Underworld Milk Stout - Vanilla Additive

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Tony B
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Underworld Milk Stout - Vanilla Additive

Post by Tony B » Mon Jun 13, 2022 1:51 pm

I am looking at brewing a Big Smoke - Underworld Milk Stout recipe from the Camra's Essential Home Brewing book.
The recipe says to add a vanilla pod at 30 minutes boil.
This surprised me as I think that any benefit from adding vanilla would be lost with 30 minutes boiling.....or am I missing something?
Appreciate others opinions and experience.

f00b4r
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Re: Underworld Milk Stout - Vanilla Additive

Post by f00b4r » Mon Jun 13, 2022 2:55 pm

That is strange indeed but the book does read that way; it also mentions taking it in the direction of a vanilla stout by added additional vanilla post fermentation.
When vanilla (and similar) is discussed earlier in the book they only talk about post fermentation additions and tinctures for additions.
I am curious too to hear if others have heard of vanilla in the boil.

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Cobnut
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Re: Underworld Milk Stout - Vanilla Additive

Post by Cobnut » Mon Jun 13, 2022 4:15 pm

The Malt Miller do an AG recipe kit for this which I brewed for a friend (he brews extract kits, but his son bought him this kit). It asks for the vanilla pod at 30 min boil which we did. I can’t say there was much vanilla evident in the final beer - nice though it was.

I tend to agree that adding it later should give more vanilla character - if that is what you want.

I have had this beer on cask too. It is very pleasant, but not much vanilla character IIRC.
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
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Monkhouse
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Re: Underworld Milk Stout - Vanilla Additive

Post by Monkhouse » Sat Nov 26, 2022 5:44 pm

This is one recipe I will NOT be brewing again! So expensive with the additives!
So… for me I did everything by the book, my results are as follows-
The coffee was NOT anywhere near enough to add to the beer, its needs way way more.
The chocolate is unnecessary as you get choc flavour from the malts, all the chocolate did was kill the head- and I used the highest possible cocoa content with lowest fat.
The vanilla was a total waste of time- as you’ve already noticed and I questioned extensively before I brewed it and decided I was stressing myself out trying to think of a better way to add the vanilla so just went with the instructions. DONT follow the instructions! If you’re doing this recipe then add the vanilla to bourbon and steep for 2 weeks then add to fv for a couple of days with the bourbon.
In short- do NOT waste your money or your time it’s a crap crap beer.

Monkhouse
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Re: Underworld Milk Stout - Vanilla Additive

Post by Monkhouse » Sat Nov 26, 2022 9:14 pm

Oh and I used 3 whole vanilla pods instead of the instructed 1 whole. Made no difference whatsoever- I even split them down the middle with a knife. You get the idea.

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