Vanilla Extract

Iliff Avenue Brewhouse

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The consensus seems to be to use vanilla beans over vanilla extract. Has anyone had good outcomes with extract? I realize the biggest keg would not be getting imitation vanilla extract.

I'm using vanilla for the first time along with cocoa nibs, and almonds roasted with cinnamon. I just want a hint of vanilla in a big beer so hoping I could just pop in a couple of tsp after fermentation is complete. Any thoughts?
 
if you get a good extract, you shouldn't have problems.
but yeah, you could either put them in the fermenter like that or when you go to package
have you thought of making a tincture?
 
if you get a good extract, you shouldn't have problems.
but yeah, you could either put them in the fermenter like that or when you go to package
have you thought of making a tincture?

The almonds and cocoa nibs are going to go in a bag in the fermenter for a couple of weeks. I was thinking of adding the extract at the same time and make a determination if more is needed at my final hydrometer check before bottling.

Are you recommending a tincture using vanilla bean and alcohol?
 
i definitely agree to go easy whenever you decide to add them. Like you said, you can always add more later

Yeah, a tincture is any spices or flavorings in alcohol (usually cheap vodka) to extract the flavors. Strain and add use the liquid. It'll give you a little more control over adding to the beer, rather than the beer taking it from the vanilla or whatever directly. if that makes any sense
 
Nothing wrong with using vanilla extract. Just make sure it's real vanilla extract and not imitation. There is a difference. If you make a tincture with a bean and vodka, you are basically making real vanilla extract. Either way add it little by little so you can taste how much is right. Or get a cup of the beer and add by milliliter until you find what tastes good and then scale up mathematically.
 
Thanks dudes. Wasn’t sure if someone might have a good recommended starting point like 1 tsp. I will tinker around with it I suppose.
 
i dig around a little bit for what seems to be a general consensus on an amount, then reduce that by half if i'm really unsure or if it's a new ingredient. It might not get the flavor i want on the first try, but at least it'll still be drinkable
 
The consensus seems to be to use vanilla beans over vanilla extract. Has anyone had good outcomes with extract? I realize the biggest keg would not be getting imitation vanilla extract.

I'm using vanilla for the first time along with cocoa nibs, and almonds roasted with cinnamon. I just want a hint of vanilla in a big beer so hoping I could just pop in a couple of tsp after fermentation is complete. Any thoughts?
I am not a member of that consensus. Get a good quality vanilla extract that meets your flavor requirements - they differ by region of origin - and skip the fuss of making your own. All you're doing by soaking a vanilla bean of unknown origin in vodka is making vanilla extract. You can add it to your beer at packaging to taste where if you steep a bean, what you get is what you get. But I guess there's a thought out there that soaking a bean of unknown origin or age in a 50% ethanol solution is somehow better so if that's what you want to do, enjoy. Recommendation still holds: Add the resultant vanilla extract to your beer at packaging to taste.
 
Thanks gents. Found a cooking site that equates 1 tsp of extract to one bean. Going to go with 2 tsp to start and add more at bottling if necessary. A lot going on in this beer so no need to overdo it.
 
That's handy to know, I usually use 3 beans per 5 gallon batch in the porter I make. Going to extract would definitely simplify things.
 

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