So I threw together a recipe where I made up a stout and used vanilla bean guts to flavor it up a bit. I’ve read on here that most are recommending 2 vanilla beans per 5 gallons.
The spice store that I bought them at sold them in packs of three. So I figured, that I would just put all three in there rather than have a random vanilla bean hanging around.
Did I just make alcohol fueled vanilla coke? Hoping that the vanilla doesn’t overpower the beer …
Any thoughts?
It’s a very personal question. I find that most commercial vanilla beers are over powering. Other love them.
You could try to rack it off the vanilla quick to limit the flavor. Or make another beer and mix them.
The vanilla is the first flavor to fade. In a month or so you may be glad the extra one was in there.
I use 2 1/2 or 3 per 5 gallons comes out great.
were these fresh or dried?
It depends on the beans you have. Sometimes 1 is enough, sometimes it takes 3 or 4.
Fresh don’t use the extract. My oatmeal vanilla stout took first place in Milwaukee a couple months ago now to see how it does in the mashout.
Also there are 2 microbreweries brewing it.
It depends on the beans you have. Sometimes 1 is enough, sometimes it takes 3 or 4.[/quote]
I agree. I’ve had some beans that 2 was almost too much.
I suppose it also has to do with how you use the beans. I have heard some say, just scrape out the interior of the pod and only use that; others have just split them and put them in whole. I think it is a matter of balance, based on the type of beer that it is going into. I prefer a hint of taste to a tongue scraper…
