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Post by anita22179 on Dec 12, 2003 6:58:23 GMT -5
hi everyone,
i am abt to prepare my own extracts, RC, WY hops, fenugreek and fennel. the problem is i cant find 100 proof vodka, the max available is 80 proof . will this do? fawn , perhaps you can help me with this one? besides, i am getting 4 oz of individual herbs, so i'll make enough extract to last me a year, should i be adding anything to preserve it? i asked at the MRH site, they said the shelf life of the dried herb is less, say a mnth and that of the extract is 6 mths. so if i extract the whole amt at once, what do i add as preservative and how much? i'll make the extracts at the 8:1 ratio.
thanks,
anita
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Post by SomeGirl on Dec 13, 2003 13:28:49 GMT -5
I've opened my mouth and been wrong before on this board. Maybe theres a reason you choose Vodka to preserve it? Eighty proof should be fine. However, any type of hard alcohol like rum, gin, etc should also preserve. As long as the proof is high indicating a mostly alcohol content.
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Suze
New Member
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Post by Suze on Dec 13, 2003 15:14:12 GMT -5
There's a very good reason to use vodka (diluted grain alcohol) and not other hard liquors. Rum has a high sugar content, which will oxidize the extract much further than alcohol alone. And gin already contains herbal extracts, notably juniper, which effects might not be desirable (though cumin probably would).
If you can buy everclear where you live, that's your best option for extracts. I'd recommend that you make the extracts at 5:1 and not 8:1. It's the usual ratio and doses of extract you will find are quoted accordingly. Also, grind your herbs well (an electrical coffee grinder does the job) and keep the extract in the dark during the process (1 month).
By the way, don't worry to much about the shelf life. As for many products, dealers have a tendency to minimize it in order to sell smaller packages (more expensive) more often.
You can keep raw herbs for about a year in a dry, cool and dark place, and an extract can last two years (and probably more if you can use high proof alcohol) in a sealed brown glass bottle. Your worst enemies here are light, fungi and damp air.
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Post by SomeGirl on Dec 13, 2003 16:17:39 GMT -5
That makes sense. I learned something new!
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Post by anita22179 on Dec 13, 2003 21:10:47 GMT -5
hi suze, thanks for your input! that was very helpful indeed  |
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Post by anita22179 on Dec 14, 2003 6:31:48 GMT -5
hi suze,
i need further clarification with making of extracts. since the herbs are dry, 1 oz of herbs means 1 oz by weight. but since fluid ounce is something different, which do you mean when it comes to alcohol , is it 5 oz of alcohol by volume or is it 5 oz alcohol by weight to 1 oz herb? coz 1 ounce of a liquid by volume is not 1 ounce of the same liquid by weight.
fawn are you there? i need your help too with this one.
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Suze
New Member
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Post by Suze on Dec 14, 2003 8:40:10 GMT -5
It's a weight ratio. I'll give an exemple (metric, sorry for that): 50 g of fennel would go into 250 g of whatever liquid you will be using. This is why you need to grind the herb quite finely, as it must be completely covered by liquid in the jar.
So, besides the coffe grinder, an electronic scale with a precision of 1g or 2g would be nice. Those aren't too costly and can also be used for everyday cooking.
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