Vanilla Extract

[Iliff Avenue Brewhouse]

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?

 

[jmcnamara]

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?

 

[Iliff Avenue Brewhouse]

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?

 

[jmcnamara]

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

 

[Hogarthe]

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.

 

[Iliff Avenue Brewhouse]

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.

 

[jmcnamara]

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

 

[Nosybear]

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.

 

[Iliff Avenue Brewhouse]

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.

 

[Hawkbox]

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.