Beer Forum

I have a porter in my primary that i wanted to flavor with vanilla bean. I was told to put it into the secondary fermenter, but I've also been told to skip using a secondary and simply add the bean to the primary after the 1st week. Any opinions on which method (or even another method) would be best. Prost!

I would either make and extract out of your vanilla beans or use a high quality, pure vanilla extract and dose it at packaging. Do some taste test on a small scale until it tastes how you want it. Then convert how much you added to the small volume, to the volume you are packaging. Add directly to the keg or in the bottling bucket if your bottling.

If you're going to use the vanilla bean I think I would use a secondary fermenter. As long as you're sanitary it shouldn't be a problem. I would think the vanilla bean would settle in the crud and not have as much contact time with the beer if you put it in primary. Good luck

From my reply here:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12455&hilit=vanilla+bourbon

triple-oh_six wrote:Anyway, I don't secondary much either.
After about 14 days I split my beans like suggested above.
I soaked them in bourbon for about an hour then added to the carboys. 2 per 5 gals
After 7 more days I kegged and added 1.25 cup Jim Beam white label.



Prost

I used the bourbon to kill any nasties but I guess you could go w/o it, or use vodka.
Hope that helps

I'm actually walking away fom the computer to add my beans now.

I have now done a VRP twice, both times adding 1 bean during the boil, then adding extract at kegging. Both very excellenet beers. The first time, I added 1 tsp/5 gallons....judges said they couldn't taste and vanilla. The next time I brewed it, I added 2 tsps of extract, and scored 34. 2 is pretty awesome.....I might try and do 1 3/4 next time....just a hair too much for my taste. And after-all, we are brewing for "OUR" taste, not the judges.

I would suggest making an extract with your beans. This is my FAVORITE beer. I have tried the bean in the boil, first and secondary. And I still couldn't taste hardly any vanilla. After spending a lot of money on vanilla beans, I ended up adding extract before I bottled (badrock still does not let me use his kegs:)

Vanna #1 wrote:(badrock still does not let me use his kegs:)

I hear a little fiddle....

If you are adding vanilla extract to your fermenter, should it be boiled first to sanitize it?