[kuan]

So how many beans do you use per liter of alcohol?

[cakerookie]

Whoa! I use this stuff a lot. Did not know you could make your own. Got a recipe to share?

[scott123]

Well, I haven't actually made it yet, but for me, the less alcohol and more vanilla flavoring the better. I was thinking of cramming as many beans as I could into a bottle of grain alcohol.

I am definitely going to do it, though. E-bay has got some kick butt prices for beans and the extract I'm finding is heinously priced and horribly weak. Trader Joes used to sell a half way decent reasonably priced extract, but those days are loooong gone. I had high hopes for Penzey's and it did pack a lot of flavor but at that price?!?! No way.

Bulk beans and grain alcohol... I'm doing it!!!!

[cakerookie]

What type of grain alcohol? I assume its alcohol that can be consumed like vodka or gin or something like that. Say E-Bay has vanilla beans? Gotta check that out.

[Stephanie Brim]

Most extract that I've seen uses bourbon. My store bought stuff does. Considering the large amount of vanilla that I use and that I hate using the immitation stuff, maybe I should look into doing this too.

Now then...anyone know where to get a good deal on vanilla beans? Madagascar preferable, please. :P

[cape chef]

Originally Posted by kuan

So how many beans do you use per liter of alcohol?

Kuan....I use 2 beans/4 oz of alcohol and let it infuse for three months. I have used Mexican beans with the best results because they are pretty wet and I find offer the best flavor. I have made it 4 times, each time using vodka with excellent results. I give it as gifts to my friends.
PS....I split and gently mash the pods first.

[kuan]

I split but I don't mash the pods. I used Remy Martin VSOP for the last batch and use 10 beans for the 750ml bottle! It turned out great. I have another batch going now with a 1.5l bottle of Christian Brothers brandy with 10 beans, so half the strength.

It seems like the extraction keeps going and going. I'm down to the last of the Cognac extract and the flavor is huge!

[Omi]

A few years ago I bought a bottle (maybe 10 oz.) that had three or four vanilla beans that had been steeping in rum. The herbalists I bought it from was marketing it as "perpetual" vanilla. They recommended that every time I used it, refill with rum (actually, I bought two, one that had been started with rum and one with vodka). I have been using this for a really long time. Occasionally, I will shove a few more beans. omi

[erbeone]

Perpetual Vanilla is a registered trademark of Steve and Connie Hartley, Hartleys Herbs. Hartley's Herbs - This message was posted to protect the name and quality of the product. Thanks Steve Hartley

[Luc_H]

From Nielsen-Massey: Pure Vanilla Extract - Nielsen-Massey

Q: What is a fold of vanilla?

A: A fold is the relative measure of strength of vanilla extract. Single fold vanilla is typically what the consumer buys at the market. For food processing, two, three or four fold vanillas are typically used. A single fold vanilla contains the extractive matter of 13.35 ounces of vanilla beans, containing less than 25% moisture, in one gallon of 35% aqueous ethyl alcohol. Two fold uses 26.7 ounces of vanilla beans, contains twice as much extractive matter and is twice as strong. Three fold and four fold are just three or four time the content of one fold. This is a standard of identity set by the FDA for Pure Vanilla.

Regular standard vanilla is one fold:
If 1 US gallon= 3.79L

then 13.35 oz/3.79L or 3.52oz per liter

If 1 oz = 28.35g
then 100g vanilla beans per liter of Vodka.

Luc H.

[Luc_H]

I noticed I did not finish my calculations for the poll:

according to here:
Amazon.com: Organic Vanilla Beans, 1/2 Lb. Madagascar average count 40 to 44 stems: Gourmet Food

1/2 lbs of vanilla beans equals 40 to 44 pods
so this averages to 40-44 pods for 227 g or 17.62 to 19.38 pods per 100g
average then is: 18 1/2 beans per 1L of vodka

Luc H.