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how to make pepper extract

AlabamaJack said:
Nat...get you some DefCon Zero...it's the sh*t....

I may be rethinking the extract idea...and I sure as heck won't be using butane...I didn't realize even the alcohol thing could be so bad either...
I don't understand how the booze one is dangerous unless someone was stupid enough to use the booze as they normally wouldn't anyway....(like around flames). I'm not talking about fermentation.

Yeah, I've got to order some of the DefCon juice. It sounds like what the Doctor ordered!
 
I have tried a few extracts out there and pure extract in any form does not taste all that good .... zero included.
I agree that butane is not a good idea to be playing with.
dump some vodka into a pail of cut up habs and just eat it it will be hot and bad tasting
 
what do you guys think about boiling/ heating when the alcohol and peppers are together? wouldn't that increase the solubility, thus shorten the soak time? and be done instantly?
 
shayneyasinski said:
heat kills the cap .... no good
heat will destroy the capsicum? Please explain that one to me. I've simmered my Datil sauces for *hours* with no apparent change to the heat from the capsicum.

Where did you read or learn this information?
 
the heat will evaporate the alcohol and thats the bit you need the extract the extract!.
If you ferment in a sealed container the gases that occur during the fermentation will cause it to explode which is why i'm gonna have some sort of pressure release value on the lid.
I'm only gonna be trying a little sample with maybe a couple of dozen pods, nothing large scale
 
DEFCON Creator said:
Don't wanna spoil you're fun, but heat does damage the potency in some way. I wouldn't use the word "kill", but it gets much more noticable when the quantities are relatively small.
 
DEFCON Creator said:
Please explain how heat affects this crystal.
That is why I used "some way". take chile mash and split into two separate bunches. heat one and leave the other as is. after reaching boiling point let it sit a bit (so the temperature will be the same for all bunches), then try both. both will be hot, but the uncooked one will clearly be hotter.

Cannot explain why, just a "thing" I've noticed.
 
Omri said:
That is why I used "some way". take chile mash and split into two separate bunches. heat one and leave the other as is. after reaching boiling point let it sit a bit (so the temperature will be the same for all bunches), then try both. both will be hot, but the uncooked one will clearly be hotter.

Cannot explain why, just a "thing" I've noticed.


If you bring one to a boil, we call it evaporation, as some of the crystal will leave with the water vapor. Sorry, but if the reduction is done properly, the capsaicin will concentrate. The crystals are unaffected by heat.

If you take pure crystals of capsaicin, and heat one group, and not the other, they will remain the same.
 
DEFCON Creator said:
If you bring one to a boil, we call it evaporation, as some of the crystal will leave with the water vapor. Sorry, but if the reduction is done properly, the capsaicin will concentrate. The crystals are unaffected by heat.

If you take pure crystals of capsaicin, and heat one group, and not the other, they will remain the same.
Salt doesn't evaporate. Sugar doesn't evaporate. it was only logical for me to think Cap will too. if that's the case, I just got smarter today. ;)
 
ahh i figured the heating would just evap the alcohol. however, then what about adding this step in the end after the fermentation period. well it should probably work then =]

the next thing i read is that capsaicin is unaffected by heating, freezing, boiling, etc... which is why we can cook spicy foods ^^
 
Davetaylor said:
the heat will evaporate the alcohol and that's the bit you need the extract the extract!.
If you ferment in a sealed container the gases that occur during the fermentation will cause it to explode which is why I'm gonna have some sort of pressure release value on the lid.
I'm only gonna be trying a little sample with maybe a couple of dozen pods, nothing large scale
I'm not sure if fermentation would take place in the case of 100+ proof alcohol and raw peppers being combined. All of the fermentation I've read about that involve alcohol also include yeast as the agent that instigates fermentation. In the absence of yeast, I don't think any fermentation would happen unless the ratio of alcohol was very slight and Lactic Acid fermentation occurred.

I'm going to have to research that and find out. I'll post the results of my research here in this thread.

Very interesting!

A balloon over the bottle would seal it from oxygen and dirt and also show any signs of fermentation.

I'll let you all know after I look into it.
 
i dont' think the intention is to actually ferment the peppers right? don't you just want to separate the chile oils from the plant matter and 'extract' it? so in a sense you would just be trying to dissolve the capsaisin into the alcohol..is that right? correct me if i'm wrong
 
menguyen89 said:
i dont' think the intention is to actually ferment the peppers right? don't you just want to separate the chile oils from the plant matter and 'extract' it? so in a sense you would just be trying to dissolve the capsaisin into the alcohol..is that right? correct me if i'm wrong
Your perfectly correct. By totally masticating the peppers prior to the soak, it makes all the plant oils more readily available to move into solution with the alcohol.

A weeks soak should be more than adequate to accomplish this.

I'm checking with some science types about any possible fermentation that could occur within that week if the container were tightly sealed. I've done a lot of this type of extraction and have never seen any of the usual fermentation signs such as bubbles forming on the surface of the alcohol or foaming.
 
i could well be wrong,
I was just trying to cover all safety aspects and possible dangers, if no extra gases are produced in the sealed container then thats one problem solved
 
Davetaylor said:
i could well be wrong,
I was just trying to cover all safety aspects and possible dangers, if no extra gases are produced in the sealed container then that's one problem solved
I agree totally. It's better, MUCH better to be safe than sorry. The balloon trick will both prove it and provide safety from contamination and allowance for escaping gases if they're present. I've got a question in on a science group about the issue. No answer yet. I'm a newbie there, so it may take awhile.
 
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