RIS/Barrel/Vanilla Opinions

[Kidagora]

Opinions on the recipe? Experience with using vanilla beans in 15g?

Batch Size: 5.5 gallons x 4
Boil Size: 11 gallons
Boil Time: 60 minutes
Est OG: 1.114
Est FG: 1.028
Est ABV: 11.3%
IBU: ~83 IBU

Maris Otter (52%) 13lb
Munich (24%) 6lb
Chocolate (7%) 1lb 12oz
Roast Barley (5%) 1lb 4oz
Crystal 80 (5%) 1lb 4oz
Special B (3%) 12oz
Flaked Barley (3%) 12oz

Chinook 10.5%AA of 1.5oz @ 60min (38 IBU)
Chinook 10.5%AA of 2oz @ 20min (31 IBU)
Chinook 10.5%AA of 0.5oz @ 10min (5 IBU)
Fuggle 4.5%AA of 1.5oz @ 10min (8 IBU)

Safale 04 x 2 week @ 60F
White Labs 099 x 2 weeks @ 65F

Will transfer to 2nd use Rye Whiskey barrel and will eventually use vanilla beans. Thinking about 4 Madagascar and 2 Mexican for a 15g total batch. I'm looking for personal experience with vanilla beans. Specifically quantity, technique and percieved outcome.

 

[Quaker]

I make an annual RIS. Last years I wanted to accentuate barrel-like flavors. Beside just adding oak cubes soaked in bourbon and a bit of he bourbon, I added 1 vanilla bean (split and scraped and soaked in enough bourbon to cover) and 1 pound of toasted coconut to each 5 gallon keg. I think I left them in for 2 weeks. At that time, the aroma and flavor of vanilla and coconut was very prominent, actually too much for my intent. I bottled 1 kegs worth which I didn't start drinking until probably 5 months later. By then the vanilla and coconut were very subtle notes which you may or may not pick out. I'm still drinking those bottles (11 months) and they have no notable vanilla character at all now. I haven't tapped the second keg yet. So I would say it depends on how soon you want to drink it and how prominent you want the vanilla flavor. I'd recommend not adding them until a week or so away from racking out of he barrel. And I'd probably add only 3, wait a week, then taste and decide on 1-3 more.

As far as the recipe, seems like a solid grain bill to start. Chinook seems an odd bedfellow to vanilla though. I wouldn't use a citrus or pine variety myself. I use Bramling Cross and Pacific Gem as my later hops based on their black currant and black berry descriptors.

 

[Kidagora]

Any thoughts or opinion on how, say, Goose Island Vanilla Rye gets such a profound vanilla character that lasts for years?

I get mostly a clean/sharp bittering from chinook and more pine that I asociate with more of an an American style and figure the hop flavor will fade with the months/years of aging a big beer in barrel. Not familiar with Bramble/Pacific. Very interesting hops. Great idea. I'll have to give them a shot.

 

[Quaker]

I assume just loads of vanilla, but no actual clue.