AHS Vanilla Porter (12B) - ALL GRAIN Homebrew Ingredient Kit

Note: Instead of using the vanilla flavoring powder that came with the kit, I added 4 vanilla beans cut lengthwise. The results were great. Very popular both with the dark beers fanatics and those just getting into darker brews.

I brewed this about a year ago. In fact, it was my last extract brew. I honestly forgot about it, and left it in my primary bucket for at least six weeks (oops!). When I finally got around to bottling it, I did use 2 packs of the vanilla powder, and it blew Breckenridge away, IMO. I think leaving the primary for 6 weeks was partially the reason for this, and the extra pack of vanilla powder, too. I'm going to brew this again, definitely. All Grain, this time. I'll probably get 2 packs of the vanilla powder, but I also have a Tahiti Vanilla Bean from beanilla.com (awesome place for beans, guys) that I'm going to put in the primary after fermentation has slowed down enough. Oh yeah, I don't do secondaries. Waste of a good bucket, if you ask me. Could be filled with another brew!!

Very smooth. The vanilla is not too overpowering. Very nice!

We tried adding bourbon too to our recipe and it was a hit. We used 1 cup for the full 5 gallons and the balance was nice, a taste of vanilla and a taste of bourbon in one sip. I am not sure the the balance is right but this will be a popular recipe with us and we will have to practice to refine it even further.

I love the beer this kit makes. When the beer is ready the vanilla is still pretty strong. If that is too strong let it sit just a bit longer and it's awesome.

Adding bourbon was an excellent idea. I did half the batch as a bourbon vanilla porter, using 3/4 C of Knob Creek for the 2.5 gallons- at bottling. It was outstanding. Next time, I'll use the bourbon on the whole batch.

Wow. Very nice. Did the mini-mash version. ~2 weeks in primary, ~1 in secondary, and only ~4 days in the keg so far and it's surprisingly mellow, balanced, and well-rounded. Vanilla is present but well-done and subtle. Nice body and a tasty roasted finish.

I'm drinking my first beer from this batch as I type so I'll give you my initial impressions. First off, I added 1 cup of 1792 bourbon at bottling for an extra kick and I love it. The bourbon gives off a nice aroma and it's just enough to taste without being overpowering. As for the vanilla, I meant to order an additional flavoring packet, but forgot in my ordering frenzy. After I tossed in the packet that came with the kit I taste tested and it was barely noticeable. So I got a little nuts and added 2 ounces of pure vanilla extract. IMO this was a mistake. It tastes a bit on the bitter side. I would advise purchasing an additional flavoring packet from AHS instead of using the extract. The flavoring is much sweeter and would be a better choice. Cheers!

Brewed this kit following the directions. Came out GREAT. THe vanilla flavoring is there, just not very strong. Enough to taste when you breathe out through your nose, but if you weren't told it was vanilla, you may not even know. Just a nice smooth flavor added. Like the other poster stated, an additional packet of vanilla flavor may help, or even adding real beans instead. We will be trying that with out next kit, as this one is definitely a re-order!

I love Porters. This brew is very nice, but it definitely could use more vanilla. I have reordered this kit, but with an additional packet of vanilla flavoring.

This turned out very well. To me it tastes very similar to Sierra Nevada Porter. I cant taste the vanilla though. I had someone else try out and they said they were able to taste very light vanilla notes. I would suggest adding more if you want the vanilla flavor to be more noticeable. I am at 9 weeks from the day I brewed. The aging these last couple of weeks have definitely made a difference. It was drinkable at 6 weeks but it is much smoother now.

Wonderful, I added 1 and a half cups of bourbon. After 3 weeks in bottle it seems over carbonated with a huge head though.

I ordered this batch hoping it would taste similar to the Breckinridge Vanilla Porter which is just outstanding IMHO. I did not read the comments before buying and after brewing the minimash, I bottled after a couple of weeks in the 2 fermenters. I'm afraid I am not as happy with the flavor as many of the comments have previously stated. I felt the initial taste was very bitter and the last after taste was still too bitter for my tastes. While this batch may have mellowed somewhat, this just didn't float my boat. Don't think I'll try this one again even after the great comments about adding some bourbon to the mix.

My 1st AHS Kit. Easy instructions easy brew. I thought it could use a tad bit more vanilla but was great the way it was as well. Brought it to poker night and was asked to add it to the brewing rotation. I'll order again for sure.

I made the mini-mash of this one in early December, kegged it around mid-month. It's been aging in the closet since. I tapped it about 5 days ago and let the CO2 start to settle through it. I added a cup of Makers Malt when I kegged it. First impressions: I can definitely taste the "cask" flavor from the bourbon. I could have probably done with a half cup instead of a full cup. Not really tasting the vanilla at all at the moment. Isn't a bad beer. Isn't a fantastic one. I'm serious considering moving it to my Stout/beergas tap when that ones free as I think beergas will work well with this one.

I brewed the mini mash version. I took some of the advice from some of you and added about 1/2 c bourbon to the last half during bottling. I think the vanilla flavor is just about right. If anything it is a little too much but that might mellow with age. The added bourbon is fantastic and I will definitely add it to the whole batch next time. I need to drink these slow to make it last! So good!

Another good kit by Austin. I brewed the All Grain version of this and it turned out good. I like more of the vanilla flavor so I added a vanilla bean during secondary fermentation and that was perfect. I think, in the future, I would up the amount of vanilla beans and just use those for flavor rather than the powdered extract. Overall, great beer for cold winters.