Vanilla bean prices !!!

[balto charlie]

Hey folks,
I was getting some spices together for my holiday brew and needed to buy Vanilla bean. I was stunned at the price, 1 bean over $12!!! WTF! Apparently the bean plants have had some tough years but that is a high price for a 3 gallon batch for one ingredient.

Would using extract be okay?

Anyone using the bean at these prices?

Maybe I am just too cheap

 

[RPh_Guy]

You can buy 5-10+ beans at a time from Amazon for pretty cheap per bean. A quick search shows as low as $1.60/bean.

The extract you can make lasts pretty much indefinitely.

Only "imitation" vanilla is "cheap" because, well, it's not real, and not as good. Feel free to use it if it fits your budget though.

 

[S-Met]

Hey folks,
I was getting some spices together for my holiday brew and needed to buy Vanilla bean. I was stunned at the price, 1 bean over $12!!! WTF! Apparently the bean plants have had some tough years but that is a high price for a 3 gallon batch for one ingredient.

Would using extract be okay?

Anyone using the bean at these prices?

Maybe I am just too cheap

Sometimes you can get 3/$12 at Costco, but that does seem to be a standard rate.

You can get better deals on bulk buys. 1lb for $330 on beanilla.com

 

[balto charlie]

Thanks for the quick reply. I guess I was hoping for the old $3.00 single bean. I haven't seen your prices but will keep looking. I didn't really want 10 beans but making vanilla extract makes sense.

 

[balto charlie]

Giant foods has them @ $11.00 for 1. I only want 1. Not a Costco member any longer, times like these wish I still was. They used to $3.00 a bean, which I thought was a little pricey. I have read that they are hand pollinated! Lack of pollinators due to lost habitat, sad. But thanks for the Costco info.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I have read that they are hand pollinated!

Vanilla is native to Mexico. Everywhere else (e.g. Madagascar) they are hand pollinated.

 

[CodeSection]

As @S-Met pointed out, try Costco. My local Costco always have them in stock. They are much, much, much larger and only $14.99.

 

[S-Met]

As @S-Met pointed out, try Costco. My local Costco always have them in stock. They are much, much, much larger and only $14.99.

Op doesn't have a Costco account anymore

 

[CodeSection]

Op doesn't have a Costco account anymore

Yep. The savings on just the vanilla beans gets him half toward a membership. The basic Gold or Business membership is only $60 a year.

Seeing as the OP already said "Not a Costco member any longer, times like these wish I still was.", sounds like he could have benefited on a membership before.... oh well.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Costco doesn't even come close to the prices on Amazon.


You could always just brew actual regular beer with barley, hops, and yeast if you don't want to spend $$ on flavor adjuncts........ It's really good stuff if you do it right. Just sayin.

 

[CodeSection]

Costco doesn't even come close to the prices on Amazon.....

I just searched Amazon and learned something new tonight! Thanks for pointing that out! Yes, there IS better pricing, bulk and varieties on Amazon. It puts to shame the small bottles I previously bought from Sprouts....

 

[balto charlie]

Costco doesn't even come close to the prices on Amazon.


You could always just brew actual regular beer with barley, hops, and yeast if you don't want to spend $$ on flavor adjuncts........ It's really good stuff if you do it right. Just sayin.

Obviously, if you look at my sig you will see i have quite a few regular beers, just changing things up a bit.

FWIW: I was looking through my pantry and found some vanilla extract made by my niece last year, tastes great so going to use it instead of buying beans right now. I do plan on buying and making some though, just to have some for the next vanilla-ish beer I make AND Christmas cookies

Thanks everyone

 

[Northern_Brewer]

There's a nice story here about what's been happening in Madagascar, including farmers picking too early (=> lower quality) to prevent pods being stolen off the vines, production being hit by cyclones and demand increasing thanks to multinationals replacing industrial vanillin with the real thing. At one point last year true vanilla was more expensive than silver.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/madagascar_vanillla

 

[passedpawn]

I used to buy bulk vanilla beans. I'd make my own very strong extract (which is a simple as putting some scraped beans in a jar and adding vodka). I just checked and 25 madagascar vanilla beans is $100 dollars. Last time I bought, the same was $25.

 

[odie]

yeah I was shocked too...I bought some real vanilla extract for next time. I only how it's real..lol

 

[triethylborane]

Vanilla is native to Mexico. Everywhere else (e.g. Madagascar) they are hand pollinated.

IIRC hand pollination is required to make vanilla a commercially viable crop, even in its indigenous range of Mexico.

 

[Bilsch]

I've always had good luck with these guys.
https://www.beanilla.com

 

[Jayjay1976]

This newfangled vanilla crap is just overpriced 'cos its in style. Sarparilla and licorice root have a similar flavor and besides will put hair on yer giblets for a lot less cash.

P.S. I stocked up on vanilla bean paste myself a couple of years back when homebrewdeals advertised a great price. When it rains it poors...

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Hey folks,
I was getting some spices together for my holiday brew and needed to buy Vanilla bean. I was stunned at the price, 1 bean over $12!!! WTF! Apparently the bean plants have had some tough years but that is a high price for a 3 gallon batch for one ingredient.

Would using extract be okay?

Anyone using the bean at these prices?

Maybe I am just too cheap

Personally, I'd say, if your vanilla is going to be mixed with several other flavor profiles or heavily manipulated in some way, go with the extract. Real extract is good, imo, for so many things.

As a chef I used Tahitian and Madagascar, but I bought both by the box, and burned through them. I wouldn't bother.

 

[balto charlie]

I did go with extract (made by my niece) for my brew

FWIW: I don't use a ton of vanilla so buying $100 worth of beans does not make sense to me. When I see some beans on sale I'll buy a bunch and make my own extract.

 

[S-Met]

don't use a ton of vanilla so buying $100 worth of beans does not make sense to me. When I see some beans on sale I'll buy a bunch and make my own extract.

Many of us may have similar feelings. Maybe a group buy is in order?

We would need to do a cost analysis to be sure re-shipping is still cost-effective.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

I did go with extract (made by my niece) for my brew

FWIW: I don't use a ton of vanilla so buying $100 worth of beans does not make sense to me. When I see some beans on sale I'll buy a bunch and make my own extract.

Good. I'm sure you'll be happy. I agree, bulk beans make no sense if they're just going to sit and go stale.

 

[bracconiere]

Only "imitation" vanilla is "cheap" because, well, it's not real, and not as good. Feel free to use it if it fits your budget though.

if you want cheap: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VANILLIN-P...hash=item41b8d806ec:m:me7cKBuKjPAHmt4IjRqI2rw

i use it for my rice bran smoothies.....