Will (some) the Vanilla Flavor Drop Out

[phendog]

Been working on an Imperial Stout for a while now. I added 4oz Cacao Nibs and 2 split down the middle vanilla beans to my Stout in secondary. About 5 days in it was simply amazing, wanted to keg but didn't have time and let it go for another couple days until the weekend.

Man,.. what a difference and really feel like I missed the "peak" and in hindsight, I should have taken the bag out while waiting to keg.

A taste from the bottling bucket was much sweeter than the taste two days prior and way to much vanilla for my taste and seems to have robbed the beer from the amazing malt roast-e-ness and complex flavors it had.

It's bottle conditioning now. Will some of the vanilla drop out after a while or will it become more pronounced?

 

[day_trippr]

ime, vanilla tends to fade with time...

Cheers!

 

[bobeer]

Most of the natural flavors I've used have faded over time. Same with spices, coffee, and I've even had it happen with wood. I like to think all the beer collides together over time and only certain flavors survive!

 

[Sadu]

I brewed a 10 gallon porter and split the batch - half got racked to secondary with 2 large vanilla beans (which had been chopped up and steeped in whiskey about a week). Other half got bottled straight from primary.

After both had carbed the vanilla version was by far the better of the 2, the vanilla flavour was clear but not overpowering. After 2-3 months aging I can't tell the difference between them, all traces of vanilla have gone and the coffee/roasty flavours are at the front now in both beers.

 

[phendog]

Thanks Sadu!!! Great news for my taste. I like the vanilla but let it become to pronounced before packaging. I plan on sampling a bottle in one month.

 

[worlddivides]

I'm jealous. I couldn't even taste the vanilla in the last beer I used vanilla in and I used 3 vanilla beans for about 1.5 weeks in primary. Next time I'll probably use 6 vanilla beans and hope that I can actually taste them. (I also used cacao nibs, and I could taste those).

But, as for your question, yes, the flavor will fade over time.

 

[murrahjm]

My last porter I did 5 vanilla beans and was really worried when I kegged it. A month later and I only get a hint of vanilla when it's really warm

 

[Fizzycist]

I made a vanilla porter with about 8 beans in 5 gallons (I got em really cheap). After 2 months in the bottle the vanilla was so strong I couldn't even drink it. After 6 months it had mellowed out beautifully and was one of the best beers I ever made. The flavor then stayed consistent over about a year till they were all consumed.