flambe'ing

[devlin]

Because I'm impatient and I'm not getting any responses to this question in the booze section, can anybody tell me how setting booze on fire has an effect on the alcohol? Does it actually reduce the alcohol's effect? I mean insofar as the inebriating effects go?

For example, when I set my sambuca with flies in fire, does it lessen the alcohol content?

[godito]

Alcohol evaporates at lower temperatures than water does, so if you let the flames extinguish themselves, then the alcohol will have burned off. Of course, that's what I always believed to be true. I never really stopped to think it over.

Maybe somebody can provide a more scientific response. But I do belive what I said to be true.

[jsolomon]

Yes, as you burn the alcohol, there is less left in the dish to inebriate someone. How much so, is an academic question containing many variables.

[Shalmanese]

I don't actually get how this works. If the alcohol is on fire, then it's above the pan which means it's already out of the dish. Unless the flambe is heating the top layer of the pan to a microscopic degree or a significant amount of ethanol ends up recondensing into the dish, then flambeing should have no effect on the level of alcohol.

My guess is that it's done for:

a) Cheap Theatrical Effect

b) In order to form a whole host of new flavour chemicals via maillard on the surface due to the high heat.

[godito]

I don't actually get how this works. If the alcohol is on fire, then it's above the pan which means it's already out of the dish. Unless the flambe is heating the top layer of the pan to a microscopic degree or a significant amount of ethanol ends up recondensing into the dish, then flambeing should have no effect on the level of alcohol.

My guess is that it's done for:

a) Cheap Theatrical Effect

b) In order to form a whole host of new flavour chemicals via maillard on the surface due to the high heat.

←

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying, but flambeing does have (as far as I know) an effect on the amount of alcohol the finished dish has. You're right, flambeing is a cheap theatrical effect when done tableside, but a lot of flambeing is done in the kithcen to incorporate falvors to a finished dish without the roughness of the alcohol. So b is closest to the actual purpose of flambeing.

When you flambe, you burn the alcohol out of the dish. You can also do this by simmering it (as I said before, alcohol evaporates at lower temperatures than water), but the flames do add some extra flavors.

[devlin]

I was thinking specifically of sambuca, and more specifically sambuca with coffee beans. Igniting it does change the flavor, and it seems to me it changed the alcohol content as well. I don't feel quite the kick I used to or the more lasting effects, which is fine by me.

Edited January 29, 2006 by devlin (log)

[pounce]

I thought that flaming the pan in the kitchen was more of a safety thing. Sort of a controlled burn instead of having the pan burst into flames when you aren't looking.

I think if you pour alcohol into a dish and then light it you are only going to burn off maybe 20% of the alcohol at the most before the flame goes out. Even less if there is a lot of liquid in the dish. You would have to simmer the dish over time to get more alcohol out.

I seriously doubt any more alcohol is escaping the dish due to the flame.

I think that table service of flaming food is fun esp. in large groups or large dining rooms if done with class. Theatrics are important. I've seen a fair amount of this done badly. Nothing kills the moment like a bored or annoyed looking server going through the motions.

[Shalmanese]

I was thinking specifically of sambuca, and more specifically sambuca with coffee beans. Igniting it does change the flavor, and it seems to me it changed the alcohol content as well. I don't feel quite the kick I used to or the more lasting effects, which is fine by me.

←

Sambuca is different because it's such a high proof liquor that your actually cold flambeing it. This means your burning off liquid ethanol which would obviously reduce the alcohol content compared to the unflamed sambucca. Additionally, you would also slightly heat up the drink and possibly also introduce new flavour combos (plus it looks cool to throw a flaming shot into your mouth).

However, with lower proof alcohols, it is impossible to flambe them cold. You need to heat them and vaporise the alcohol before it will flame. In this case, since it is already vapour, it's essentially out of the dish anyway and flambe does nothing to remove further alcohol from the dish.

[devlin]

I was thinking specifically of sambuca, and more specifically sambuca with coffee beans. Igniting it does change the flavor, and it seems to me it changed the alcohol content as well. I don't feel quite the kick I used to or the more lasting effects, which is fine by me.

←

Sambuca is different because it's such a high proof liquor that your actually cold flambeing it. This means your burning off liquid ethanol which would obviously reduce the alcohol content compared to the unflamed sambucca. Additionally, you would also slightly heat up the drink and possibly also introduce new flavour combos (plus it looks cool to throw a flaming shot into your mouth).

However, with lower proof alcohols, it is impossible to flambe them cold. You need to heat them and vaporise the alcohol before it will flame. In this case, since it is already vapour, it's essentially out of the dish anyway and flambe does nothing to remove further alcohol from the dish.

←

Thanks very much for that explication. That's sort of what I surmised, but didn't have any real education in how it works. Cool!

Edited January 30, 2006 by devlin (log)

[fatmat]

If you torch sambuca with coffee beans, watch below the surface as the liquid burns... you'll see some kind of essence falling from the beans. Sadly I've never been sober enough to notice if it adds to the flavour.