This is a Pro Series kit from Norther Brewer.  I made this once before (Brew #30) and it was amazing!

09/16/2013 – Brew day

1 lb – English Maris Otter
0.875 lbs – English Medium Crystal
0.75 lbs – Flaked Barley
0.5 lbs – Belgian Aromatic Malt
0.5 lbs – British Chocolate Malt
0.5 lbs – Belgian Special B
0.25 lbs – English Black Malt
3.15 lbs – Gold Malt Syrup
2 lbs – Light DME
3 oz – Willamette hop pellets (45 min)
1 tsp – Irish Moss (15 min)
0.5 tsp – Yeast Nutrient (15 min)

O.G.: 1.060, 15.1% Brix

Fermented with Wyeast 1056 (American Ale Yeast).  Racked on top of the 2-day old yeast cake from Brew #47.  Violent fermentation began in only 1.5 hrs.

Attempting to ferment at 68 degrees, but the chamber is having a hard time battling the heat generated by fermentation.  Starting out above 77 degrees.  Dropped to 70 over night then crept back up to 75.

09/21/2013 – Racked to secondary

I.G.: 1.019, 8.3% Brix

10/08/2013 – Prepared vanilla beans

Split each of 5 Madagascar beans and scraped the seeds out into a glass.  I then sliced each bean pod into ribbons an added them to the glass.  Covered with Vodka and sealed with saran wrap to rest.

10/17/2013 – Added Vanilla

Poured the home-made vanilla extract through a coffee filter to keep the seeds out of the beer (which caused the keg to leak on the last one).

Added another few ounces of vodka to the vanilla beans.

12/27/2013 – Kegged

Filtered the last few oz of vanilla vodka extract tincture through a coffee filter.

F.G.: 1.020, 9.0 Degrees Brix
5.2% ABV