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I watched the video and looked in the comment section to find the chart for adding water and lowering the proof of alcohol but there were hundreds of replies and could not find the chart. I am looking to take 151 proof or 190 proof and bring it down to 35% alcohol. I know that is the minimum alcohol to be used when making vanilla flavoring, and that's what most companies use. I was reading one of your comments regarding crystallization of honey. I had heard several years ago that as honey gets older it has a tendency to crystallize. But as you probably know honey can never go bad. Apparently they found honey in the tombs of Egyptians that was crystallized. They took that honey and heated it to melt the crystals and the Honey was just as good as if it was just harvested, according to the article
I watched your video after going to buy vanilla extract and I couldn’t do it! Boy is it expensive. So I have a question, to start a 1/2 gallon jar of vanilla extract, I would need 9 ozs of vanilla beans?
Question: Im sure it doesn't really matter, but you say you do it for the first 2-3 weeks, I was wondering if, maybe doing it like 2-4 times a week for a couple months would be ok? Have you done it longer than 3 weeks and how were your results? Just trying to figure out why 2-3 weeks is the sweet spot. Lol Im planning on getting one of the portable sealers. I think BALL makes😊
I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that somebody would store beans in isopropyl alcohol, but wow. What other kinds of bad decisions do they make? 😳🙄🤔🤨😂
Do you normally buy grade A or grade B beans? I just got my first order of extract-grade beans. 1 pound for $76.50 so I had to do it, right? 🤨🤔😂 The bag is WAY bigger with way more beans than the grade A beans I’ve been buying and they aren’t tiny, either. I didn’t realize how much of a difference the additional moisture in grade A beans made in the weight until seen side by side with grade B beans. I’m excited about the possibilities with extract and vanilla powder. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience. Theres some shockingly bad (or ill-informed) information out there. Respect the Vanilla!
So is it a CHEMICAL reaction that causes the crystallization, or does it have more to with temperature? Or a combination of both, or something else entirely? I ask because I’ve noticed that it happens a lot more during winter time. I use the hot water method to clear it up, and it works great but 99% of the time it re-crystallizes. Sometimes it takes longer than others, but it happens. I nearly always buy my honey from Costco, and the latest bottle says it’s from the USA, Canada, and Argentina. Thanks!
I have talked to several well known beekeepers and even they had said the scientist don't even know when it will happen. Honey already has the natural crystals in them but when they decide to come together is a mystery. Heat helps keep the crystals from forming. When it is cooler the crystals can form more easily. I have been harvesting honey for years and never had them crystalize until last year. So who knows. Honey is crazy when you think about it. My bees at home will produce different honey then my bees 2 miles away from my home. There different pollen's available to the bees even 1 mile away.
@@ClementFamilyFarms Thank you Shane. We’ll file this under “Unsolvable Mysteries”. In my mind, it will be a rogue honey molecule that starts a runaway chain reaction. By the way, I made my first batch of extract today using your splitting and scraping and vacuum sealing technique.
I’m getting some Rwandan beans soon, and I’m going to use your techniques of cutting and scraping the beans and using coconut rum, plus vacuum sealing and daily shaking - which I’ve already started using on my other jars I have going. I’d be happy if it was truly finished by April or May - or sooner! Really appreciate the information you provide and how you convey the message.
I recently made the bold (for me) move of using coconut rum to make vanilla extract. It seems like a lot of people use Captain Morgan, but her in Pennsylvania it seems to be only available on special order from the ridiculous state liquor store system we have here so I ended up buying Bacardi coconut rum. I totally agree with you about “competing” flavors. Considering how expensive beans are ($100 per pound for the “cheap” stuff) I’m going with my philosophy that I can always ADD flavor to a finished extract, but I can’t take it out. Thanks for your input. I’ll check in in about 6 months and let you know how it’s going.
I just keep watching your vanilla videos. There’s nobody else out there (who I’ve seen) that goes into such detail, without being boring, pretentious or too technical. It’s vanilla! You’ve answered a ton of questions that I didn’t even know I had. I’m new to this obsession (2 months in) but I already have 1.5 gallons of various vanilla extracts going, and I’ve made 2 batches of paste because I can’t wait for the extracts to be ready. I’m dehydrating beans for powder tomorrow. I can’t believe that I’m just getting into this. I love how it makes so many people happy and I feel like I’ve accomplished something worthwhile! And I don’t think I’ll have much trouble giving it away! People already think that I’m some sort of vanilla guru! 🤔 In which state is your farm?
Did you ever try the Brugal Blanco (40%) from Dominican Republic? Very smooth rum, very good taste with a hint of vanilla. Ok maybe more expensive… for 750ml here in province of Quebec it’s roughly $32 can. Only one size for Brugal. For your own tasty experience 😉
I have not tried that rum. There are so many different brands of alcohol it's hard to try them all. I am not sponsored so all the testing cost a lot to do. I wish I could test them all but cant at the moment. Maybe some day.
Hi Shane - I promise: I have watched, taken notes, and searched as best I could before bothering you with another question, but here goes: when adding beans and alcohol to a mason jar to be vacuum sealed - how much head room is too much? I know the minimum needs to be the bottom of the threads - but will it vacuum successfully if the jar is , let's say, 2/3 full?
Yes vacuum works at any fluid levels or even dry. With fluids you just want to make sure the level is at the threads are below. You don't want fluid to be sucked into the vacuum sealer.
Doesn't PPM correlate to the beginning ratios of bean to vodka? How much vodka is in each jar? Are they 1/2 gallon jars? How many oz of bean in each jar?
In this test we were testing the methods and each jar was treated Identical. Same type of vanilla beans, same type of alcohol, same daily treatment as far as shaking and daily metering. Everything was a controlled test. These were quart jars and followed the ratio of 1 oz of vanilla beans to 8 oz of 70 proof alcohol. The PPM for this alcohol started of 38ppm before we added the vanilla beans. This gave us a baseline for the test everything also was the result of the reaction of the vanilla beans and method use to process.
Me? i like a ss blade knives. no rust, stay sharp for a long time Way to sharpen a knife i take a grinder to it. Lightly down the blade for a small bounce, down the blade > LOOK AT IT it should make it a fine tooth Serrated Look to it, down the edge. Then horn it down a few time THAT SUCKER IS SHARPER THAN A RAZOR.. Cut a tomato as thins as you wish > EASY AND FAST. Goes threw meat like butter Watch out for your fingers, or it will whack them off Ask my Nephew> HE TESTED MY KNIFE LIKE HE WAS A SUPERMAN. It cut him so fast and deep.. He about lost his thumb! From that day on. he would never even look at my knives > I told him to be careful
1 cup of Pellets 6 hours of heavy cool smoke or hot smoke For hot smoke. put charcoal over the top of it. Not much charcoal. about 4 to 5 pieces bring the temp up to a prefect 200 degs
I would just like to know what platform you used to raise the vanilla beans. I loved the videos and binge-watched the entire series, I'm new to making vanilla and plan on selling it. Thank you for sharing this process!
@ClementFamilyFarms, you said there were dead spots on the bottom of the barrel and raised it so they can get proper circulation. I can understand how the wording was confusing. I just wanted to know what you used to fix the problem
I use a plastic lid off of a 3 gallon ice cream tub. I cut a hole in it for the tube and slid it over to the top of the pump. I did take everything out and used some pint jars sealed at the bottom to hold the weight. Once the lid rested on the jars I put the vanilla beans and alcohol back in. This made a big difference in flow and not having any dead spots. It kept the vanilla above the pump. I also drilled a few holes in the lid.
I am a little confused, i am thinking of maki g vanilla, so want to do it right. If i use tge vacuum seal method, and cut off ends of beans, do i just leave it vacuum seeal the 24 hours, then. Bottle it in individual bottles for the rest of the time (65 day, and just. Shake the. Daily.
Leave them on a vacuum seal and shake them daily. If you shake them at least twice daily you will have a finished extract in 90 to 120 days. The less you shake the longer time you will need.
When you do a test like this, you are literally tasting the extract in a bland (yogurt) medium. So it makes sense that the exact alcohol used makes a big difference, because it is a huge component of what you are tasting. However, for the most part, vanilla extract would be used in baking or cooking. I wonder how a simple sugar cookie recipe , using all the top extracts/alcohols as above, would turn out.
There are so many different ways to test. I have done this long enough to know not every way will result the same results every time. When It comes to using the extract in baking and testing it out the sugar cookie is good but also, pound cake, angle food cake or anything with out other flavors in it. Another good way is in cheese cakes, puddings, frostings and whipped creams. Cold recipes are better to really get a sense of the vanilla and with cooked recipes it much more settle and harder to detect the difference. Even in baking the alcohol makes a huge difference. People really don't want the alcohol they just want a good clean vanilla and why we tested alcohols. Some alcohols can leave a aftertaste that maybe unpleasant. So when testing in something like a yogurt or whipped cream and you don't taste the alcohol then you have a good chance it will not show up when used in baking. Some of them were strong and the alcohol after taste showed in baking.
Really appreciate the video - very interesting. On one of the FB extract groups , a couple of the members had recently attended a vanilla bean conference of sort, held in Florida by one of the major universities. The professor/lecturer presented a lot of data showing that 80 proof is the level of alcohol needed to extract as many of the flavor compounds as possible. I also have a question: I started my extracts in Jan 2024, but they are just sitting. I shake them maybe, just for fun (or so I thought) but only once a month or when I think of it. Traditionally, no shaking means at least a year for extraction, right? So if I start shaking them regularly now, will that finish them up before Christmas this year? I thought your guess might be a good bit more educated than mine,lol. And thanks for the links - I am off to Amazon to buy the vacuum selaer and TDS meter. Thanks for your time and generosity with all of us!!
I want to address the 80 proof issue first. I have seen some this talk about 80 proof and the studies done on it. Most of these studies started off with 80 proof and worked there way up through the higher proofs. There was no testing done with the lower proofs of alcohols. If you start off the 80 proof then it will show being more effective then the other higher proofs. Understanding the chemistry of alcohol its almost impossible for 80 proof to beat out a 70 proof or 60 proof. I have done the testing starting with pure water, 42, 70, 80, 90 and 100 proof. There is no way 80 proof does better then any of the lower proofs. In fact water alone came up with some amazing results. That is for another discussion. Vanillin is water soluble along with some of the other flavor compounds. On the same note there are some flavor compounds that alcohol soluble and need that alcohol to break it down and mix with the others flavor compounds. You need both to get that classic vanilla flavoring. Fluid movement is the key to a finished full flavored extract. No shaking can take up to 2-3 years to get a completed extract and even then with no shaking it might have only achieved 80%. People taste the extract and sense they have a good strong flavor they are assuming it is done. There could be 20-30% more flavors left behind they are not knowing. You had enough soak time now if you shake them twice daily now you should have a good extract by Dec. Use the TDS meter on the extract and log the PPM. Take a reading every couple of days for the next few weeks and if the ppm numbers level out the vanilla beans are done giving off any more flavor compounds. Your not looking for a target number you just looking for the numbers to not increase and level out.
@@ClementFamilyFarms I truly do appreciate all your hard work and generosity. I just spent the day putting up new shelves in the laundry/extract room so I will have room to organize better. My new beans and booze are sitting there staring at me, waiting to go for a swim. My TDS meter and vacuum sealer are charged up and ready to go. I even have a new notebook for my readings and notes. I love the sciemce part of all this - and your efforts, tests and conclusions are very impressive. Thanks so much!!!
Hello, Shane! Thank you so much for all the information in this video! For storage, would it be okay to use a jar with one of those hinged gasket glass lids? They’re advertised as air-tight but I thought I’d ask just in case!
Many people use those jars with no issues. I personally don't like them as they are harder to clean and to many moving parts to them. I really like the ball canning jars as they can be used in many different ways easy to clean and you can find the sealed lids anywhere.
@@ClementFamilyFarmsthank you for responding! I ended up using a small pint jar for my first batch. 1.5oz Madagascar beans to 12oz New Amsterdam vodka. Been shaking every day :) thanks for all the info you put out.
For anyone who wants to convert 80 proof alcohol to 70 proof alcohol. You will 7oz of alcohol with 1oz of water, which will make 1 cup. This will get you pretty close to 70 proof.
FDA requires at least 70 proof for vanilla. And that is what a lot of good brands of vanilla extract use like Nielsen-Massey. Sometimes some companies they also use “sugar cane alcohol” which is basically rum instead of adding sugar to add sweetness. Your findings from your research makes a lot of sense.
hoping someone can help me. I've made a couple bathes of extract over past few years. January of 2022 I started a new batch. added correct amount of beans as I have in the past. For second time I used New Amsterdam vodka. I am NOT a drinker so listened to these videos, and a couple of family members. Well it still isn't right. Tested it a few minutes ago in cream...very sharp...I'm so upset. I had tested it about 6 months ago and was the same way so added several more vanilla beans, split, Why?? Was hoping for holiday gifts...so disappointed. Thank you
Can you give the vanilla bean ratios you used and the alcohol proof you used. How many ounces of vanilla beans per 8oz of fluid? This will help understand a little better and give the best advice I can.
Thank you for response. I've made two previous batches and didn't have this issue. One ounce beans to each cup of alcohol. I do have a scale. Made this batch January 2023 but when tasted in cream, has quite a " bite". I use New Amsterdam, recommended by a couple of my sons. And saw in your video too. I don't drink at all or like the taste of alcohol so maybe it's just my sensitivity. Makes no sense to me that after all this time with correct measurements, it would taste this strong to me. Thank you so much. Love your videos
Hi Clement ! At my place, Captain Morgan is Rhum. NOT vodka and we don't have "Coconut vodka" but "Spicy rhum" and it cost $26.75 CAD / 750ml (±$20 US / 750ml) and this is the LEAST expensive one (out of stock though). How much do you pay for your Captain Morgan and for how many ml (liter) please ? Wonder why its vodka at your place and rhum at mine ? I would prefer to do it with rhum though. And spicy rhum would be better IMHO. And I have the choice to use the dark rhum also but... we won't have control over the extract color though but, heck, with a TDS meter, no need for color control do we !?
I just have a question about the usefulness of the drying. I thought vanillin, the compound, is volatile to a degree. Wouldn’t drying lose some of the fragrance?
I used 2 Ball wide mouth jars, no issue sealing. I used 2 Kerr wide mouth jars - would not seal no matter how I tried. Interesting Ball was consistent where Kerr didn't seal.
You are phenomenal! Thank you so very much for taking it this far to get smaller batches! 5 gallons at a time was a little much for me but this is perfect! So perfect for so many herbal uses also. Since I am not mechanically inclined I believe the only part I will have a problem with would be the base. Can you provide your email so I can email you to get the detailed drawings that you spoke about? I know you are super busy. I have been following you for about a year now and your videos are excellent! Very detailed to help everyone get the best quality of product! I am really looking forward to putting this system into use! God bless!
Making the vanilla extract using alcohols other than Vodka, is it for drinking or used for cooking? When using it for cooking, is the vanilla strength single, double or triple strength? Thank for a fantastic series on making vanilla extract.
