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tFUCKINGmesis posted:That looks beautiful, drat. Did you make the label?
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Jan 28, 2012 02:07
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Awww vodka coveting kitty  Some updates: - Chai vodka -- Three bags of Trader Joe's rooibos chai (probably better if you make your own but sue me) in a fifth of vodka for ~24 hrs turned out pretty well. Sweetened with fancy rear end honey and letting it sit to age. - Cacao nib/dried chili bourbon (Evan Williams  ) -- Yeah, the chilis and the Evan Williams kinda overpower everything else. The cacao nibs have been sitting pretty for just shy of 3 weeks and it hasn't gotten bitter or gross yet. Just dropping 2-3 tbsp into a fifth of non-gross bourbon would probably taste pretty fine indeed. (Hoping aging that will take some of the gross bite out, and let the chili heat settle in with the cacao.)
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Jan 29, 2012 00:56
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Last night I put the pulverized zest of eight blood oranges into a growler with 1.75 liters of brandy. I figure 3 months infusing should be enough, then sweeten mildly for an upclass Grand Marnier alternative.
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Feb 6, 2012 22:49
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Has anyone tried a sassafras infusion? I'd like to do sassafras, a vanilla bean, and maybe a dash of cinnamon to make root beer rum, but I'm not sure how much would be enough to get a good strong taste. Anyone know if an ounce would be enough? Ninja edit: I'd like to do a 1.75
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Feb 10, 2012 19:07
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ItalicSquirrels posted:Has anyone tried a sassafras infusion? I'd like to do sassafras, a vanilla bean, and maybe a dash of cinnamon to make root beer rum, but I'm not sure how much would be enough to get a good strong taste. Anyone know if an ounce would be enough? According to wikipedia, Sassafras root and / or bark is the main flavoring in root beer, and I'm willing to bet either of them will infuse a lot like cinnamon--really fast and really strong. Try a test infusion, maybe? Get something like two ounces and put a tiny bit in with a half-cup of vodka and see what you end up with at the end of each day. Also, you've made me go down a rabbit hole on Wikipedia, and the list of flavors in traditional root beer (there are a LOT) is giving me Ideas.
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Feb 11, 2012 16:51
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Nicol Bolas posted:Also, you've made me go down a down a rabbit hole on Wikipedia, and the list of flavors in traditional root beer (there are a LOT) is giving me Ideas. You're welcome.
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Feb 13, 2012 18:34
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Figured I'd throw my latest batch into the thread:     Left to Right:
Edit: After resupplying on tea, I've also got a cherry rose sencha vodka bottled: 
SpiraUnited fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Feb 20, 2012 |
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Feb 19, 2012 10:17
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Wardhog posted:Edit : And you gotta let vanilla age. It's harsh as hell if you don't. 2-3 weeks seems to do the trick. Do you mean age before you start the infusion?
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Feb 24, 2012 21:16
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Nah, you let it age after you strain it out. It mellows the flavors a lot, as well as the alcohol burn.
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Feb 25, 2012 00:13
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I just strained out my homemade vanilla extract. There was a lot of liquid left trapped in the pod/seed mush, so I dumped the whole deal in my salad spinner and centrifuged the poo poo out of it. Worked a treat, just ran the resultant seedy liquid through a gold screen coffee filter.
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Feb 25, 2012 20:05
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Good lord. I made a bunch of ginger and vanilla golden rum recently - vanilla pod out after two days or so, ginger out after a month. I tasted it as soon as I'd taken out the ginger and added the simple syrup and my overall impression was "well whatever I'm sure I can find someone to give this to". Month later, I tasted it on a whim and the difference is amazing. I actually think I've put too much sugar in now, but the ginger's surprisingly pronounced (barely tasted it beforehand) and the drink's really smooth. I need to find something to put this with apart from vanilla ice cream, but that's a much better problem to have than my previous one.
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Mar 4, 2012 00:40
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Trying my first infusion, some green apple and orange zest in Christian Brothers. It was all I had on hand. No cinnamon sticks, but maybe I can throw in some five-spice powder a little later.
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Mar 8, 2012 20:23
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I'd advise against powder--you can pull a single cinnamon stick/clove/chunk of anise out if it's had enough, but you'll have to filter the whole damned thing to get powder.
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Mar 8, 2012 21:40
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I'm not sure if this is exactly an infusion, but I found a recipe in a magazine (also printed here in the LA Times) that looks good, but seems to break one of the guidelines in the first post: It uses sake to infuse fruit instead of 80+ proof liquor. However, this recipe is for 4 days instead of a month. Would I be okay if I shook it regularly? Should I do it in the fridge (which I assume would slow down the process)? Also, since strawberries are cheap near me right now, what other booze infuses strawberries well?
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Mar 13, 2012 03:25
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I couldn't find a catchall liquor thread so I thought I'd ask here. What is a good vodka that is cheap? I haven't drank vodka in a long time and when I used to it was probably in a plastic bottle and mixed with a bunch of gatorade. I am looking to move into Vodka Club Soda territory and don't want to be drinking nail polish remover or end up paying a lot. Ideally I would be going for the least offensive vodka in the 10-15 dollar range for a 750ml.
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Mar 13, 2012 06:39
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First of all I don't recommend drinking vodka at all, as it's not a particularly interesting spirit and there are whole worlds of flavor out there. However, when I do use vodka (generally for infusions) I like Sobieksi, which is a rye vodka out of Poland. In general I consider all of the major "S" vodkas to be about comparable – Sobieski, Svedka, Skyy, Smirnoff, Stolichnaya. A good rule of thumb is to buy the cheapest thing that's sold in glass and you'll be in good shape.
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Mar 13, 2012 09:53
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Kenning posted:A good rule of thumb is to buy the cheapest thing that's sold in glass and you'll be in good shape. Seconding this, and putting in the addendum that it's how I shop for all of my infusion liquors. Do not get brandy in a plastic bottle.
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Mar 20, 2012 23:14
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So I've had this sitting since the middle of last month: Jalapeno in vodka. The last one I did I sort of forgot all about for a good 7 months and it was pretty much the hit of a party. I don't want to wait that long this time but I want to wait long enough for it to actually be properly infused. Anyone else try a Jalapeno infusion want to chime in on how long they let it sit before straining and mellowing out?
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Apr 4, 2012 08:07
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Jack Skeleton posted:Anyone else try a Jalapeno infusion want to chime in on how long they let it sit before straining and mellowing out? I see some seeds and ribs in there. Are you worried about heat? Because it'll get hot pretty quickly, which will probably be your main worry (but it sounds like that's the idea). A thing to consider for next time is infusing the meat of the peppers in one container and the ribs/seeds in another, then mixing to get the desired temperature--just something to get you a little more control. Anyway, I've gotten away with as little as a week for fresh serranos, but that had some other flavors going on (it was in bourbon, for example). Fresh fruit you usually want to do for a while, but if you're just in it for the heat it won't take long at all.
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Apr 4, 2012 14:00
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In the past I left seeds in there for a bacon jalapeno mixture and while it took a good couple of months to smooth out, it was really great stuff. So not too worried about the heat as the intended person I was going to split a bottle with was looking for a good bloody mary mixing vodka. But as little as a couple of weeks, hmm. I guess I'll pop it open and give it a test. I know if I strain it, the flavor's still going to be working itself out. thanks for the advice. I have been doing mostly fresh fruit in the past, so yeah. The timing seems to be something I needed to work out.
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Apr 4, 2012 20:53
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Quodio Stotes posted:I couldn't find a catchall liquor thread so I thought I'd ask here. What is a good vodka that is cheap? I haven't drank vodka in a long time and when I used to it was probably in a plastic bottle and mixed with a bunch of gatorade. I am looking to move into Vodka Club Soda territory and don't want to be drinking nail polish remover or end up paying a lot. Ideally I would be going for the least offensive vodka in the 10-15 dollar range for a 750ml. If you'd feel like putting a couple more bucks into your booze Smirnoff Black is magnificent, even served straight on ice (bare in mind I'm Polish:P) Has anyone tried infusing wood? A friend of mine started a batch of oaken stick in vodka. I expect the results to be 'sorta like whisky, but lovely'.
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Apr 5, 2012 16:54
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Mecharasputin posted:If you'd feel like putting a couple more bucks into your booze Smirnoff Black is magnificent, even served straight on ice (bare in mind I'm Polish:P) I bought a little two liter barrel from a local distillery in Seattle and started infusing some white dog whiskey to try that very thing. It's pretty interesting to try the flavor every so often as it ages, which is pretty fast with the high surface area to volume ratio. I can't imagine a few uncharred sticks in vodka doing anything quite like that barrel though.
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Apr 6, 2012 04:37
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The sticks were charred. If it turns out any good I'll ask him for photos next time I see him.
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Apr 7, 2012 12:14
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So after a couple of weeks of leaving Jalapenos in Vodka (mid range, I think smerinoff) I was just not feeling enough heat from it. So I let it sit for a whole month with the seeds. A month later I'm still not feeling the heat that I wanted from it. So I went full tilt on it, strained it out and then got a good amount of Serrano peppers and just dumped them into it today. Good idea? Bad Idea? I have no clue. Maybe I did go overkill on this considering a jalapeno pepper is between 2,500-8,000 on the Scoville scale while Serrano peppers range between 10,000-23,000. I guess I shouldn't let it sit for more than a few days with the Serrano peppers in it.
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Apr 18, 2012 00:29
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Eh, just taste it every now and then. Heat is pretty quick to infuse, but you're only playing with the one flavor. At the end of the day the worst thing that'll happen is that you have to dilute the infusion with more vodka.
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Apr 18, 2012 03:06
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Jack Skeleton posted:So after a couple of weeks of leaving Jalapenos in Vodka (mid range, I think smerinoff) I was just not feeling enough heat from it. So I let it sit for a whole month with the seeds.
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Apr 18, 2012 08:06
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Oh, the Jalapeno was plenty hot before I infused. But it seemed that it mellowed out way too quickly or with gutting the seeds and keeping the majority of the pepper, just the flavor of the pepper carried over without the heat. Day 2 and it's already got a nice bite to it.
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Apr 18, 2012 20:46
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Anyone tried a Lemon Grass infusion? I'm hoping to make something that ends up like an Inca Cola liqueur, and I'm told that their secret ingredient is Hierba Luisa (which I'm told is Peruvian Lemon Grass). I'm thinking some of that in run, and then maybe carmelized sugar if that's a thing. This is getting fancier than I usually go and part of me is scared. Anyway, I figure lemon grass probably infuses like any fresh leaf, which means it probably needs hours and not days. Anyone with anecdotal evidence?
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May 4, 2012 21:41
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For those of you who like to make bacon infusions, I have something for you. I do this fairly often and I've gotten pretty good at it: popcorn rum. This is a very rich, alcohol concealing infusion. If you mix it with cola you could probably trick someone into not noticing it's alcoholic. Here's how I do it: 1 stick of butter .75 L rum (usually go with Cruzan) 1 handful of corn kernels I heat the butter so it doesn't burn but hot enough that with the lid on the pot the kernels will pop – it might take a few mistakes to figure this out. Once most of the popcorn is popped, I put the rum in a pyrex baking dish and add the butter from the pot where the popcorn was made (I set aside the popcorn, because it will absorb a lot of the rum and give you a smaller yield). Let this sit for an hour, and then put it in the freezer. The fat will congeal and you will be able to filter it out using a coffee filter. Repeat this freeze washing process until the infusion is clear – residual fat will make drinks feel gross to drink. Mix with cola and enjoy!
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May 24, 2012 15:48
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Just opened a bottle of domestic grown sour cherries that I covered with Wild Turkey 101 last fall, left alone three months, then strained and rebottled at Christmas. Wow. The sour cherry flavour has completely mellowed, and through it the bourbon's flavour of honey and citrus just shines. I don't think I've ever had anything so sweet and rich on the tongue. Very impressed!
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Jun 5, 2012 06:57
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This thread has inspired me to infused White Rum with Chilli's and then add the result to a chocolate sauce. If the result is good I will make more and post a trip report
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Jun 14, 2012 10:04
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ItalicSquirrels posted:3 cups of raspberries (or 2 cups of raspberry puree sans seeds) So I'm doing a strawberry now that they're in season (I have maybe a pint of cacao nib infused vodka that is getting lonely) and I'm kind of worried about the seeds making it bitter, but how on earth do you separate the seeds out? Do I need to pop into Bed Bath and Beyond to pick up chef's centrifuge?
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Jun 24, 2012 15:43
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betaraywil posted:So I'm doing a strawberry now that they're in season (I have maybe a pint of cacao nib infused vodka that is getting lonely) and I'm kind of worried about the seeds making it bitter, but how on earth do you separate the seeds out? Do I need to pop into Bed Bath and Beyond to pick up chef's centrifuge? Push the pulp through a sieve with the arse-end of a spoon?
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Jun 24, 2012 20:43
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We've got a cayenne plant growing in our garden that'll yield in August, and I want to do an infusion for some Christmas gifts. Now, I know vodka's the standby, but I also really like the taste of beer in a pot of chili, and I always use cayenne in my chili. Would it even be possible to infuse some pale ale with fresh cayenne?
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Jun 24, 2012 20:50
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Kerbtree posted:Push the pulp through a sieve with the arse-end of a spoon? I was afraid you'd say that. Looks like I'm buying an even finer sieve! Re: Beer infusion I *think* you're talking brewing beer, but where I can speak from confidence is that whiskey (distilled beer, after all) tastes ballin with pepper. I like chili and whole coriander, or chili and cacao nibs.
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Jun 24, 2012 20:56
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betaraywil posted:So I'm doing a strawberry now that they're in season (I have maybe a pint of cacao nib infused vodka that is getting lonely) and I'm kind of worried about the seeds making it bitter, but how on earth do you separate the seeds out? Do I need to pop into Bed Bath and Beyond to pick up chef's centrifuge? For what it's worth, I left a pint of sliced strawberries in vodka for something like two or three months, and it was absolutely delicious. I can't speak for other seeds, but strawberry seeds aren't going to hurt your infusion at all.
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Jun 24, 2012 21:37
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betaraywil posted:I was afraid you'd say that. Looks like I'm buying an even finer sieve! Whiskey would be loving awesome, thank you! As far as the beer goes, I have a buddy who started brewing his own recently, so I'm gonna see if I provide some cash and the chilis, if he'll brew a batch of cayenne pale ale.
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Jun 24, 2012 23:37
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Lolitas Alright! posted:We've got a cayenne plant growing in our garden that'll yield in August, and I want to do an infusion for some Christmas gifts. I've got a few brewing friends that have bottled a chili along with their beer, so yes, you can do it. I can't remember if they sterilised the chili first, but it would probably be a good idea. Boil it for 10 minutes first. I don't know how you'd go with already-packaged beer, but you can definitely do it with homebrewed beer. PS. The only thing you could taste was chili, it only *looked* like beer.
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Jun 25, 2012 00:09
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Wardhog posted:I've got a few brewing friends that have bottled a chili along with their beer, so yes, you can do it. Heh, yeah I've had friends who have done something similar to this as well, only they managed to get a good blend of beer flavour and chilli. I think they just left the chillies in for the primary ferment, but I'm not sure. Its definately worth a shot, but it may take a few tries to get a flavour you are happy with.
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Jun 25, 2012 02:15
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Nicol Bolas posted:For what it's worth, I left a pint of sliced strawberries in vodka for something like two or three months, and it was absolutely delicious. I can't speak for other seeds, but strawberry seeds aren't going to hurt your infusion at all. Eh I mean, I posted that last bit from the kitchen section of a Kohl's so I'm in for a penny. This mashing is a huge pain, but eh. Also, yeah, I don't have any experience with brewing, but a whole pepper per bottle is going to overpower anything else.
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Jun 25, 2012 02:18
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