Vanilla Stout

[jaymack]

Hi,

Looking for opinions... I'm making an extract-with-grain dry stout and wanted to add a hint of vanilla to the finished taste. I was going to use Vanilla extract and was wondering if anyone had some thoughts as to how much and when I should add it.

I want the Vanilla to be noticeable, but not overpowering. Just enough to be able to taste it, but not dominate the finished taste.

Thanks,
J

 

[the_bird]

Personally, I think it's going to be hard to pull the vanilla flavor out in a dry stout. Sugar enhances those kinds of flavors. Personally, I think a milk stout would be a great base for a subtle vanilla addition.

 

[jaymack]

Thanks for the tip.

Here's the recipe I was going to use:

8 oz Black patent malt
12 oz Chocolate malt
12 oz Crystal

1 oz Chinook
1/2 oz Northern
1/2 oz Nothern (finishing)

Wasn't certain how much LME (Lite or Amber) to use either

J

 

[dcbrewmeister]

The chocolate malt is going to add more "chocolate" flavor than you think. Hard to make a vanilla stout with chocolate malt as one of the ingredients...

 

[humboldthomebrew]

Just to chime in a little here, I just brewed a batch of stout last night with a whole vanilla bean in the boil. I also used a chocolate malt and a small amount of cocoa nibs (very bitter, and work great in beer, IMO) to give an extra chocolate flavor, I think It will go well with the vanilla. To make sure this beer will not be too sweet I added ginger as well as bitter orange peel at the end of the boil. Some very fresh locally grown organic Cascade hops (I reduced hopping rates) I added to the boil should have lowered the sweetness as well.
The SG was 1.056 so hopefully, the sweetness/bitterness is the right balance that i'm trying to Achieve.

This was a recipe my aunt gave me, and it really jumped out at me, and has some unique ingredients, some of which might not have been completely necessary, such as a small pinch of each red pepper flakes ground black peppercorn (very small amounts). It also called for licorice root, orange blossom honey, molassas, coriander, cinnomon and Saaz hops. It is meant to be a very long-aging brew, to mellow out some of the otherwise upfront and out-there flavors. I hopefull will condition mine for 3-4 months If I can wait.

I know it sounds wacky, but I tried a pint of it before I decided to try to replicate. And truthfully was quite good, with long aging, my aunt assured me that the odd flavorings mellow out. She served it at about 47 degrees with a nitrogen/CO2 keg. It was GreaT!

Let me know if anybody sounds interested in the recipie

 

[Nate]

I would add the vanilla to the secondary. The first time I used it I added it late in the boil and I think a lot of the vanilla flavor boiled off.