vanilla extract question

[bwomp313]

I'm making a Vanilla Bourbon Stout and I've decided to use vanilla extract. I have the good stuff. It's a 2 oz bottle of organic natural pure type of dealy. Now should I add it to secondary and let it condition like that or add it to the bottling bucket on bottling day? Also, is 2 oz enough/too much/not enough?

 

[TipsyDragon]

add it at bottling. 2 oz should be WAY more than enough for 5 gallons. your going to have to do the good o'l taste test to get it right. you can either add 0.5 oz to the entire batch and take your chances and see how it tastes and adjust for next time. or you can separate a 1 gallon batch and add a little extract at a time till you hit the right amount then multiply by 4 and add to the rest of the batch.

 

[zman]

add it at bottling. 2 oz should be WAY more than enough for 5 gallons. your going to have to do the good o'l taste test to get it right. you can either add 0.5 oz to the entire batch and take your chances and see how it tastes and adjust for next time. or you can separate a 1 gallon batch and add a little extract at a time till you hit the right amount then multiply by 4 and add to the rest of the batch.

I actually added 6 oz to my Bourbon Vanilla Porter

 

[TipsyDragon]

I actually added 6 oz to my Bourbon Vanilla Porter

really? and it didn't hit you between the eyes with vanilla?

 

[bwomp313]

6 oz? wow. how'd it come out? I don't think I mentioned that mine is a 5 gallon batch btw.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

All vanilla extracts are far from equal. You can't compare a generic American brand with something from Mexico, for instance.

 

[hamiltont]

2 oz. at bottling/kegging will be plenty. 2 fresh beans cut ~2" long, split & gunk scraped out and all thrown into the secondary is much better IMO!!! I've tried both.

 

[bwomp313]

All vanilla extracts are far from equal. You can't compare a generic American brand with something from Mexico, for instance.

I see. The one I bought from the healthfood store is Frontier Organic vanilla extract. It's made from southern Indian beans. I don't know if that makes any difference.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I see. The one I bought from the healthfood store is Frontier Organic vanilla extract. It's made from southern Indian beans. I don't know if that makes any difference.

If you are adding it at bottling, you have an ideal chance to experiment with the amounts for future reference

 

[bwomp313]

So there is a possibility depending on the strength that 2 oz will be too much?

 

[zman]

really? and it didn't hit you between the eyes with vanilla?

I used Vanilla Extract made with Madagascar Vanilla Beans. I racked the Porter onto the Makers Mark and Vanilla. I just racked it last week and do not plan to bottle it until the first week in January or so. I too an interested to see if it is too much Vanilla. I am thinking it will be ok. A wasp found its way into the boil and into the primary and all turned out ok. Just have to wait and see I guess

 

[TipsyDragon]

ah so you don't know if its to much or not yet. well i'm still a fan of the add a little at a time and taste test.

 

[hamiltont]

I used Vanilla Extract made with Madagascar Vanilla Beans. I racked the Porter onto the Makers Mark and Vanilla. I just racked it last week and do not plan to bottle it until the first week in January or so. I too an interested to see if it is too much Vanilla. I am thinking it will be ok. A wasp found its way into the boil and into the primary and all turned out ok. Just have to wait and see I guess

I bet you get a buzzzzz off of that one... Sorry, just fellin' jolly right now!!!

 

[bwomp313]

I suppose I can do the little bit at a time sampling deal but I have this problem. I'm lazy.

 

[bwomp313]

I actually ended up using 2 Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans instead.

 

[David]

I see. The one I bought from the healthfood store is Frontier Organic vanilla extract. It's made from southern Indian beans. I don't know if that makes any difference.

Try Haitian vanilla

 

[zman]

It was just bottled on Saturday night. I am really eager to taste it but I have to resist the temptation.