Brewhaha612

All right, gentlemen. I have made a Vanilla Porter recipe and it is now in the keg fermenting. I am going to let it ferment for three weeks, I think. Then I am going to bottle it, let it carbonate for two weeks, then condition it for two weeks. So around January 5th, I will pop open the first one and see what it tastes like. Hopefully it is good, but we'll see. I used the Chocolate Porter recipe from the Mr. Beer website, but instead of a half a cup of cocoa, I used 1 TBSP of vanilla. We'll see how it works out, but I am pretty excited about it.

Thanks for the welcome, guys. I am very excited to start brewing. You're right, Docpd, I probably should start by just learning to brew straight before adding ingredients, but I am so anxious and have so many ideas. Haha. I definitely will try a couple batches before adding ingredients, though. Like you said, I need to at least get familiar with the process and how everything is supposed to look. Brewsus Yeast: I am definitely interested in hearing about how your batch comes out. Do you mind sharing your recipe with me? I would be willing to try just the extract if it is easier and still has the flavor I am looking for. I am going for the flavor, doesn't make any difference to me if it is extract or bean. I was just going by what the other guy said. His way sounds more expensive and a little more complicated. If what you are doing tastes good, that's what I will go by. Thanks for all the help, guys. I am ALWAYS open for suggestions and critique.

I tasted a Vanilla Ale at a microbrewery called Blackhorse Pub and Brewery in Clarksville, Tennessee and it was amazing. I haven't found a vanilla beer since, so I decided I want to try and brew my own. I just got my Mr. Beer kit today and decided that my second batch of beer after the beer in the kit would be a Vanilla Ale. I looked all over and saw a bunch of mixed recipes for Vanilla Porter using Black Tower Porter, but BTP isn't sold anymore. I was thinking of going with either American Ale or American Porter. Any suggestions? I saw the method that Davjohn posted Here and that it would be best to use two vanilla beans, but couldn't tell how to use them. I am very new at this and I know pretty much next to nothing. From what I understood, I cut the beans the way it said in the post, then I put them in a hop sack, then put it in the keg before I put the lid on for it to ferment. Is that correct? Any one have any other ideas or suggestions. Like I said, I am 100% new at this and haven't even brewed my first batch yet (later tonight). So please forgive me if this has been posted a thousand times. I have read about a hundred different articles and it either called for BTP or I couldn't understand it at all. Haha. Thanks for any and all help and wish me luck on my first brew of Classic American Light beer.