I know this has probably been discussed earlier, but i did some searches and really just started get confused on when to add the vanilla beans. I am brewing a cream ale this weekend with my son and he wants to add some vanilla beans to the recipe. Should we add the beans at flame out or to the primary fermentation bucket? This recipe does not call for a secondary fermentation.
You don't have to transfer to a secondary vessel, but you should wait til primary fermentation is over, then add the vanilla. Cut open and scrape the goo out of the beans, let it sit in some vodka if you'd like. Then add to the fermenter once primary fermentation is done.
Here are my notes about adding vanilla beans: - normally use about 2-3 beans for five gallons - 2 beans is barely noticeable, while 4 is too much - use the entire vanilla bean after it has been split and scraped, seeds included - can add at flameout (don’t add earlier) or soak in Vodka and add later - the last option seems preferable - if the vanilla is soaked rather than boiled, you get a much smoother flavour - to make an extract of vanilla beans, cut the ends off, cut them into 3 or 4 pieces, split each piece down the middle, scrape out the insides (seeds, etc.), and add them to a small jar - then pour either Vodka or Bourbon, enough to roughly cover them, and seal the jar - let them soak for 2-3 weeks shaking the jar every so often - then add them all to the secondary to taste, generally for another 2-4 weeks - using a White Labs vial for soaking the vanilla beans works quite well - I have soaked as many as 6 cut up and scraped beans in 35 ml (1.2 oz.) of Bourbon in a White Labs vial - you can also make the tincture before-hand and keep it in a pantry for when you need it - you can also add the split vanilla beans directly to the secondary.
I added 3 (fresh!) beans cut, split and soaked in bourbon for 2-3 weeks... Added all of it into my RIS after I hit FG. From my taste samples so far, intense vanilla. And this is in a 12% ABV Russian Imperial. For a cream ale, 1 bean should be plenty IMO.
Remember a cream ale has less flavor than a ris, so you may want to err on the side of caution. Three beans was the magic number for my 1.123 og stout, but is probably over kill for your cream ale.
So we are brewing this weekend. We just got the beans today. Does this mean I should not add the beans since a couple of the above post says to soak them for 2-3 weeks. I was hoping to soak them for a couple of days and adding to the primary fermentation. I just don't want to waste the beans since the are rather expensive.
I'd say that's a fine plan…I would even use 1 bean for a cream ale to add just a skosh of vanilla flavor. Chop it up and soak for a couple days, then dump it in primary. Use the rest of the beans to make a vanilla extract. Worst case scenario, beer tastes like a cream ale.
