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Winter Un-warmer

Willards

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Nov 2, 2013
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Indiana
I'm trying to design an intense winter IPA extract brew.  Kind of an anti-winter warmer, a winter chiller if you will ;)

Here's my 5 gallon recipe:

7 lbs dme light
1 oz centennial, 60 min
1 oz centennial, 20 min
1 oz crushed dried juniper berries, 15 min
0.75 oz crushed coriander seed, 15 min
0.5 oz lemongrass, 15 min
1 oz centennial, 5 min
1 oz centennial, dry hop 10-14 days

The wort is currently fermenting, and it smells awesome coming out of the airlock (like spicy gin and hops).  One thing I didn't consider is how the additional herbs would add indeterminable bitterness to the batch, but I like bitter. 

As an afterthought (after the boil) I've been researching adding vanilla to the flavor profile.  Because I missed the boat with adding vanilla bean to the boil, I am okay with adding extract instead based on others' responses.  My plan is to add 1-2 oz if I do.  But before I do, I'd like some opinions on how vanilla will play with the other kids in the class here.  Would it be gross?  And any suggestions on other ingredients to help me balance the intensity of this bitter herbal IPA?

Thanks!
 
Since it's a warmer (anti or not) type of beer.  Why not put 3 split vanilla beans in bourbon, vodka or some other liquor of your choise and let them steep for about 2-3 weeks.  Then at bottling/kegging time, start to slowly add this to your beer to taste.  The liquor will have sanitized your vanilla and you can control the amount of vanilla that way.
 
Thanks for the tip, Scott!  I will certainly try this if I can get my hands on some vanilla beans. 

However, I am still unsure whether I would want to add vanilla to the juniper, coriander, lemongrass, and hop flavor.  Any thoughts on how that might be?
 
I can't really help you with that.  I've only used vanilla in Russian Imperial Stouts, in combination with cherries, chocolate, coffee and bourbon.
 
Willards said:
Thanks for the tip, Scott!  I will certainly try this if I can get my hands on some vanilla beans. 

However, I am still unsure whether I would want to add vanilla to the juniper, coriander, lemongrass, and hop flavor.  Any thoughts on how that might be?

Why not following the advice of Scott Ickes and split up your 5 Gallons batch in 2 batches? One batch with vanilla and the other one without the vanilla addition.
- The amount and method Scott is describing worked fine for me on a 5.5G batch Christmass Beer for 3-4 weeks ago.
- I don't have experience with your combination of herbs and I can't give you an advice on how vanilla would influence the herb combination. Anyhow, to my opinion it sounds exiting using vanilla.
- From my experience using juniper, coriander and vanilla in my brews I didn't experience any "indeterminable bitterness".
Good luck!
R,
Slurk
 
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