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Vanilla Extract
Hey to all you vanilla users out there.
Is vanilla extract bad in a brew? I know I could use vanilla bean, but I thought I heard a long time ago that vanilla extract gave weird flavors that the beans didn't.
I have a desire to experiment with something that I want to add vanilla too, I was hoping to use extract until the recipe was what I was looking for then switch to beans maybe. I don't want to waste beans during the experimental phase of said "new beer" concept.
I think if you were to use pure vanilla extract and not the cheapo stuff it would be fine. The pure is crazy expensive though and maybe cheaper using the beans. I am doing another bourbon vanilla porter next week and got the beans through morebeer for $6, I was very happy w/ the last one I am not messin w/ it.
Brewchez, check out Penzy's Spices:
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/ … beans.html
They have a shop in Arlington, MA and you get 3 beans to a bottle for under $7. They carry both Mexican and Madagascar varieties. You can use Vanilla extract, just make sure it's of high quality, which usually ends up being pretty expensive itself. If using an extract, you will want to look at how much alcohol is in the mix (high amount of alcohol means less vanilla) and whether it's single or double strength (twice as many beans used to make the extract).
I haven't used a cheap cooking vanilla extract you can get at the grocery store for brewing. I have used high quality extract and beans though, and have used leftovers for cooking. There's a huge difference in flavor between the cheap extract and high quality extract.
DT
I was listening to a pod cast on wood-aged beers by Jamil and in it he mentions the quality of vanilla extract available now and according to him the flavor comparisons from the extract to the beans is very close at a fraction of the cost.
I've used vanilla beans in a bourbon barrel porter of my own that turned out great, but I spent $12 on beans at the grocery store. Made me want to give the extract a try until I heard thirsty say morebeer has them for $6. At that cost why bother using extract!
If you have a friend that goes to Mexico with any regularity, you can get the actual real stuff in 750 ml size and its freaking great quality. Only costs about 5 US (so far as my grandma says), and it works great in beer. Of course, the real stuff is literally just vodka that had beans soaking in it for a long time.
-R
I use something called vanilla bean paste..... it's expensive but it's great for brewing because it leaves a nice clean character without any of the artificial overtones. i get it at the local snooty cooking supply store where they also sell things like olive pitters and bamboo steames and cast iron pots and pans that look like giant bell-peppers. (cute but what a nightmare those things would be to clean, I'll pass...)
seriously though, the vanilla bean paste is awesome stuff....
Jen wrote:
seriously though, the vanilla bean paste is awesome stuff....
AHHHH! now I am really intrigued. This is why we need these forums.
I was thinking I may hold off on the vanilla Stout idea but now I may need to just give this vanilla paste a try.
Sound like something I might also mix with peanut butter on a sandwhich.
mmm...fluffernutter with vanilla paste.....sounds yummy...
Rubberchrist wrote:
If you have a friend that goes to Mexico with any regularity, you can get the actual real stuff in 750 ml size and its freaking great quality. Only costs about 5 US (so far as my grandma says), and it works great in beer. Of course, the real stuff is literally just vodka that had beans soaking in it for a long time.
-R
The stuff from Mexico is true vanilla extract and fairly cheap. Most of what is in the US is imitation vanilla extract. I don't think I have ever seen real vanilla extract. And adding it to a stout or porter couldn't make that noticeable of a difference between beans, extract or imitation, IMO.
I just had a stout that I screwed up and tried to fix and it turned out like a bitter porter so I added bourbon and imitation vanilla and it tastes much better now.
The bourbon probably helped smooth out the imitation vanilla quite a bit... It has alot of vanilla character from the residual sugars and the oak they use for it.
Ultimately, it's probably not an enormous difference.
-R
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