BrewBlender wrote:I'm planning on brewing Denny Conn's Vanilla Bourbon Porter soon. I was wondering when using Vanilla Beans--I know you're supposed to slit it and scrape the insides...but do you add these insides to the beer or dispose it? Are you supposed to just add the pod parts?
Thanks for everyone's time and input.
I've been thinking about making a rum-vanilla porter and I had the same questions.
So, for a five gallon batch I'll be experimenting with 8 to 16 oz of this smooth rum, Sailor Jerry, ever try it? How many vanilla beans should I add? Or better yet, has anybody weighed the beans in grams or ounces before using them? The beans can vary in strength but I would think measuring by weight would be more consistent.
I'm also thinking about getting rid of the beans altogether and going with bourbon-vanilla extract at bottling. It's just that there's something a little more holistic about using the real thing.

