vanilla in priming sugar

[fletchsj]

Just a question for some of the more experienced bottlers. I keg most of my beer, but have recently been restocking my bigger beers (bottled) and thought that I might try adding a couple vanilla beans to my priming sugar solution (then remove prior to adding to my bottling bucket.) Does anyone have any experience with this? I initially thought adding extract but that is known to have all sorts of nasties compared to a couple fresh beans steeped in the sugar solution.

Also, if you have tried this was there much of a result? Beans are expensive and I'm not looking for a ton of flavor, maybe just the aroma of vanilla on the nose for stouts, porters, barley wines, etc. Might even be nice in a nut brown. Anyway thanks in advance for all offered insight. ( normally don't post due to every question generally being answered already, but I couldn't find anything except not to use reg sugar due to vanilla and other off flavors, this is quite the opposite)

thx.

 

[day_trippr]

Ok, I'll take the bait: what "all sorts of nasties" do you imagine are in pure vanilla extract?

Cheers!

 

[Revvy]

I've done chilies, citrus peels, and even some spices in the boil and strained out after. I decided to add 1.5 ounces of ginger to my priming sugar boil.

As you can see it has a nice straw color as opposed to the clear you are used to. It smelled amazingly like ginger.

I've also done it with dried chilli peppers for my chocolate mole porter. And done citrus peels with various beers such as using orange peels in my wits.

You could do it with any dry spice, such as cloves, coriander, star anise for a licorice beer, cinnamon and even a vanilla beer. You can do with this is to add some lactose to the boil as well, since it is unfermentable, it should sweeten the flavor somewhat.

 

[fletchsj]

Ok, I'll take the bait: what "all sorts of nasties" do you imagine are in pure vanilla extract?

Cheers!

Well I watch "Good Eats" religiously and Alton Brown was talking about alcohols, tree bark, and carcinogens, from many extracts made in mexico (all of the extracts I've found in the stores) I'd would perfer to not add carcinogens.

@Revvy Thanks for imparting your knowledge. It looks like I shouldn't be as nervous lol. The ginger is a great idea! I hope it had the results you were hoping for!

 

[day_trippr]

Well I watch "Good Eats" religiously and Alton Brown was talking about alcohols, tree bark, and carcinogens, from many extracts made in mexico (all of the extracts I've found in the stores) I'd would perfer to not add carcinogens.[...]

Mmmm....ok. If you're buying crap extracts from unregulated sources, you probably should expect crap ingredients.

I buy the good stuff from a reputable manufacturer. No crap, just pure extracts...

Cheers!

 

[boswell]

Sounds good to me, use a bean and a little of the 'good' extract.

 

[unionrdr]

I've got a new idea I came up with for the SA summer ale clone I had my wife brew up. On one particular shopping trip,I spent some time in the baking needs isle after picking up the things we need there. I found the demerara sugar,& right near that these larger juice box sized boxes. The were crystallized lemon,lime,or orange juice. No preservatives either. They're called true lemon,true lime,etc. There are 32 packets to a box,& 2 packets equals 1TBSP of juice. I thought to add some to the 2C priming solution to give the lemon on the back flavor summer ale has at bottling.
Besides priming my Burton Ale with demerara sugar. I'll be using more in this one than I did with the English Bitter. So it should give a little of that light brown sugar laced with honey flavor on the back.

 

[BrewingReverend]

I have never used beans in the priming sugar but have placed a few in the carboy during fermentation. I have also used a all natural organic extract when kegging a vanilla cream ale that goes over extremely well. Never noticed any sort of off flavors or anything.