Question about making/using vodka tincture in secondary

You can.. I would just let the tincture sit long enough to soak up all the flavors, strain, and blend with the beer at bottling. You get better results when aging on this stuff in secondary from my experience, but this method still works well for infusing the flavors.

 

I've only done two adjunct stouts (one with tincture and one with ingredients directly in secondary), but here are my thoughts:

• There is less risk of infection with an imperial stout due to the alcohol content, so if you want to use the ingredients directly in secondary it should be ok
• If you want to make a tincture, it sounds like bourbon or rum might go better with the flavor profile you're shooting for
• I've personally had better results adding the ingredients to secondary, but again, small sample size

 

I would actually argue that coffee is unique as a secondary ingredient. I've never heard of anyone making a coffee tincture with vodka. Typical methods include buying or making cold brew (just steep the crushed beans in cool water for 12-24 hrs), or adding the beans (whole or partly crushed) into secondary.

 

I made a coffee tincture with vodka and bourbon that I added to a brown ale a few years ago. I was happy enough with the results that I'd be inclined to use the same method if I ever feel the need to add coffee to a batch of beer.