Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer None More Black Vanilla Stout

[herc1354]

Just brewed a 10 gallons on Saturday, this was an all grain version, I've brewed the extract version and if was amazing! When I transfer to secondary 5 gallons will sit on oak Chips and vanilla Beans soaked in bourbon while the other 5 gallons will secondary on top of coco nibs vanilla beans and coffee. Here is a shot of my buddies watching the brewing process, the dude on the right is my brew buddy, behind them is the brew rig.

 

[Chupidacabra]

Going to go ahead and brew an all grain version of this next week when I have a spare carboy. I'm thinking soak oak and vanilla in makers mark for a few weeks and than secondary it. 152 for the mash sound right? Going to use us05 at 60 for the primary.

 

[herc1354]

Going to go ahead and brew an all grain version of this next week when I have a spare carboy. I'm thinking soak oak and vanilla in makers mark for a few weeks and than secondary it. 152 for the mash sound right? Going to use us05 at 60 for the primary.

When I plugged this brew into beer smith the estimated gravity is 1.065, I hit 1.066 at completion of the boil for a 10 gal brew.

 

[johnsnownw]

Going to go ahead and brew an all grain version of this next week when I have a spare carboy. I'm thinking soak oak and vanilla in makers mark for a few weeks and than secondary it. 152 for the mash sound right? Going to use us05 at 60 for the primary.

I just made a porter with Maker's...and wasn't happy with the amount of flavor imparted. If you can swing it, try using "Cask Strength" Bourbon. I think that would give a more authentic bourbon barrel presence, than the watered down Maker's. Just a suggestion.

 

[Chupidacabra]

I just made a porter with Maker's...and wasn't happy with the amount of flavor imparted. If you can swing it, try using "Cask Strength" Bourbon. I think that would give a more authentic bourbon barrel presence, than the watered down Maker's. Just a suggestion.

Thanks for the heads up. Will see what I can do.

 

[sak1134]

Just brewed a batch and have had it sitting in the secondary for about a week. I used home made vanilla extract and added a few of the beans from our extract bottle. Due to my late start and the need to have it on tap for our thanksgiving gathering I'm going to keg it a bit earlier than I normally would. Would there be any harm in tossing the beans into the keg to keep adding to the vanilla flavor?

Steve

 

[johnsnownw]

Just brewed a batch and have had it sitting in the secondary for about a week. I used home made vanilla extract and added a few of the beans from our extract bottle. Due to my late start and the need to have it on tap for our thanksgiving gathering I'm going to keg it a bit earlier than I normally would. Would there be any harm in tossing the beans into the keg to keep adding to the vanilla flavor?

Steve

Probably not, for the amount of time the beer will be in the keg. However, dependent on how long the beans were in the extract, they may have already contributed all their flavor. So...lets say the beans were in the alcohol for around 8 weeks...then they are most likely not going to contribute anything to the beer.

 

[Guidry]

Only drawback I see is they may get pulled into the pick up tube and block it....I doubt you'll get any contribution though. I soak my beans for 3 days then rack the wort on them for 7-14 days.

 

[herc1354]

Just brewed a 10 gallons on Saturday, this was an all grain version, I've brewed the extract version and if was amazing! When I transfer to secondary 5 gallons will sit on oak Chips and vanilla Beans soaked in bourbon while the other 5 gallons will secondary on top of coco nibs vanilla beans and coffee. Here is a shot of my buddies watching the brewing process, the dude on the right is my brew buddy, behind them is the brew rig.

This beer has been in kegs for a month, it is freaking amazing and almost gone, need to brew more

 

[Robisbrewing]

I made the extract version but think I made a huge error. Previously I have only used kits, this was my first extract. Followed instructions regarding steeping fine, the recipe then just says 'boil'. I now realize that the boil was probably meant to have the liquid malt/DME added Basically my boil liquid was just the product of the patent/barley steep in 2 gallons of water. I added the liquid and dry malts to the primary.

Put this brew down yesterday and it is bubbling away so I will let it run its course unless someone have a great suggestion. I was really just after some speculation about whether it will taste ok.

I did the numbers and my hop extraction would have been in a gravity of about 1.005. Does this mean my stout might turn out much too bitter? Kinda gutted as this was also my first try with liquid yeast (wyeast 1084) so it was a relatively time consuming and expensive one to muck up.

 

[mysteryshrimp]

Nothing to do about it now. Wait until about 3 days after it stops bubbling and taste it. Your bitterness might be a little off, you might get some cooked corn or vegetable qualities from Dimethyl Sulfide. I have seen a pellicle on liquid extract, so you could get an infection. It's hard to know what will happen until you taste it.

 

[Robisbrewing]

Thanks for the response Mystery. I suspected this is where we were headed- wait and see.

I had come to think liquid malt was the unhopped equivalent of the beer kits I have been brewing. I have never boiled those and never had an issue. Are these analogous?

I had to google Dimethyl Sulphide. Do you think the smell might have been in the malt off the shelf (and I missed the chance to boil it off) or that by not boiling I missed the chance to kill any Dimethyl Sulfide producing bacteria in the malt? I am just asking so I know what is happening next time I cock up a brew

So far airlock smells good although its mainly a hops smell.

 

[hokieguy95]

What about using all DME for this recipe. I have just been taught that most LME is a waste of money because your paying for alot of water.

 

[dkennedy]

What about using all DME for this recipe. I have just been taught that most LME is a waste of money because your paying for alot of water.

Sure can, I made this almost two years ago with all DME, still very tasty (having moved a couple times since, I still find surprise bombers tucked away in the basement).

 

[hokieguy95]

Sure can, I made this almost two years ago with all DME, still very tasty (having moved a couple times since, I still find surprise bombers tucked away in the basement).

Wha'dya say? About 6 to 6.5 lbs total DME?

 

[dkennedy]

I don't have my notes handy, but that sounds about right, pretty sure that I went through at least two 3 pounders.

 

[Newsman]

Anyone try adding some lactose to this? Seems like it would be good with some added body and sweetness. No?

I made something very similar to this and added lactose. VERY good sweet stout.

 

[histo320]

I'm looking to remake this recipe for the first time since my original post. I have since converted to All Grain but I am limited to 12 lbs of grain due to only having a 5 gal mash tun. Anyway, my question is how many Vanilla Beans should I use and what is the process is getting the most flavor out of the Vanilla Beans.

So far I know to split them length wise, soak in Bourbon, then add to secondary. How much Bourbon should you use and how long and do you just add the Bourbon and Beans to the Secondary?

 

[Newsman]

I'm looking to remake this recipe for the first time since my original post. I have since converted to All Grain but I am limited to 12 lbs of grain due to only having a 5 gal mash tun. Anyway, my question is how many Vanilla Beans should I use and what is the process is getting the most flavor out of the Vanilla Beans.

So far I know to split them length wise, soak in Bourbon, then add to secondary. How much Bourbon should you use and how long and do you just add the Bourbon and Beans to the Secondary?

Just enough bourbon to cover the vanilla beans. As for how many beans, that's up to you. Two or three should probably be sufficient and just dump the bourbon and beans in the secondary. Note that the vanilla flavor WILL fade with time.

 

[herc1354]

I'm looking to remake this recipe for the first time since my original post. I have since converted to All Grain but I am limited to 12 lbs of grain due to only having a 5 gal mash tun. Anyway, my question is how many Vanilla Beans should I use and what is the process is getting the most flavor out of the Vanilla Beans.



So far I know to split them length wise, soak in Bourbon, then add to secondary. How much Bourbon should you use and how long and do you just add the Bourbon and Beans to the Secondary?

Funny you ask as I've had a hard time getting the vanilla to come through, but this is what i have done.

While the beer is in primary fermentation I put the oak chips, about 10-12 oz, in a mason jar, I hen poor enough Bourbon to cover the top of the oak. For the Vanilla I find the best vanilla, I get mine from Penzey Spices, split length wise and scrape out all of the goodness, then all of that goes into the Bourbon oak mixture and give it a good shake. When it cones time for secondary every bit of what is in the mason jar goes into the carboy.

Oh and I have used as much as six Mexican Vanilla Beans

 

[jrrenola]

I brewed a minor variation on Saturday night.

Fermentables:
6 lbs dark LME (3 lbs at beginning of boil, 3 lbs at knockout)
1 lb dark DME (at knockout)
0.5 lb lactose (at knockout)

Steeping Grains: (30 minutes @ 150-155*)
1 lb Chocolate Malt
0.5 lb Roasted Barley
1 lb Quick Oats

Hops:
1 oz Cluster (6.8% AA) - 60 minutes
1 oz EKG (7.2% AA) - 10 minutes

Yeast: Safale-04 pitched at 70*

OG: 1.058

Put the fermenter in a water bath @ 60*

I saw the occasional bubble after 12 hours. This morning, it was bubbling at once per second. Cannot wait!!!

 

[jrrenola]

Bottled this tonight in 24 12oz and 8 32oz bottles.
OG was 1.058, FG was 1.024, which gives me about a 4.5% ABV.

The nose is nice and chocolatey. The taste was very slightly sweet, with a pleasant roastiness, and a very subtle vanilla flavor.

I can hardly wait for it to carb up!

 

[bigdean]

This looks really good... going to have to try it!

 

[mgonbrewlab]

This recipe is awesome by itself or as the basis for some experimentation. I started a batch last night adding in smoked malt, chocolate malt, and roasted barley. OG was originally about 1.06 so I topped it up a bit and am hoping I will actually end up with 5 gallons of beer (or so).

I have seen questions about dry yeasts. I have used S-05, Muntons Ale Yeast, and another cheap dry yeast that was all my lbhs had available, and it has turned out great every time.

Sent from my EVO using Home Brew mobile app

 

[joshstanley27]

This looks like a solid recipe. May be my next beer. Just finished an imperial honey porter. Will be a while til it conditions. How long are u waiting til u bottle and how long after did u wait to drink it


Stan Tha Man

 

[mgonbrewlab]

I am bottling a batch tonight that did 3 weeks in primary. My last batch was 2, and the batch before was 3. It will be okay after 2 weeks in the bottle. I never get to bottle conditioning because it disappears so quickly

 

[mdbrewer1]

I finally got a chance to brew this one today. I had originally planned on doing it last year, but then we decided to move and it took about a year before I had the space and time to brew again.

I followed the recipe in the original post and tried the late extract addition method. I added one 3.3 lb container of LME at the start of the boil and then did another 3.3 lb container of LME and 1 lb. DME at 15 minutes with the Irish Moss. That is the size LME my LHBS carries and I ended up with an OG of 1.060.

The weather was beautiful and the brew day went well with my first outdoor brew on my SQ14. A huge step up from the old electric stove at the townhouse.

The only real issue was that the sink in the new house is super shallow and it took forever to cool things down. I'll probably have to invest in a wort chiller at some point. I can probably sell my wife on that if it means the wort is in the house less.

I tried a small sip of the hydro sample and it seemed to have a strong EKG flavor. Has anyone else had the same impression? I've heard that the late extract additions can somehow change how much the hops contribute to the brew. It wasn't a bad flavor, just a bit stronger than I expected.

The wort also foamed up a lot when I poured it into the fermenter. Has anyone else had that happen?

I'm going to clean up my mess and then work on the vanilla beans. My plan is to do 4 beans (cut open and scraped) in 1 c. of Jack Daniels. I can't wait!!

 

[mdbrewer1]

Less than 12 hours after pitching, my airlock was going crazy. It isn't a constant bubbling, instead it will produce lots of bubbles every 3 seconds or so. This was the first time I'd done a starter and there is a clear difference. I'll definitely keep doing one, except perhaps very low gravity recipes.

My next topic to research is yeast washing. Any thoughts on if the yeast from a batch of this brew would be a good candidate?

 

[mdbrewer1]

What would be the drawbacks of tossing the bourbon and vanilla directly into the primary? I have a 6 gallon BB that I could use as secondary, but since I'd like to have this ready before I leave for a trip on July 3, I thought about just tossing them in to allow the yeast to do yeasty things.

If I do rack to secondary, I would end up with 12 days in primary and 6 days in secondary with the bourbon and vanilla. Would that be good enough?

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

What would be the drawbacks of tossing the bourbon and vanilla directly into the primary? I have a 6 gallon BB that I could use as secondary, but since I'd like to have this ready before I leave for a trip on July 3, I thought about just tossing them in to allow the yeast to do yeasty things.

If I do rack to secondary, I would end up with 12 days in primary and 6 days in secondary with the bourbon and vanilla. Would that be good enough?

Im gonna guess that you will lose some of the flavor and aroma from the bourbonand vanilla during the vigourous primary fermentation.
Instead, how bout putting the vanilla beans and boubon in a mason jar in thefridge now, then at the 12 day mark, rack to secondary and add or at kegging day, rack to the keg and add?


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."