Adding ingredients to kegged beer

[mrbubba213]

I have a pumpkin beer that I just kegged and its is a little more bland than I would like. I have thought about adding some spices, maybe a vanilla bean or cinnamon stick. Any advice, I assume that the alcohol will be enough so that I wouldn't have to worry about sanitation.

[snowcapt]

Dont go overboard.
You will not need a whole bean or stick.
Perhaps make a tincture of them with some vodka and add that way.
Just a wee bit at a time. You can always add more, right?
Nutmeg is good, too. In very small amounts.

[mrbubba213]

What about using vanilla vodka, or is that getting too weird?

[snowcapt]

Actually, it's not a bad idea. Get a vanilla bean and soak it in the vodka for a few days. In doing so, you will extract the flavor of the bean. It will be very strong, so you dont have to add a ton of vodka.
Or you can just dump the whole bottle of vodka and have a very strong beer/cocktail.

[mrbubba213]

Having never done this before, I just put a half of a vanilla bean, half of a cinnimon and the spices,pumpkin pie spice and maybe some nutmeg in the vanilla vodka. I have also thought of using some 151. How much would you recomend for 5 Gallons?

[snowcapt]

Id say go in tiny increments and taste it. Maybe a tablespoon at a time. That stuff should be pretty damn flavorful. Trial and error. Just remember: you can always put more in, but you cant take any back out.
I have done the same thing with a hop tea.
Good luck

[mrbubba213]

how long before its done, or is that tasteing it too. Also I just went to the store and bought some pure vanilla extract as it is way cheaper. Does this affect anything?

[snowcapt]

I think that quite a few brewers do it that way.
But now you have to drink the vodka!
Perhaps use a bit of the vodka for the cinnannnnaannaaannamon and nutmeg, or whatever spices you will be using and put it through a coffee filter.
And taste away.