Killa Vanilla

[dave-o]

This was my first all-grain brew, and to be honest i wasn't expecting too much from it. I have made a few brews since, all more complicated, and as nice as they are, i still believe my first try to be the best all-rounder.
The recipe is simple and quick. The brew is tasty, easy-drinking, smooth and clear. My wife especially likes it.

Ingredients (5 gallon batch):

3.5kg pale malt
454g (1 tin) black treacle
5 vanilla pods
1 tsp Irish Moss
20g Herkules Hops
15g Glacier Hops
1 pkt Gervin English Ale Yeast
120g Dextrose

Method:

Double Malt Infusion (60mins, 15 mins)

T - 90mins: Start Boil
T - 60mins: Add Herkules (or other bittering hop)
T - 30 mins: Add black treacle
T - 15 mins: Add Glacier (Or other flavour hop), Irish moss and 3 vanilla pods (chop into 1 inch pieces)

Leave to cool and pitch yeast

10 days later: Add gelatine finings
4 days later: Boil 1/2 a pint of water. Add 2 vanilla pods chopped into 1 inch pieces. Add 120g dextrose. Simmer this for 15 mins.
Add this mixture (with pod pieces) to your pressure barrel and then rack the beer into it.

I waited only 1 week before drinking it, and it was great.

I was expecting the vanilla to be rather too strong, but it isn't. You can really only taste it if you look for it. It's certainly not a complex beer, but it's one of those you just keep drinking and, ten pints later, still find yourself thinking "Mmm, this is really tasty".

The hop varieties are rather unusual, but they are what i had, so i used them! I'm sure it'd work well with more traditional hops such as Goldings or Challenger.

[philant]

I like the sound of vanilla ale.

I tried a Titanic Chocolate Vanilla Stout at the weekend and loved it.

Do you think vanilla extract (as opposed to essence) would provide the same result?

[dave-o]

I think extract would probably give a stronger vanilla flavour. The vanilla flavour in my ale was very mild, and you would probably not notice it if you didn't know. But i like that - i don't want it to be like drinking thin, amber custard.

Also with extract i think it's got an oil base - possibly glycerine - so it may well not mix properly or mess with your carbonation/head retention.

Really it's best to go with natural ingredients. If you want a more vanilla-y taste, add a few more pods. They're not that expensive. I bought 10 organic pods on ebay for about £2.00.

[philant]

Thanks dave-o.

Already added two small bottles of extract to a brew I'd just barelled.

Will see how it turns out and try vanilla pods next time.