle, I chilled one for a day and enjoyed a pint last night. Very smooth, excellent carbonation level, aroma is coffee and ZERO vanilla. Flavor is dark roast coffee, and Zero vanilla.

I have logged all my steps in my journal and will be trying more beans in the primary for entire fermentation and not just a week. I'm not expecting vanilla ice cream flavor here.. But some sort of vanilla notes would have been nice.

 

[unionrdr]

That's why I put the vodka tincture I made in the priming solution. More flavor that way.