Coffee And Vanilla

[azabeer]

Hi all
I am wondering if any one has used coffee or vanilla in their beer and at what rates. Have never really tried these flavors so Im interested in how to go about it. Any thoughts would be greatly appriciated.
Oh also would you use vanilla beans or extract.

 

[Screwtop]

Hi all
I am wondering if any one has used coffee or vanilla in their beer and at what rates. Have never really tried these flavors so Im interested in how to go about it. Any thoughts would be greatly appriciated.
Oh also would you use vanilla beans or extract.

After using both coffee shots (made from coffee beans) and vanilla essence (not artificial), my advice is wait till it's in the keg or in secondary prior to bottling. Then add a drop (Vanilla) or teaspoon (coffee) at a time to the whole batch/keg.....tasting after every addition until you can just taste it. Subtlety is the secret when it comes to these two flavourings in beer.

Screwy

 

[manticle]

Hi all
I am wondering if any one has used coffee or vanilla in their beer and at what rates. Have never really tried these flavors so Im interested in how to go about it. Any thoughts would be greatly appriciated.
Oh also would you use vanilla beans or extract.

I've used coffee in a stout. I just added around the amount I'd put in a 4 cup plunger at the end of the boil.

It turned out well but I'm now more interested in getting well integrated coffee flavours from grains instead. Roasted barley will lend a coffee characteristic to beer.

I've never tried vanilla but my inclination would be to use beans (sliced lengthways and scraped at the end of the boil, then the leftover beans added to the fermenter at the same time as the yeast)

 

[Hogan]

The following advice was provided in a US porter recipe where chocolate and vanilla were ingredients.

"Vanilla beans are okay in primary, but a lot of volatiles are lost in the vigorous CO2 blowoff of a good ferment. Extraction is better in the alcoholic environment of the secondary fermentation vessel."


Cheers, Hoges.

 

[kirem]

you can also get both flavours/aromas from oak.

Drop Brad Rogers a line at stone and wood and ask what he can tell you about the crema he when he was the Matilda Bay brewer.

 

[barfridge]

Vanillins, the active ingredient in vanilla, are soluble in alcohol, that's why vanilla extract uses an alcohol base. So for that reason alone I'd be inclined to add them to secondary. Maybe a quick boil to sterilise them first.