Adding Vanilla bean at bottling

[zinn]

I am brewing a milk stout and plan to add three vanilla beans (which will be boiled to reduce risk of contamination). My question is, do I have to let the beans sit in the secondary for a week to extract the flavor. Or, can I just put the beans in the secondary, stir it up for a minute and then bottle (where it will sit/carbonate for a couple weeks)?

Alternatively, what about steeping the vanilla beans and then just throwing the liquid into the secondary, stirring it around for a minute, and then bottling?

Hopefully this makes sense.

Thanks!

 

[dmcclain]

Did a porter with oak and vanilla. Added the beans (split down the length) into a tertiary for 2 weeks after a secondary with oak for 2 weeks. Been in bottles since July so I don't know if it worked or not, but could taste it all pretty well in my final hydrometer sample. I'll let you know for sure on the 30th when I crack the first one open. I relied on the advice from these forums, so if it stinks, don't blame me... lol

 

[Newsman]

What has worked well for me (the one time I tried it) was to soak some split vanilla beans in a little bit of whiskey (I used Jim Beam) for a few days and then dump whiskey and vanilla beans into the secondary and let it sit for a couple weeks. It starts out VERY strong vanilla flavor, but after it ages, the vanilla flavor diminishes. Those were the directions I got when I brewed an Imperial Vanilla stout last year.

 

[zinn]

Thanks for the advice. The beer is all ready to be bottled, so I guess I'm just trying to figure out a way to avoid having to wait another week or two to bottle while the vanilla rests in the secondary. But, I should probably just be patient.

 

[mscott5205]

Thanks for the advice. The beer is all ready to be bottled, so I guess I'm just trying to figure out a way to avoid having to wait another week or two to bottle while the vanilla rests in the secondary. But, I should probably just be patient.

If you are using beans it will need time to extract the flavors. You can use vanilla extract at bottling if you don't want to wait.

 

[Melana]

What I do know about vanilla beans is the overall flavor comes into its own after a few months of aging. If you have the carboy space and the patience you will probably be rewarded if you let them sit together for a month or so. Or go buy some top of the line vanilla extract and add that a few days before bottling.