ok I've used powdered cinnamon before, but my daughter sent me rolled up cinnamon bark. Smells strong and its around 10 inch long and 4 inches wide, so,,,,, do I break off a piece and throw it in the boil like I did with powder or use it like a coffee bean in the secondary ?
These two vendors suggest 1 stick with 5 minutes left in the boil. Neither one comments on whether to remove before primary. https://www.midwestsupplies.com/cinnamon-sticks-1-oz https://www.homebrewsupply.com/cinnamon-sticks-1-oz.html Serious Eats says “Since this is a bark, adding it to the boil will extract puckering tannins. Instead, add 2 to 4 sticks to the secondary fermentation vessel for at least a week.” https://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/05/homebrewing-how-to-brew-with-spices.html FWIW > > > Serious Eats is a very good site for all sorts of cooking tips. As always...sanitize if adding to the secondary.
I agree with the secondary. I'm would not sanitize with anything other than vodka. Additionally, there are levels of intensity to cinnamon so you need to take that into account and taste it first.
Is it 4" wide rolled up....as in 4" diameter by 10" long? That's a pretty big cinnamon stick, probably 4 times (or more) larger than a single stick from a the grocer or HBS. Maybe weigh it and see how it compares with other suppliers offerings.
Do you know if it's true cinnamon or Cinnamomum cassia? C. cassia is what you would buy in the grocery story labeled as "cinnamon," while true cinnamon is going to give a different character (in my experience, spicier and less sweet, more like Red Hot candies than like a cinnamon bun). Speaking personally, I prefer C. cassia, maybe because it's what I grew up thinking of as cinnamon. Having said all of that, I don't actually think you would treat the two spices differently in brewing, you would just get different character out of them.
Fwiw, I used 2 store-bought cinnamon sticks in the primary on day 2 of fermentation, left in there until bottling. This was in a 1gal batch. Not scientific at all, but that came out absolutely perfectly for me in an ~8% porter.
@Prep8611 yeah buddy, and im still waiting for the mailing address. @minderbender she bought them in the middle east so no idea on variety. @riptorn yep its a bigg one and loud. in the end i broke off a chunk, tossed it in the boil for 5 minutes and fished it out and in to the fermenter. Ill update in a couple weeks thanks everybody
I like to make a tincture with cinnamon. Soak it in liquor of your choice for a bit, and then add it to taste at packaging
Sorta kinda, @SFACRKnight mentioned smoking pumpkin for a brew and I kinda liked the idea and just started the run and gun. It was very popular.
That's typically what I've done in the past as well. If it's not enough cinnamon for you, throw another chunk in the oven at 215 deg (anything will be killed) for 10 min and after letting it cool a bit, toss into secondary. I've used them in all stages, and that's worked the best. I've also made tinctures and teas with them, so shooter's preference. I'm not a fan of soaking in vodka because I have a crazy sense for anything hard A and ultimately that's about all I'll taste. Would like to hear how the Middle East bark works out though!
It was tremendous. Party goers loved it and since I have 3 bottles left, I'm waiting for it to be fully aged and mature before samleing the last. I will use it again the way I stated!!!
