When making an alcohol based infusion, just how long is long enough?
August 26, 2018 4:13 PM   Subscribe

Hola!, My question for hivemind enthusiasts: Is 4-6 weeks really the minimum for alcohol based infusions (Amaro, Limoncello, etc.) or am I just wasting time after the first week or two?

I've recently gotten into making infused alcohols of all sorts after a fateful date with a restaurant that had a whole menu of -cellos, amaros and other treats.

The good news: So far, so good! I made a Pomme-icello and a Rosemary infusion, both of which turned out really well. But, geez, did it take awhile. I followed the recipes and did 4-6 week infusions before I added the syrup and bottled.

I guess I'm wondering if I'm wasting my time past the first week or two. And what're the variables here? I've been using an 80 proof vodka and a 1:1 Syurp, but can you speed this up with higher proof alcohols?
posted by GilloD to Food & Drink (8 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
It 100% depends on what you're infusing. Basil for example is actually best if you just put it in for a day or so and then replace with fresh periodically until it tastes right, whereas almonds would take weeks to months.

This blog is long-defunct, but when I was in college and infusing a whole lot of vodka, it was my main resource.
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:55 PM on August 26, 2018 [3 favorites]


A really easy way to speed up infusions is to use a nitrous-oxide based whipped cream siphon - the nitrous breaks up the cell walls of the the plant matter you're infusing. It depends based on exactly what you're infusing, but often you can get the same results as you would from a month or more of steeping by using two nitrous oxide whippets, shaking the siphon up, and waiting for ten minutes.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 5:22 PM on August 26, 2018 [2 favorites]


Honestly the best infusions I have been made have been after running the whole (very screwed on tightly) bottle through the dishwasher.
posted by floweredfish at 5:24 PM on August 26, 2018


Seconding showbiz_liz in that it's 100% dependent on what you're infusing. I mainly do fruit infusions and don't bother with syrup, and I'm rarely leaving it in longer than a week for delicious results.
posted by isauteikisa at 5:35 PM on August 26, 2018 [1 favorite]


I used to do a lot of this a few years back. Never did it with sugar in the infusion stage; my intuition was that it'd interfere with extraction. The best advice I can give you is: taste frequently.

I've done nitrous infusions, which, for my money, are more fun if you're not infusing alcohol. I made a great chocolate syrup with 1:1 simple and cacao nibs, which meant I could make my wife chocolate soda that was clear, but tasted like good chocolate.

I've done lots of citrus infusions; my advice is to minimize pith (it adds unpleasant bitterness to the infusion), and buy the most aromatic citrus you can find. I've done berries, which are great. I've done herbs, which take a lot of monitoring (and will never been the great chlorophyll green you want, alas). I've made tea infusions (also lots of monitoring; better to go light on what you're infusing than to create the horror I did with lapsang souchong many years ago).

I've also done habaneros. Don't do what I did, and do half a pound of stemmed habaneros in a fifth of vodka for a week. That's not a beverage, that's artisanal pepper spray. Although one person liked it... and asked for more.
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 6:31 PM on August 26, 2018 [7 favorites]


I've done citrus infusions from as little as a few days to as long as a year (with whole citrons!). Frankly, the extra time didn't help, and extracted more bitter pith flavors than I wanted. Taste frequently, and let your palate be your judge.
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 6:37 PM on August 26, 2018 [1 favorite]


Seconding the notion that it depends on what you're infusing. For most herbs and fruits, a week or two is the top end is what you'd need. You'll get slightly faster infusion with a spoonful of sugar in a bottle of spirits, but I wouldn't add more than that until after the infusion if making liqueur rather than snaps.

This website is pretty good for guidelines.
posted by Dysk at 1:59 AM on August 27, 2018 [1 favorite]


The three variables I can come up with off the top of my head are particle size, porosity, and solubility. And I think the 4-6 week recommendation is not helpful. I've made lavender extractions in vodka in about 10 minutes (relatively small particle size, super high solubility, high porosity) and limoncello in about a week, if the peel is grated. I can see if you have an entire piece of fruit and you are extracting that, that 4-6 weeks might be necessary but otherwise I think it is not necessary to wait that long.
posted by Vatnesine at 4:09 PM on August 28, 2018


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