Adding vanilla bean in secondary

[MightyMosin]

I'm planning on adding a vanilla bean to a 1 gallon batch once I rack to a vessel for secondary.

How do you , or do you sanitize a vanilla bean before it gets added?

Next up, do you just cut the bean in half lengthwise or smaller to increase surface area?

What have you found as your best recommendations?

I've read recommendations on leaving the bean there 2-4 weeks. Any recommendations based on your experience? I want the flavor but not where it becomes primary.

 

[Dan O]

I'm planning on adding a vanilla bean to a 1 gallon batch once I rack to a vessel for secondary.

How do you , or do you sanitize a vanilla bean before it gets added?

Next up, do you just cut the bean in half lengthwise or smaller to increase surface area?

What have you found as your best recommendations?

I've read recommendations on leaving the bean there 2-4 weeks. Any recommendations based on your experience? I want the flavor but not where it becomes primary.

I throw the whole bean in some strong vodka for a few hours to sanitize it.
As far as how you should cut it, I would say that depends on how much flavor you're looking to extract from the bean.
For a little flavor, cut it in half, in the middle, (2 equal LENGTHS). For a lot of flavor, cut it lengthwise down the middle, (2 long skinny strips).
I would start tasting it after a week & go with your taste buds from there. You may want it in there longer, or not.
If this were a cooking question, I would say scrape the seeds out after you split it lengthwise, but, for mead, probably not.
Vanilla bean is quite bitter by itself & a lot of that bitterness would get imparted pretty heavily into your must if they were scraped out.
I make Bray Denard's Christmas spice BOMM on a regular basis. His recipe says throw in a vanilla bean for a week, after primary. I cut mine lengthwise & leave it in for 10-14 days, (personal preference).
I hope this helps.
Happy meading

 

[EricHartman]

Dan O have you tasted the vodka after the sanitization to see how much flavor it extracted? Alcohol in water is a pretty decent solvent and may get a tasty dose of the vanilla. I know some here that would recommend transferring the vodka into the must with the processed bean.

 

[Dan O]

Dan O have you tasted the vodka after the sanitization to see how much flavor it extracted? Alcohol in water is a pretty decent solvent and may get a tasty dose of the vanilla. I know some here that would recommend transferring the vodka into the must with the processed bean.

@EircHartman, I don't drink vodka, or any hard booze anymore. Vodka's sole purpose in my house is for my airlocks. I know people make a tincture out of it, but, for me, it's not in there long enough for me to try to do anything with. Also, I don't fortify any of my meads. I get enough flavor out of the bean when I put it in

 

[MightyMosin]

Thanks. I will slice longways and monitor the flavor as it progresses.

Do you sanitize frozen fruit? I would think that the freezing would kill any bacteria.

 

[EricHartman]

I've never heard of anyone sanitizing their bulk fruit, and I certainly haven't myself. Plenty of our singled celled friends are tough enough to survive freezing. That being said with a well rehydrated yeast pitch they are overwhelmingly out numbered and then out competed by the yeast we are asking to do the job. As the ABV increases the environment becomes very selective.

 

[Maylar]

I just wash spices under hot water from my sink. Oak too. Never had a problem.