Vanilla Extract - When to add?

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Kzang

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I'm making my own vanilla extract with vodka and vanilla beans. I'm not exactly sure when to add it to my beer. I've tried to google it, but I always get conflicted answers.

I used a clean knife, but I didn't sanitize the knife with star san though. I'm worried about potential infection. I thought about adding it to the wort right before flame out or at flame out. However, I read that heat may affect the flavor that I will spend 2 months on obtaining.

Some say add it in the secondary, but I'm not going to use a secondary. Also, I thought about adding it to the bottling bucket and stir gently before bottling or add it to my cooled wort before I move it into the primary for fermentation.

I have no idea what the best course is.
 
You could secondary if you wanted to. Vanilla beans are expensive. Though if it is truly extracted then it should disperse into bottling. It depends on your extraction method then I guess.
 
I put the beans vodka, and will shake it every so often and leave it in there for at least 2 months.

I will do it at bottling. Thank you!
 
I just added it to the bottling bucket with the priming sugar. I used bourbon to soak the beans instead of vodka for my stout, though. What type of beer are you adding it to?
 
I'm going to add it to an imperial saison, an imperial version of the French connection by abita. It has a slight vanilla finish, and my girlfriend and I both like vanilla. There seems to be no beers with a nice vanilla finish, only a slight one.

The original is 35 IBU, but going to put more bittering hops due to the higher gravity and more vanilla to balance it out. It is a saison, but similar to a pale ale. (According to Abita)
 
I'm making my own vanilla extract with vodka and vanilla beans. I'm not exactly sure when to add it to my beer. I've tried to google it, but I always get conflicted answers.

I used a clean knife, but I didn't sanitize the knife with star san though. I'm worried about potential infection. I thought about adding it to the wort right before flame out or at flame out. However, I read that heat may affect the flavor that I will spend 2 months on obtaining.

Some say add it in the secondary, but I'm not going to use a secondary. Also, I thought about adding it to the bottling bucket and stir gently before bottling or add it to my cooled wort before I move it into the primary for fermentation.

I have no idea what the best course is.

You will be fine for sanitation..the vodka will sanitize the vanilla. I made a pumpkin spice porter and prepared 1 vanilla bean in 4 oz of vodka. The vanilla sat for 3 weeks to develop. I added it to the priming solution before racking on bottling day. It ended up good, but I wish I had used 2 beans instead of 1.

I didn't filter or strain it though, I opened the tupperware just enough to get the liquid out and poured it in while trying keep all of the bits and seeds from the vanilla bean in the container. Maybe I should have filtered it so I got the last of the liquid extract.

With homemade extract, I've always heard that it needs time to sit and develop. You can't make it and then use it in the same day..it needs weeks.
 
There seems to be no beers with a nice vanilla finish, only a slight one.

The original is 35 IBU, but going to put more bittering hops due to the higher gravity and more vanilla to balance it out. It is a saison, but similar to a pale ale. (According to Abita)

Atwater's Vanilla Java Porter. Lots of vanilla flavor, esp on the finish.
 
(noob comments follow)
I'm using vanilla in my first beer, a stout. I soaked two beans in 4oz of vodka for 5 days, and then dumped everything, beans and all, into the secondary which I intend to let sit for 2 weeks before bottling. Based on what people are saying here it sounds like I might have been better off letting it sit in the vodka during secondary, and adding right before bottling?

I suppose we'll see how it turns out!
 
(noob comments follow)
I'm using vanilla in my first beer, a stout. I soaked two beans in 4oz of vodka for 5 days, and then dumped everything, beans and all, into the secondary which I intend to let sit for 2 weeks before bottling. Based on what people are saying here it sounds like I might have been better off letting it sit in the vodka during secondary, and adding right before bottling?

I suppose we'll see how it turns out!

Were it me, I would have let the vanilla sit and soak for at least 2 weeks. I've heard a month is perfect. You might have needed more vodka than 4 oz, but I can't say for sure.

The only reason I didn't dump all the bits in during bottling is I didn't want to get any of the actual seeds in a bottle and have that one be super vanilla-y. You'll probably be ok considering you have to transfer 1 more time to the bottling bucket.
 
Secondary is OK for the fresh extract. I just used it in the priming solution since thinking it'd be more pronounced, which it was. BUT, like dry hopping, it does fade over time. Not sure why?...
 
I've been experimenting with vanilla a couple times this year in porter.

The first time, I used five beans in a few ounces of vodka for about 3 days. I added the entire contents (vodka and beans) into the secondary and let it sit for about 10 days. Honestly, I did not taste the vanilla nearly as much as I expected. Others that drank the beer said that they would not have known there was vanilla had I not told them.

My second attempt, I used 10 beans in several ounces of vodka, and let it sit all through primary fermentation (about 3 weeks). I racked onto it in the secondary again, and gave it another week or so. The vanilla was more evident this time, but still not the classic flavor I was shooting for.

In a few months, I'll try again. Right now I'm making a true extract by soaking 10 beans (5 Madagascar and 5 Tahitian) in a cup and a half of vodka for about 3 months. I'm not sure how much of the extract I will end up using, but whatever amount that is, will be added with the priming sugar on bottling day.
 
I'm making my own vanilla extract with vodka and vanilla beans. I'm not exactly sure when to add it to my beer. I've tried to google it, but I always get conflicted answers.

I used a clean knife, but I didn't sanitize the knife with star san though. I'm worried about potential infection. I thought about adding it to the wort right before flame out or at flame out. However, I read that heat may affect the flavor that I will spend 2 months on obtaining.

Some say add it in the secondary, but I'm not going to use a secondary. Also, I thought about adding it to the bottling bucket and stir gently before bottling or add it to my cooled wort before I move it into the primary for fermentation.

I have no idea what the best course is.

Add it just prior to packaging (bottling or keg), it fades fairly quickly so the flavor doesn't age that well...
 
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