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how to make pepper extract

better to have all the bases covered as i don't fancy giving the jar it's daily agitation/shake and it explodes in my hand.
As i'm sure that getting the mixture not to mention glass in your face probably ain't the best outcome
 
The last two are the extracted, (pun intended), replies and the consensus of opinion on a Chemistry Forum is:

"Alcohol is a preservative, it will prevent all fermentation. When fermentation makes alcohol, at a certain point there is enough alcohol in the mix to kill the yeast and end fermentation. When you distill the alcohol, absolutely nothing can grow in there."

And

"Dry the peppers first, wet peppers might make it messy. But yes, alcohol will dissolve the capsaicin and nothing can ferment in anything beyond 50 proof alcohol. Then it simply a matter of collecting the oil/powder, if it pure enough it will be a powder, if fats are mixed in, it will be an oil."
 
The orange habs here are so inexpensive, I'm going to buy a few pounds of them, dry them and do this experiment with them.

I'll post every step of the procedure. I'll put a balloon over the neck of the bottle to see if ANY gases are formed during the process. If the balloon stays deflated, no gasses. If it so much as flinches, I'll post a photo of it.

Oh boy! Fun!
 
Talking about soaking in Vodka......

Bacon Vodka

makes up one pint
Fry up three strips of bacon.
Add cooked bacon to a clean pint sized mason jar. Trim the ends of the bacon if they are too tall to fit in the jar. Or you could go hog wild and just pile in a bunch of fried up bacon scraps. Optional: add crushed black peppercorns.

Fill the jar up with vodka. Cap and place in a dark cupboard for at least three weeks. That’s right- I didn’t refrigerate it.

At the end of the three week resting period, place the bacon vodka in the freezer to solidify the fats. Strain out the fats through a coffee filter to yield a clear filtered pale yellow bacon vodka.

Decant into decorative bottles and enjoy.

From: Brownie Points Food Blog
 
I have found that heated peppers are not as hot as fresh and the same goes for dried peppers.

I can eat a full naga on a sandwich if it is dry flakes but fresh will take me out.

even a dried pepper that has been soaking in water to reconstitute has nowhere the punch of a fresh pepper
 
shayneyasinski said:
I have found that heated peppers are not as hot as fresh and the same goes for dried peppers.

I can eat a full naga on a sandwich if it is dry flakes but fresh will take me out.

even a dried pepper that has been soaking in water to reconstitute has nowhere the punch of a fresh pepper
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EXACTLY!
 
NatGreenMeds said:
The last two are the extracted, (pun intended), replies and the consensus of opinion on a Chemistry Forum is:

"Alcohol is a preservative, it will prevent all fermentation. When fermentation makes alcohol, at a certain point there is enough alcohol in the mix to kill the yeast and end fermentation. When you distill the alcohol, absolutely nothing can grow in there."

And

"Dry the peppers first, wet peppers might make it messy. But yes, alcohol will dissolve the capsaicin and nothing can ferment in anything beyond 50 proof alcohol. Then it simply a matter of collecting the oil/powder, if it pure enough it will be a powder, if fats are mixed in, it will be an oil."
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And one last quote from the Chemistry group I checked with:

"Ethanol is a metabolic byproduct. Ethanol is toxic to the bacteria and yeasts that produce them, as is the case with most organisms - the metabolic byproducts they excrete are toxic to them.

The upper limit, in most cases is around 10%.

Any alcoholic beverage containing more then 10% alcohol, has in general, been distilled to some level (the upper limit on Distillation is 95% alcohol).

So, the answer is, if you're using anything stronger then about a 20 0r 30% solution of alcohol in water, it should be quite safe from fermentation and the liberation of gasses.

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jitkangl/Fermentation of Ethanol/Fermentation of Ethanol.htm"

Of course, this person included the word "should" in the statement "So, the answer is, if you're using anything stronger then about a 20 0r 30% solution of alcohol in water, it should be quite safe from fermentation and the liberation of gasses.", because he also knows that the introduction of enough new bacteria or yeast would drop the level of alcohol concentration to below the 20 to 30% alcohol solution by volume that he mentioned earlier. So, as long as the combined volume has a mass that is above 20 to 30 percent alcohol by volume, (40 to 60 proof), then fermentation would not occur.

I'll still prove it to myself by the application of a balloon over the bottle to capture and make evident any escape of gases during the process.
 
shayneyasinski said:
I have found that heated peppers are not as hot as fresh and the same goes for dried peppers.

I can eat a full naga on a sandwich if it is dry flakes but fresh will take me out.

even a dried pepper that has been soaking in water to reconstitute has nowhere the punch of a fresh pepper
Click to expand...
That may be because of the absence of oils in the "flaked" dehydrated peppers. The action of the capsaicin, that functions to deplete Substance P, which is involved in the transmission of pain from skin through the spinal cord to the brain may indeed be lessened as a result of being in contact with the receptors of the mucous membrane of the mouth and throat for less time and with less adhesion.

If you were to fully reconstitute the pepper flakes with oil and *then* use them on your sandwich, I believe the noticeable "heat" level would increase dramatically. The oil would cause a much better bond between the mucous membrane and the capsaicin which would in turn allow more interaction between the applicable receptors and the capsaicin, resulting in more signals to the brain which in turn would be interpreted as pain to those respective areas that came in contact with the capsaicin. The oil would also prevent easy dislocation of the capsaicin by the other substances in the mouth transferred to the areas of the mucous membrane through the masticating action.

In simpler words, the oil would cause it to stick to the mouth more and stay there longer, making it seem hotter.

The chemical structure of the capsaicin isn't changed by dehydration. The reaction between the capsaicin and the mucous membrane won't change either. This is directly proportional to the amount of capsaicin applied per/volume of other substances and the percentage of that capsaicin that comes into contact with the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat.
 
NatGreenMeds said:
That may be because of the absence of oils in the "flaked" dehydrated peppers. The action of the capsaicin, that functions to deplete Substance P, which is involved in the transmission of pain from skin through the spinal cord to the brain may indeed be lessened as a result of being in contact with the receptors of the mucous membrane of the mouth and throat for less time and with less adhesion.

If you were to fully reconstitute the pepper flakes with oil and *then* use them on your sandwich, I believe the noticeable "heat" level would increase dramatically. The oil would cause a much better bond between the mucous membrane and the capsaicin which would in turn allow more interaction between the applicable receptors and the capsaicin, resulting in more signals to the brain which in turn would be interpreted as pain to those respective areas that came in contact with the capsaicin. The oil would also prevent easy dislocation of the capsaicin by the other substances in the mouth transferred to the areas of the mucous membrane through the masticating action.

In simpler words, the oil would cause it to stick to the mouth more and stay there longer, making it seem hotter.

The chemical structure of the capsaicin isn't changed by dehydration. The reaction between the capsaicin and the mucous membrane won't change either. This is directly proportional to the amount of capsaicin applied per/volume of other substances and the percentage of that capsaicin that comes into contact with the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat.
Click to expand...

OR

having sex without a condom - fresh pepper
sex with a condom - dried pepper
 
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.
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I'm confused...........When I make a batch of hot sauce, It needs to be cooked and Hot packed......Heat is an imortan step in making the sauce safe to eat.......Proper hot packing methods? Not trying to be a smart ass.....(i've never made a cold batch of sauce to compare) so if I made a cold batch the heat level would be higher?
 
Dyce51 said:
I'm confused...........When I make a batch of hot sauce, It needs to be cooked and Hot packed......Heat is an imortan step in making the sauce safe to eat.......Proper hot packing methods? Not trying to be a smart ass.....(i've never made a cold batch of sauce to compare) so if I made a cold batch the heat level would be higher?
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hotsauce or extract???

bottling hotsauce to kill bacteria and making extract are not the same
 
I understand that...I make both hot sauces and extracts....but Omri had stated there is a noticeable heat defference between a cooked and uncooked sauce....Thats all I was asking about since I have never made a "cold batch" of sauce......
 
Dyce51 said:
I understand that...I make both hot sauces and extracts....but Omri had stated there is a noticeable heat difference between a cooked and uncooked sauce....That's all I was asking about since I have never made a "cold batch" of sauce......
Click to expand...
I've made quite a few cold sauces and salsas over the years. I've never done a comparative test between the identical cold and heated sauces however. I just make them when I need them. If one or the other turns out to be not as hot as I wish, I make a concentrated short batch to take the heat up a level or two.

The capsaicin doesn't change with either process. The "heat" is a result of contact with the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat. If that contact or the duration of the contact is affected as a result of the method of preparation, then it would seem to be less or more spicy. The heating itself isn't the factor that changes the sensation of heat.
 
menguyen89 said:
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?
Click to expand...
What about a Soxhet extractor ?
 
So I'm trying to make some extract
I'v dried my pepper (Habs and scot)
ground into powder
mixed with 75.5% alc for 4 days
Now I'm not sure exactly what to do next... Any advice?
 
Hi Doughes,
welcome to THP!
 
The process you're describing will give you a "tincture".  Alcohol is used for tons of applications to leach out different properties from different herbs, chiles, spices, etc.  It's used for lots of healing herbs.  
 
When using alcohol and chiles, the capsaicinoid compounds will dissolve into the alcohol along with chile flavor and color.  Obviously, if you use one ounce of habanero in 1 cup of vodka and 1 ounce of trinidad scorpion in 1 cup of vodka...the TS will be hotter because there are more capsaicinoid compounds in T-scorps.  The solution could then be evaporated to make it more concentrated.
 
If you want to make an "extraction" that process is more like what's described in the soxhlet thread which yields a thick, oily-looking, (not the best tasting) compound.  
 
Here's one post-
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/26369-making-extract-with-a-soxhlet-apparatus/?hl=soxhlet
 
There are several post if you search soxhlet.  Have Fun!
 
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