Do I need to secondary with Vanilla beans?

[jerkbag]

I'm trying a Vanilla Porter that calls for 5 vanilla beans soaked in Bourbon to be added to the secondary for a week. I'm lazy and don't normally do secondarys. Will 5 beans be too much if I just toss the beans / burbon into the keg and keg it? Is the idea that it only sits on the beans for a week?

 

[unionrdr]

I use to beans scraped & chopped in vodka in a sealed container during primary. Then strain it into the priming solution, since I bottle. You could strain it into secondary, off the yeast & mix gently before kegging it though. Or better yet, pour it through a funnel & coffee filter to get the celery seed-size beans out right into the keg. Then rack beer to the keg.

 

[Calder]

You can add them to the keg if you want. There is no maximum time limit for vanilla beans.

Just make sure there is nothing they can get caught in that could give you problems. I don't keg, so I don't know if they could be issues with the equipment.

 

[Smitty49686]

5 beans seams like a lot. I have made the same beer many times and have always ended up using 2. Any more seemed like to much. Just my thought.


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[tmendick]

Just throw them in the primary for a week, after the krausen falls. Thats how I add almost all of my flavor additions.

 

[eadavis80]

My first vanilla porter (adventuresinhomebrewing) is bubbling away in the primary now. Their kit comes with 2 beans. Their directions say to cut the beans length wise and then in 1" pieces and add to secondary for 1 week. 5 beans is quite a bit more. My homebrew store's v. porter's kit comes with 3. So, I would think 5 might be much. But, like I said, mine is only in the primary. Good luck with it.

 

[jerkbag]

Thanks. 5 seems like a lot to me too, but that's what the recipe says. But it also says to add to secondary for a week, so maybe it's too much to add to the keg where it will sit on them for awhile. . .

 

[myerstyson]

I use to beans scraped & chopped in vodka in a sealed container during primary. Then strain it into the priming solution, since I bottle.

I also bottle and am interested in using vanilla beans. How much vodka do you use? Just enough to cover the beans?

 

[unclebrazzie]

I've brewed a stout/porter to which I added about 10cl of vanilla-infused Caol Ila once. Totally overpowerer the beer.

 

[eadavis80]

I wrote adventuresinhomebrewing about soaking the vanilla beans in vodka before adding them to secondary. They warned against it. They did, however, say to boil the beans in about a cup of water (just enough to cover them) for about 5 minutes before cutting them length wise and then adding them to secondary. That's what I will be doing next weekend assuming I meet my target FG by then.

 

[Csaga]

I wrote adventuresinhomebrewing about soaking the vanilla beans in vodka before adding them to secondary. They warned against it. They did, however, say to boil the beans in about a cup of water (just enough to cover them) for about 5 minutes before cutting them length wise and then adding them to secondary. That's what I will be doing next weekend assuming I meet my target FG by then.

Did they say why they don't recommend this? I currently have some vanilla beans cut and soaking in bourbon, and planned to add it to my porter when I transfer it to secondary later this week. Thanks!

 

[unionrdr]

There have been no ill effects in my experiences or those I've heard of on here about not using liquor to soak vanilla beans...or wood chips for that matter. I never got any infections soaking during the entire primary? I'd like to hear their reasons myself?!...

 

[eadavis80]

This is their response:

Ed,
There is a good chance that will give it a very strong vanilla flavor. I cannot recommend doing this as we do not have any experience on how well it will turn out. If you decide to add the vanilla vodka you will be doing it at your own risk.
Let me know if you have any other questions
Robert
Adventures in Homebrewing
23869 Van Born RD, Taylor, MI 48180
6071 Jackson Rd, Scio Township, MI 48103
(313) 277 BREW (2739)
http://www.HomeBrewing.org

 

[Calder]

How do you think they make vanilla extract. Just take the beans and soaak in alcohol.

You can buy home vanilla extract kits. All they are is a bottle and a couple of beans. Instructions are to cut/scrape the beans, add to bottle, fill bottle with vodka and wait 3 months.

 

[rhys333]

I read an interesting thread on here for a popular oatmeal porter recipe with vanilla and chocolate additions. The author recommends using 2 vanilla beans, split, scraped, cut into 1 inch sections, then soaked for 2 weeks (i.e.: duration from brew day to completion of primary) in 1oz vodka or bourbon. Pitch all of it into your primary, or secondary if you do that. Personally, I would only secondary this if I wanted to harvest yeast from primary. Others may have differing opinions.

 

[unionrdr]

I got great results adding the strained vanilla bean/vodka to the priming solution of my Robust porter with vanilla. Didn't over-carb or anything. Gave good flavor which does dissipate, no matter the method.