The make-your-own vanilla extract experiment

[andiesenji]

I have not had a problem with getting a strong extract but I use ONLY Everclear to start the extraction.

As I wrote earlier, the higher the alcohol content, the more rapid and more complete the extraction.

Several years ago I made a batch with 151 proof rum that was on "sale" at Bev Mo when they opened a store here in the Antelope Valley. They had a lot of "grand opening" specials and the rum (could have been Bacardi but I'm not sure) was one.

It worked just about as well as the Everclear.

[donk79]

I'm not concerned about the strength of the extraction. I'm using a higher ratio of beans to solvent than I ever have, and honestly than anyone ever would with fresh beans. I just wonder about what I am exctracting. For example, if one were to run coffee grounds repeatedly foe coffee, you could not expect the fifth run to differ from the first run only in concentration. And tea does not merely grow more concentrated if you leave the leaves in the cup. Instead (in my experience) it becomes significantly more tannic. So anything I should be watching out for with my beans? Will later runs start to resemble mere vanillin rather than vanilla? Will the woody flavors our bean eaters upthread experienced become more prevalent? Will all go perfectly? Eventually, the beans will have to have less to give, or something different to give.

[andiesenji]

I decant about 85% of the "finished" extract then add more liquor and usually a few more vanilla beans and put this batch in the back of the cupboard to "work" longer than the first-run batches.

After decanting that second run batch - again about 85%, I add the small amount that remains to a half-gallon of milk and simmer it until the milk has taken up a lot of the flavor then strain and store in the fridge. I can then use this in puddings, sauces and can even freeze it for later use.

I chop the beans for extract so after they are used up, there is no way to use them to make vanilla sugar. I use whole beans for that.

[thock]

I chop my beans up for extract, too, into about 1/8"-1/4" long pieces. When I'm done with them for extract, I dry them and mix them into sugar. I let them sit for a while, and just strain through a mesh strainer to separate the sugar from the beans, which I dump back into the sugar container.

Seeds get mixed in with the sugar, but I don't mind that.

At some point, I may whirl the vanilla pieces in a blender when they're dry and add to sugar that way, and not worry about separating them. Just to see what will happen.

[Kerry Beal]

I did a little side by side comparison with the same number of beans in either 160 proof rum or 190 proof grain alcohol and found that the 160 proof extracted colour and flavour more effectively than the 190 proof. This has led me to wonder if their is an ideal proof for extracting somewhere between alcohol that is too weak and alcohol that is too strong?

[thock]

Good question. I haven't done that experiment, but I have tried Andie's method of 190-proof followed by topping up with a lesser proof (80, I think) after about a month. The first month extracts a LOT of color and odors, but since I only started these this past November, I'm not sure what it will turn out like until next November.

I do know that not having a sufficient quantity of beans does affect it a lot.

If one had the means to do so (enough beans, booze, jars and time), it might be an interesting experiment to try multiple proofs of alcohol and record the outcome. I have enough jars, but I'm running low on beans and booze, so I can't try this, right now. I will keep it in mind for the future, though.

[andiesenji]

There are so many factors that affect the outcome that it is difficult to say.

I have had one batch of vanilla beans produce a dark color and acceptable flavor within 4 months but the next batch, from the very same vendor and the beans with the same appearance and feel, took twice the time for a similar result.

Temperature is also a factor. The flavors extract more rapidly at a higher temp but I have found that a cooler, longer period of infusing results in a "smoother" flavor.

[thock]

That makes a lot of sense, if they were from different lots. Different growing seasons or conditions and different curing conditions could potentially make a lot of difference, just like different seasonal temps make a difference in the taste of home-grown tomatoes.

[thock]

Ok, I bought some more vanilla beans from vanillaproducts on eBay. They got here today, and they smell heavenly. I think I'll start a new batch or batches of extract sometime soon. I will attempt to carefully record the data and vary what kind of alcohol (type and proof) I'm using. Although I am convinced that Andie's method of starting out with the Everclear is the way to go, I will, for the sake of the experiment, also start some with weaker alcohol.

I think I'll use half-pint Mason jars for this, as I don't want large quantities of differing extracts. I'll post once I've decided how I'm going to do this and actually get it done.

ETA: I may end up using the 4-oz jars, instead. We'll see.

Edited June 2, 2013 by thock (log)

[heichmanron]

How did you get a pound for less than $10? The 1 lb. packages I see on the website are ~$30.

[thock]

That was in 2007. They're now in the thirty-dollar range. A lot of things have gone up in price since 2007.

Even at that price, it's still cheaper to make your own vanilla extract, and it's fun and interesting to do.

Edited June 7, 2013 by thock (log)

[heichmanron]

That was in 2007. They're now in the thirty-dollar range. A lot of things have gone up in price since 2007.

Even at that price, it's still cheaper to make your own vanilla extract, and it's fun and interesting to do.

Ah, good point! I didn't notice the date on his post, it's interesting that the price went up so much, if you only account for inflation it should be $11.04, but who knows what's going on in the vanilla market...

[thock]

As I recall, there was a crop failure somewhere within the past couple of years, which might account for the size of the price increase.

[thock]

I was looking for my vanilla extract notes, and came upon my receipt from my bean purchase in 2009. Tahitian beans were $10.98 a pound and Madagascar beans $16.47 a pound in November 2009. As I recall, between now and then, there was a massive crop failure, which boosted prices.

[thock]

Ok, I have designed and set up my experiment. I have a whopping 21 half-pint jars of incipient vanilla extract, all but one of which are single-fold. The other is a 4-fold.

I took the FDA definition of 13.35 oz of vanilla beans per gallon of extract and figured I'd need about 24 grams of beans per jelly jar.

I have 6 different beans or combinations of beans: Bourbon, Grade B from 2013; Bourbon, Grade B from 2009; Tahitian, Grade B from 2013; Tahitian, Grade B from 2009, Bourbon, splits (near-gourmet, according to Vanilla Products) from 2013; and a combination of 50% Bourbon, 50% Tahitian, Grade B from 2013.

I have three different alcohol extractions: Everclear 190-proof followed by vodka, 80-proof, Everclear 190-proof followed by rum, proof yet to be determined (I have a month, and I just don't have the bottle in front of me, but the rum is picked out), and 80-proof vodka followed by 80-proof vodka. I am using two different vodkas, UV and 360, because that's what I had. I believe all but one of the extracts will have UV vodka in it, as the "starter" vodka, if it starts with vodka rather than Everclear. They will all be topped up by 360 vodka. The idea behind starting some with Everclear and some with vodka is to maintain the "starter" aspect of the infusion, while varying the type/strength of the alcohol, to keep variables to a minimum.

This is the matrix of experiments:

Bean (24 g) Alcohol to start (25 g) Alcohol to finish (weight TBD)

Bourbon, B, 2013 Everclear Vodka This will be strained after 2 years and kept to compare with other samples.

Bourbon, B, 2013 Everclear Rum

Bourbon, B, 2013 Vodka Vodka

Bourbon, B, 2009 Everclear Vodka

Bourbon, B, 2009 Everclear Rum

Bourbon, B, 2009 Vodka Vodka

Tahitian, B, 2013 Everclear Vodka

Tahitian, B, 2013 Everclear Rum

Tahitian, B, 2013 Vodka Vodka

Tahitian, B, 2009 Everclear Vodka

Tahitian, B, 2009 Everclear Rum

Tahitian, B, 2009 Vodka Vodka

Bourbon/Tahitian, B, 2013 Everclear Vodka

Bourbon/Tahitian, B, 2013 Everclear Rum

Bourbon/Tahitian, B, 2013 Vodka Vodka

Bourbon, splits, 2013 Everclear Vodka

Bourbon, splits, 2013 Everclear Rum

Bourbon, splits, 2013 Vodka Vodka

Bourbon, B, 2013 Everclear Vodka This is to test with continuous replenishment, i.e., use a tablespoon, add a tablespoon of vodka

Bourbon, B, 2013 Everclear Vodka This is to keep unstrained for over 2 years to test whether the flavor/strength improves beyond that time. Will be compared with a strained sample of a similar experimental sample.

Bourbon, B/splits, 2009/2013 Everclear (45 g) Vodka (45 g) This is a four-fold concentration with 32 g each of Bourbon Grade B from 2009 and 2013 and Bourbon splits from 2013.

So, this will be a long-term experiment. All in the name of Science! (not really)

Also, in doing the calculations for the strengths, I estimated the weights of the beans used for my previous extracts, from the calculated average bean weight and number of beans used. Sadly, I was between 18-20% concentration, which is about a 1/5-fold extract, for the ones started in 2009 and 2010. However, for the extraction I started in November 2012, I'm around a 250%, or 2.5-fold extract, as I had previously calculated. I looked at the 2012 extracts, today, and compared to the 2010 and to commercial extracts (Kirkland), the 2012 extracts are MUCH darker than their 2010 counterparts, and more on a par with the commercial variety. Before I did the calculations, I added between 24 and 28 g of beans to the 2010 extractions to up the concentration. There was about a pint of the Bourbon bean extract left and a bit over a pint of the Tahitian bean extract left. Accounting for the original concentrations of 20% and 18%, I will end up with a 71% and a 77% extraction on these, eventually. I will leave the beans in these, and not bother with documenting their effectiveness from here on out, but will just use them.

It's worth noting, too, that the 2009 beans, both Tahitian and Bourbon, were noticeably more pliable and oily than their 2013 counterparts. I don't know why this may be, but I could definitely tell the difference when cutting them with kitchen shears.

For the record, I snipped all the beans into about 1/8" to 1/4" bits. I was not very careful to make sure the pieces were all the same size. I figured that over the duration of this experiment, it didn't really matter.

Already, this has been an educational experience.

[cmo]

I started some vanilla extract after reading this thread in 2010, but I am afraid to use it. The reason is because I used canning jars, and when I checked on them last year the jars had apparently self sealed so that the popper thing in the middle was down as if it had been canned. I also used one of the cheapest vodkas the ABC store had because I had already bought it before reading this thread. Is it safe to use? I think I used 8 -12 beans in each pint jar. I did not sterilized the jars, I just washed them in super hot water.

Thanks in advance

[Kerry Beal]

Is it made with alcohol? Should be fine.

[scubadoo97]

That was in 2007. They're now in the thirty-dollar range. A lot of things have gone up in price since 2007.

Even at that price, it's still cheaper to make your own vanilla extract, and it's fun and interesting to do.

I bought my pound of beans for $30 and when I think of how long, soft and subtle they are compared to the 3 small scrawny dried beans sitting on most grocery store shelves for $10 I'm a happy guy

[thock]

I started some vanilla extract after reading this thread in 2010, but I am afraid to use it. The reason is because I used canning jars, and when I checked on them last year the jars had apparently self sealed so that the popper thing in the middle was down as if it had been canned. I also used one of the cheapest vodkas the ABC store had because I had already bought it before reading this thread. Is it safe to use? I think I used 8 -12 beans in each pint jar. I did not sterilized the jars, I just washed them in super hot water.

Thanks in advance

There's nothing wrong with that. Mine did that, too. I've used it and haven't gotten ill. It has also done this with other infusions. I imagine it has something to do with the ambient temperature at the time of year when you package it, and the cooling/heating cycle of ambient temps.

[natasha1270]

I'm coming to the end of my vanilla and just placed a purchase for some new beans. I'm 99% sure I used Absolut for my last bottle. From this thread, it seems like quite a few people experimented with different spirits. I am primarily using my vanilla in baked goods and just want the vanilla essence but was wondering if it would be worth the effort/expense/space to make several batches with different base spirits. Or maybe trying a non-grain-based vodka this time around.

For those who have extracted in alcohols other than vodka or everclear, can you detect a difference in the final product (baked item vs unbaked) and do you find having the variety of vanillas useful?

Tracy/thock - how is your experiment going? Do you find yourself favoring any one extraction over the others?

[Kerry Beal]

I was happiest with the madagascar beans in Wray and Nephew overproof rum.

[natasha1270]

I'll keep an eye out for that when my beans arrive. Do you dilute or keep it at full strength?

eta. This time I've ordered the madagascar beans from vanillaproducts on eBay. I can't recall where I got the beans from last time but I have been very happy with my vanilla.

Edited February 23, 2014 by natasha1270 (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Full strength.

[scubadoo97]

I made two batches. One in a basic light rum and the other in bourbon. When fully extracted I have a hard time telling them apart. The vanilla pretty much over powers any spirit qualities

[Kerry Beal]

The everclear version is not as nice as the rum though. I'll bet a high test bourbon would be a lovely base - shall have to try. Of course I really should start to use up some of the couple of litres I've already made.