Flavors in secondary vs time in a bottle

[vNmd]

I brewed a stout and am about to transfer to secondary to add flavorings. Just wondering how to gauge adding chocolate & vanilla "to taste" in a secondary and what to expect for the end product in a bottle after time.

As far as adding flavors in the secondary, should I:
* get the flavors just like I want them in the bottle / glass later (flavors will stay the same over time)
* get the flavors a little stronger in the secondary (will mellow with time in a bottle)
* leave the flavors a little weaker in the secondary (will build intensity with time in a bottle)

Thanks

 

[dozer5454]

If your adding vanilla in the form of beans I would attach them to a sting after cutting them lengthwise and clearing out the guts. Vanilla can quickly go from being a very mild background element to a "holy cow" would you like some beer with your vanilla. I do a vanilla coffee stout. The vanilla and coffee are in a grain bag in the secondary between 7-10 days. When it hits 7 days is when I start the taste tests to make sure the vanilla doesn't go over the top. For the most part the coffee has been pretty consistent. Once you hit your taste then bottle and enjoy.