Help with Vanilla beans and cocao nibs

Good info here

http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...ing-with-a-chocolate-stout.43189/#post-556040

http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...a-nibs-and-cinnamon-sticks.43181/#post-548544

 

1. 2-3 beans or so, soaked in enough rum or vodka or other spirit to cover the cut up beans AND inside scrapings, for 2 weeks+ (longer the better)...then toss in secondary for anywhere from 1 week to 1 month

2. 4-8 ounces or more if you want, soak them in a spirit as well or just toss them in the secondary for around 2 weeks

 

Check out www.beanilla.com for quality beans and containers for soaking both beans and nibs...I use the Madagascar beans and the cheap small 4 oz corked bottle for soaking vanilla.

 

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/oak-infusion-spiral-pack-of-2-american-light-toast.html

Like these? I've found that the recommended amount to use gives a relatively full on oak flavor...too much for my preference (I like a more balanced oaked flavor). If you're going for a big oaked flavor, then I'd do the recommended dose of 1 stick for a half batch. Cut that back depending on what percent oaked you want. If it was me, I'd soak it in Makers Mark before you toss it in

 

Bottled up my vanilla stout yesterday. 5 gallons 12.5% imperial stout sat on 2 rum soaked Mexican vanilla beans from penzies for 2 weeks. The vanilla is very much in the forefront, but the astringent roast bitterness balances it out on the back.

 

This x1000. I love beanilla, the vanilla at the grocery, or even the specialty gourmet store, is overpriced garbage by comparison. I have used the madigascar, mexican, and tahitian varieties so far and continue to be surprised by how distinct they are from one another.

 

I was thinking of brewing a stout with vanilla beans. Why do you need to soak them in a spirit before use?

 

Spirits are a drinkable sanitizer to kill any bugs that may be on the vanilla beans.

 

OK thanks, Do you take the beans out or do you put both the beans a spirit in the secondary?

 

The spirits will pick up some of the vanilla flavor and you don't want to waste that, so I'd dump both into the beer.

 

That makes sense, thanks for your help!

 

The spirit is a sanitizer, but primarily its for extracting more of the fat soluble essence/flavor from the beans. If you just toss them into the secondary, you won't get as much flavor compared to soaking in alcohol.