Dry hopping vanilla?

[borischarlton]

Hi

Made a stout over the weekend and split into two fermenters. I was thinking of dry hopping one with vanilla beans. Any ideas about sterilising? Not bother? Microwave? Anyone tried it?

Cheers

Rob

 

[seanipops]

Never done it with Vanilla, Rob, but I did put oak chips in a sterilised stocking.

Toasted chips in the oven, poured boiling water on to sterilise, drained, soaked in Jack Daniels, then put in a sterilised stocking.

I'm not sure if sterilising with boiling water would cause flavour to leech out of the pods. What do you think?

 

[borischarlton]

Good thought, I could steep in JD for a couple of days then add the JD and the beans. So it's gone from stout to vanilla stout to vanilla bourbon stout, should be interesting. Thanks

Rob

 

[seanipops]

Ooh vanilla bourbon.... Genius.

Imperial strength?

 

[borischarlton]

I must have drunk all the JD so used brandy instead. I split 6 pods and scraped out the seeds then put the whole lot into half a pint of brandy, I will let it steep for a few days then add it after fermentation has finished.

Rob