Vanilla beans

[Golddiggie]

I'm just flying blind... I'm going to add a pound of burnt caramelized sugar in the secondary, and prime with burnt sugar as well.

Care to send the recipe you'll be using??? I searched last night but only came up with one that included grains I'd rather not use.

Ok, time for group hug.

Hey, no back hugs!!!

 

[MrEggSandwich]

I did the process using a couple of oz of good bourbon and two vanilla beans for a 5-gallon batch of a porter. It turned out AMAZING! I'm about to duplicate it for an imperial stout using 3 or possibly 4 vanilla beans.

1 - cut vanilla beans in half lengthwise
2 - scrape out all the gooey goodness
3 - cut beans into 1/2" to 1" pieces
4 - put in plastic container with 1 to 2 oz of good liquor (bourbon or vodka would be my first choice)
5 - shake the container a couple of times a day for at least a week
6 - dump the whole container, liquor and all, into the fermenter and leave it for at least a week
7 - cold crash for 2 to 3 days
8 - rack to keg or bottling bucket for packaging

So, the gooey goodness goes into the bourbon?

 

[bottlebomber]

Care to send the recipe you'll be using??? I searched last night but only came up with one that included grains I'd rather not use.

Brûlée porter

Style: Unassigned OG: 1.103
Type: FG: 1.021
Rating: 0.0 ABV: 10.74 %
Calories: 333 IBU's: 30.65
Efficiency: 70 % Boil Size: 5.83 Gal
Color: 48.7 SRM Batch Size: 5.00 Gal
Preboil OG: 1.097 Boil Time: 60 minutes

Fermentation Steps
Name Days / Temp
Primary 21 days @ 68.0°F
Secondary 60 days @ 72.0°F

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
15.00 lbs 71.43 % Pale Malt, Maris Otter 60 mins 1.038
1.50 lbs 7.14 % Carafa I 60 mins 1.032
0.50 lbs 2.38 % Chocolate Malt 60 mins 1.028
1.00 lbs 4.76 % Briess Caramel 60L 60 mins 1.034
2.00 lbs 9.52 % Munich Malt 60 mins 1.037
1.00 lbs 4.76 % Sugar, Table (Sucrose) 60 mins 1.046

Hops
Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
3.00 ozs 30.65 Fuggles 60 mins 4.50

Yeasts
Amount Name Laboratory / ID
Wyeast 1028 London Ale for primary

1.00 pkg Super High Gravity Ale White Labs 0099 for secondary

Notes: caramelized 1 lb. table sugar to deep amber, cool and add to secondary with 6 split vanilla beans.

www.iBrewMaster.com Version: 2.810



Sent from my iPhone

 

[Golddiggie]

Thanks, now I have a baseline for my own version.

What mash temp do you plan to use for this?
Why add the WL099 yeast in secondary?

I'm thinking about doing a caramelization boil with about two gallons of the first wort gathered to add some more color and such. Since I target 6 gallons out for kegs (two 3 gallon kegs) I've scaled my version up some.

I won't be starting my batch for a few months still. Once it's done, maybe we could do a bottle swap... :fro:

 

[bottlebomber]

What mash temp do you plan to use for this?
Why add the WL099 yeast in secondary?

mashing at 156

I'm only adding the 099 in secondary to keep the yeast separate, and also because 099 works really slowly. You could probably use a better attenuating strain than the London and just stick with that.

 

[Golddiggie]

mashing at 156

I'm only adding the 099 in secondary to keep the yeast separate, and also because 099 works really slowly. You could probably use a better attenuating strain than the London and just stick with that.

I think I'm going to try one of my regular yeast strains... 1335 :rockin: or 1882-PC I'll either make a stepped starter for the batch, or gather up from a yeast cake from a previous batch.

I do like how BeerSmith 2.1 takes the yeast strain into account when giving you the estimated ABV% now.

This should be a pretty fun batch to make... Not sure if I'll add the caramelized sugar to my batch yet. I might get a similar enough effect from the caramelization boil of the wort.

I might need to wait on this until I get my larger mash tun either purchased or made. At 27.5# of grain, this one is getting close to the limit of my current keg mash tun. I'm toying with the idea of getting a 40 gallon mash tun from Stout Tanks.

BTW, have you thought about tossing a split vanilla bean into the kettle at flame out? I know you get different things from the beans depending on how you use them. You might get more vanilla flavor that way, with more subtle notes added by aging it with more of them. I'm also looking at putting mine onto oak after the vanilla beans. :rockin:

 

[bottlebomber]

I may try the flameout beans

 

[Glynn]

One thing i noticed that was never mentioned in all the threads is vanilla sugar for bottling. Back in my chef days we would store our vanilla bean in sugar and it would flavor the sugar. Would this be something that might help impart more vanilla into the beer.

 

[bottlebomber]

One thing i noticed that was never mentioned in all the threads is vanilla sugar for bottling. Back in my chef days we would store our vanilla bean in sugar and it would flavor the sugar. Would this be something that might help impart more vanilla into the beer.

It wouldn't hurt to try. I am going to try to make this as balanced as I can, to try and go for a real creme brulee flavor. I don't want the vanilla and certainly not the dark malts to dominate. I definitely want that burnt sugar taste to be there. And I probably won't get all this right on the first try. Oh and lactose! I forgot to add that in the recipe. I'm going to use 4 oz of lactose.

 

[Golddiggie]

I'll probably be tweaking my recipe now until right before I mill the grains. I want to see if I can get the flavors without adding sugar that doesn't come from barley. Plus, I'm keeping to my standard of as much UK malts as possible. Even though I might be putting some honey malt into it.

 

[Stauffbier]

One thing i noticed that was never mentioned in all the threads is vanilla sugar for bottling. Back in my chef days we would store our vanilla bean in sugar and it would flavor the sugar. Would this be something that might help impart more vanilla into the beer.

I plan on trying this some day. It's a product I use for German baked goods.
http://www.bing.com/shopping/oetker...2?q=vanilla+sugar&lpq=vanilla sugar&FORM=HURE

 

[bottlebomber]

I plan on trying this some day. It's a product I use for German baked goods.
http://www.bing.com/shopping/oetker-vanilla-sugar-natural/p/00B3B50BCA0E2A025012?q=vanilla+sugar&lpq=vanilla%20sugar&FORM=HURE

Man that takes me way back. My mom is from Austria/Germany, and we used to go down to a German specialty store a few times a year and pick up stuff such as that. That product was always around. They haven't changed the package I see.

 

[Glynn]

It wouldn't hurt to try. I am going to try to make this as balanced as I can, to try and go for a real creme brulee flavor. I don't want the vanilla and certainly not the dark malts to dominate. I definitely want that burnt sugar taste to be there. And I probably won't get all this right on the first try. Oh and lactose! I forgot to add that in the recipe. I'm going to use 4 oz of lactose.

If you looking for the burnt sugar taste then maybe you should brulee (burn) some type of sugar with a propane torch a before adding it to your brew. Most chef use white or natural sugar (sugar in the raw). I never use candi sugar but that may also be an option. then add it near the end of the boil?

 

[Stauffbier]

Man that takes me way back. My mom is from Austria/Germany, and we used to go down to a German specialty store a few times a year and pick up stuff such as that. That product was always around. They haven't changed the package I see.

It was a nostalgic memory for me as well. I have a German neighbor that gave me some about 6 years ago, and I've been tracking it down every year since. I bake the typical German holiday cookies that were traditional in my household when I was a child. I found the vanilla sugar at World Market last year, otherwise I get it online. I've been planning on using it in beer with my priming sugar for a little while now...

 

[bottlebomber]

It was a nostalgic memory for me as well. I have a German neighbor that gave me some about 6 years ago, and I've been tracking it down every year since. I bake the typical German holiday cookies that were traditional in my household when I was a child. I found the vanilla sugar at World Market last year, otherwise I get it online. I've been planning on using it in beer with my priming sugar for a little while now...

Vanilla Kipferl stout up next!

 

[Stauffbier]

Vanilla Kipferl stout up next!

Nice! I've never made the Vanilla Kipferl, but I do make lemon ones.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Ok, maybe I will stop n get vodka for the beans - is it bad luck to have a vodka tonic while racking?

Just don't let your ale yeast see it. They get powerfully jealous...