Vanilla Beans and Vodka

[brewczyk]

Hello Friends,

I'm making a pumpkin beer and plan on adding vanilla beans to secondary. Two weeks ago, I cut 2 vanilla beans in half and scraped out the goodies and seeds into 4 Oz of vodka. Should I add the vodka to secondary, or decant the vodka and just add the residue?

I'm wondering if 4oz of vodka will affect the flavor of 5.5 gallons of beer.

 

[invivoSaccharomyces]

Vanillin (the flavor compound you want from the vanilla bean) is highly soluble in alcohol, so anything you decant will probably contain a lot of the flavor. I think you pretty much have to add the vodka at this point.

It probably won't add much vodka flavor. I can't imagine being able to taste vodka diluted ~1:160 in beer.

 

[formula2fast]

Add it, you will be fine and not taste the vodka. I do that in my vanilla porter I do, and I use more than 4 oz of vodka. After sitting with the beans, it does not even taste much like vodka anymore because so much of the vanilla flavoring has overpowered the vodka flavor.

 

[Matt3989]

Yep, you've gotta add it, that's where a lot of the flavor is now. I usually buy beans by 10 or 15 packs, then I split the them up into groups of 3 or 3 and put them in mason jars with vodka. I pitch a whole jar whenever I need to add it to a beer, you'll never notice the vodka.

 

[brewmcq]

Anytime that you soak something in vodka (vanilla beans, peppers, lettuce, McDonald's french fries, etc.), you only need to infuse it for 24-48 hours. Pour the infusion through a coffee filter and dump the filtered flavored vodka into your beer... all the flavors will have been imparted to the vodka.

Source: My friend owns Twenty2 Vodka... and I actually paid attention when he would tell me how infusions work.

And yes, lettuce vodka tastes like lettuce. And the McDonald's fries infusion was spot-on and made me want to make a Big Mac infusion too. lol

 

[SeattleBrews]

I would like fries with that. How many fries to how much vodka???

 

[brewmcq]

I would like fries with that. How many fries to how much vodka???

That I don't remember... and I don't remember if he was using 160 proof or not then diluting it down to 80 proof... The 160 is SUPER good at drawing out flavors.

Just start experimenting. You'll find the balance.

 

[Newsman]

I made a vanilla stout last winter and it was AWESOME. I split about 3 or 4 vanilla beans (Madagascar Vanilla beans, not the generic stuff) and put 'me in a small glass jar and covered them with some cheap bourbon and left it in the fridge for several days and dumped the whole thing in the primary. It was VERY vanilla to start with and then tapered off as it aged. Makes me wish I'd added some more vanilla after it had aged awhile, but it's all good.
Point being, I'd soak the beans and then dump everything, vodka and all, in the fermenter. Also, maybe make an infusion for 24 hours of a bean or two and dump just the vodka in the keg if you want more vanilla flavor.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

That I don't remember... and I don't remember if he was using 160 proof or not then diluting it down to 80 proof... The 160 is SUPER good at drawing out flavors.

Just start experimenting. You'll find the balance.

Interesting. So if 160 proof draws out more than 80 proof, and ya get yerself a botttle of Everclear and a dozen vanilla beans...

 

[stonecutter2]

That I don't remember... and I don't remember if he was using 160 proof or not then diluting it down to 80 proof... The 160 is SUPER good at drawing out flavors.

Just start experimenting. You'll find the balance.

French fry flavored vodka - yeah i'm putting on the lab coat and starting the experiments! That's an interesting idea!

 

[vNmd]

I read a few articles on making a vanilla extract. They said put the split beans in vodka for a couple of months. I have never done this before, but I started a bottle a few months ago. For the first week or so there was a light brownish colour to the liquid. It got darker and darker then kind of leveled out. I don't know what to compare it to except the brown of commercial vanilla extract bottles. I don't know if at that length of time it gets super infused, but my hopes is to be better able to quantify how much "stuff" to add to a porter or stout for repeatability. Once we get closer to winter I hope to get back to brewing porters and stouts to test this out.

 

[avm221]

I am a chef, this is how I make my vanilla extract, I have a bottel with vodka and vinilla beans that has been sitting a few years now. Its good stuff.

 

[vNmd]

I am a chef, this is how I make my vanilla extract, I have a bottel with vodka and vinilla beans that has been sitting a few years now. Its good stuff.

I think it was cooking websites I found the info. I don't mean to steal the thread, but I am assuming that after a certain point there is not really any more the vodka can zap from the beans (full strength so to speak for certain amount of beans N vodka). Any idea how long that might be? I am trying to quantify as much as I can to be able to repeat / modify amounts added to secondary to get exactly what I want tastewise. I have x beans with y oz. vodka. Need to know z (time) to let them soak before use.

 

[brewmcq]

I think it was cooking websites I found the info. I don't mean to steal the thread, but I am assuming that after a certain point there is not really any more the vodka can zap from the beans (full strength so to speak for certain amount of beans N vodka). Any idea how long that might be? I am trying to quantify as much as I can to be able to repeat / modify amounts added to secondary to get exactly what I want tastewise. I have x beans with y oz. vodka. Need to know z (time) to let them soak before use.

My source says 24-48 hours..

 

[avm221]

I woulf say longer then 2days I noticed that mine would still get darker for about 2 weeks. But the longrr the better.