There are two types of cinnamon in the world, the so-called Ceylon and Cassia. The latter is the most commonly used in the trade, mainly because of its low price. However, Ceylon cinnamon has a sweeter, more refined flavour. It is important to note that Cassia cinnamon has a very high coumarin content, which has an anticoagulant effect that can be harmful in higher doses. Another bad news is that coumarin is highly soluble in alcohol.
Cassia cinnamon has a coumarin content of ~g 7%, while Ceylon cinnamon has less than 1%. Because of this, Ceylon is safe to use in larger quantities and because of its more refined flavour, it gives better results than Cassia.
Dosage: 1-2 sticks / 20-25L
Usage:
- Add to beer in the last 5 minutes of boiling
- Add to the beer at the very end of the fermentation, once the FG has been reached. 4-5 days is enough, then cold crash. You can also grind it with a coffee grinder or spice grinder for faster release.
- It can be made into a tincture by soaking it in pure spirit or some kind of alcohol (e.g. vodka, whisky, rum). In this case, it may also be worth grinding it with a coffee grinder or spice grinder beforehand, as this will speed up the dissolution. The resulting tincture can be adjusted to the desired effect very precisely by dropping it into a glass of beer and multiplying the result to the size of the brew.
