Vanilla porter?
December 16, 2006 4:19 PM Subscribe
HomebrewFilter: How to best go about brewing up a vanilla porter?
Let's say I were to brew a batch of vanilla porter. What would be the best way of getting that hint of vanilla flavor in there? Extract or whole bean pods? Or beans out of the pod? During the boil or in the fermentation? I know that putting whole nuts in your beer can play something awful with the mouthfeel, but does the same principle apply here? Any tips/tricks you hopheads out there have to offer would be greatly appreciated.
Let's say I were to brew a batch of vanilla porter. What would be the best way of getting that hint of vanilla flavor in there? Extract or whole bean pods? Or beans out of the pod? During the boil or in the fermentation? I know that putting whole nuts in your beer can play something awful with the mouthfeel, but does the same principle apply here? Any tips/tricks you hopheads out there have to offer would be greatly appreciated.
My first suggestion is try try brewing Denny's Vanilla Bourbon Imperial Porter. That thread contains a link to the recipe. It is absolutely one of the best beers I've ever brewed. To answer your question more specifically, this is the method used to get vanilla flavor: "After primary, slit open 2 vanilla beans. Scrape the insides, chop the pods into quarters, add to secondary fermenter, rack beer onto vanilla."
posted by ecrivain at 5:26 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by ecrivain at 5:26 PM on December 16, 2006
I brewed a "double chocolate" stout once by adding crem de cacao to the fermenter. It was awesome. Maybe you could add a vanilla liquer if there is such a thing.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:52 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:52 PM on December 16, 2006
I've had a couple whole beans sitting in a mason jar of vodka for several months and it made a great vanilla extract. I'd go with the beans.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 7:12 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 7:12 PM on December 16, 2006
My homebrewer husband agrees wholeheartedly with ecrivain. He says, "Yep, whole beans, after fermentation. Age the beer on the pods."
posted by web-goddess at 7:56 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by web-goddess at 7:56 PM on December 16, 2006
Do you do secondary in glass or in kegs?
For that matter do you keg or bottle?
Having been part of a vanilla porter production process, I say split and scrape beans, add to keg and age. I wouldn't chop up the bean to avoid the inevitable bean plug problem. If you secondary in the keg, perfect.
You could rack onto them in the secondary if you use a carboy, but you don't want to waste such an expensive resource by only letting the beer sit on it for a week or two. I think that you really have to let the flavor steep out of the beans if you want to have even a noticeable flavor in the beer. If you bottle and have to add the beans in the secondary, I'd chop that shit op fine. More surface area, and so on.
The best source, quality and price, that I have found (making own extract and beer) is this website. I 'taint affiliated with them. Not that you asked for that, though.
posted by Seamus at 10:50 PM on December 16, 2006
For that matter do you keg or bottle?
Having been part of a vanilla porter production process, I say split and scrape beans, add to keg and age. I wouldn't chop up the bean to avoid the inevitable bean plug problem. If you secondary in the keg, perfect.
You could rack onto them in the secondary if you use a carboy, but you don't want to waste such an expensive resource by only letting the beer sit on it for a week or two. I think that you really have to let the flavor steep out of the beans if you want to have even a noticeable flavor in the beer. If you bottle and have to add the beans in the secondary, I'd chop that shit op fine. More surface area, and so on.
The best source, quality and price, that I have found (making own extract and beer) is this website. I 'taint affiliated with them. Not that you asked for that, though.
posted by Seamus at 10:50 PM on December 16, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by plinth at 5:10 PM on December 16, 2006