• PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.

vanilla bean aging question

Barrel Char Wood Products

hepcat

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Feb 7, 2012
282
4
18
Central Florida
I added a whole vanilla bean to a gallon batch I'm bulk aging on 4-13-12. And subsequently have learned that some people split them and scrape them, I assume to get as much flavor from them as possible.

Do you think I should fish the bean out of the carboy (which shouldn't be too hard, its floating) and split it?

Or should I remove/discard that one and split a new bean in half and add it?

And while I'm asking, is there a particular length of time I should leave the bean in? I was planning to bulk age this gallon for quite a while longer before bottling (and was planning to leave the bean in it until I'm ready to bottle) at least a few more months.

I want to get as much vanilla flavor as I can.

And btw, I didn't have any vanilla bean in it during primary fermentation.

Cheers and thanks in advance for your input.
 

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
The scraping thing comes from cheffing/professional cooking. If you just fished it out and split it and return it to the batch, then that should do the job.

After all, the vanilla flavour is extracted by the alcohol which will reach inside the pod all the quicker .......
 

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
Yeah I'd fish it out and split it. Scraping optional. If you want to leave the bean in there for a long time, I'd not scrape it to slow down the extraction just that little extra bit.

How long is not a straightforward question to answer. I always recommend the "taste it and see" approach. Periodically taste the mead, and when it seems like the vanilla is about right--it's done. The vanilla flavor will continue to evolve over time, so you might decide in future batches to leave it past the "just right" point, or pull it out before then.
 

huesmann

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Aug 22, 2011
190
4
18
Honestly, I don't know that you'd be able to do that all at this point. If you can fish it out, just mash it and toss all the gunk back in.
 

Echostatic

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 5, 2011
468
1
0
Dallas, Tx
Yep, in thinking about it, you just want the must to come into contact with the inside of the pod. So, all you would really need to do, by my logic, is cut the bean into pieces and drop it in.
 

hepcat

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Feb 7, 2012
282
4
18
Central Florida
Went ahead and fished it out and split it lengthwise on the 10th. No problem. I'd never cut open a vanilla bean before, the gunk that oozed out looked like black tar.
 
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns