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pepper extract

OK, I took about 20 -30 habs and crushed them in a mortar and pestal. I stuffed them in a small jar and filled it with pure grain alcohol.

What's the next step?

I'm only trying this "science project" because I have more habaneros than I know what to do with.
 
chuk hell said:
OK, I took about 20 -30 habs and crushed them in a mortar and pestal. I stuffed them in a small jar and filled it with pure grain alcohol.

What's the next step?

I'm only trying this "science project" because I have more habaneros than I know what to do with.

Defcon... you've created a monster.

Chuk... how many peppers do you have that you don't need??? If you've got enough to make it worth my while, I can take them off your hands. :P
 
DEFCON Creator said:
Monsters are nice! :P

Clean tasting extracts are even nicer!!

Knowing the ancient Chinese secrets is the nicest!!!

Hey, as I stated before...I only build the bomb, I don't drop it.

Fine then, Dr. Frankenstein, tell poor Chuk what to do next, his peppers are busy getting drunk.
 
You don't do anything until they are completely inebriated (which should take a couple days). You will see a thin layer of cloud appear the actual pepper mash you are using. This is normal. There are a couple secrets I've learned in the distillation process that I will keep to myself, but I really don't want to get into specifics with this processes for the main reason I don't want to be held responsible if the household resembles Nagasaki before the process is complete (it is VERY dangerous if you don't know EXACTLY what you're doing). Grain and capsaicin is a very volatile combination. The grain for it's flammability issues, and the capsaicin for turning the combustible into a kitchen-wide weapon of mass destruction.

I don't know the exact specifics when using fresh habbies, because of the massive amount of extraneous fluids you have to deal with. It's sooooo much easier using dried, and will reach your result with a lot less work. I have a feeling using fresh will yield a substance that will be a bit cloudy, and reducing out the cloudiness too much may result in burning the final product (man, better have a biosuit with external air source if that happens!), but if done correctly, it should have a distinct taste, sans the lovely ketone backwash we've all grown to detest. I'm curious to see. What sort of grain is being used to make the peppers drunk Chuk?
 
DEFCON Creator said:
You don't do anything until they are completely inebriated (which should take a couple days). You will see a thin layer of cloud appear the actual pepper mash you are using. This is normal. There are a couple secrets I've learned in the distillation process that I will keep to myself, but I really don't want to get into specifics with this processes for the main reason I don't want to be held responsible if the household resembles Nagasaki before the process is complete (it is VERY dangerous if you don't know EXACTLY what you're doing). Grain and capsaicin is a very volatile combination. The grain for it's flammability issues, and the capsaicin for turning the combustible into a kitchen-wide weapon of mass destruction.

I don't know the exact specifics when using fresh habbies, because of the massive amount of extraneous fluids you have to deal with. It's sooooo much easier using dried, and will reach your result with a lot less work. I have a feeling using fresh will yield a substance that will be a bit cloudy, and reducing out the cloudiness too much may result in burning the final product (man, better have a biosuit with external air source if that happens!), but if done correctly, it should have a distinct taste, sans the lovely ketone backwash we've all grown to detest. I'm curious to see. What sort of grain is being used to make the peppers drunk Chuk?

Me and every Newfie on the planet still thinks you should be using Iceberg Vodka. :D
 
DEFCON Creator said:
What sort of grain is being used to make the peppers drunk Chuk?

It's just some plain ol pure grain alcohol ( 190 proof) I keep under the sink for various cleaning details. Ya know, like "Everclear" but some other brand. I had vodka but thought this would be more intense. Doesn't the alcohol bind with the capsaicinoids?

I'll probably just strain out the solids and use it like that. You guys have me scared about trying to cook it down. Besides, I have a gas stove. :D
 
OK, poking around the web and finding some interesting things. Seems there 's more than one way to skin a cat.

Here's one:

Ingredients:

15 Habanero peppers 1 quart 200 proof Ethanol Or as close as you can get, try Denatured alcohol from the hardware store.
Method:

In a blender, puree the Habaneros in as much Ethanol as possible. Let the mixture sit overnight at room temperature. Longer is better. Pour the resultant sludge through paper towels and place the liquid in a glass container. Begin to the liquid boil slowly using either an electric heating device (naked flames would be dangerous), or a vapor trap to remove the alcohol fumes safely. Continue until 90% of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the pot from the stove and cool. Look for a brick-red oil floating on the surface of the ethanol. If none is present, continue to boil the ethanol away periodically cooling the mixture to look for the red oil on the surface. Once the red oil appears, pour the red oil and the remaining ethanol into a long thin glass cylinder, use an eyedropper to suck off the oil and place it in a clean container. The red oil is fairly pure Capsaicin, probably 40% Capsaicin / 60% Capsaicinoids.



Then there's this:

You could just soak some chilli powder in strong alcohol (Vodka, gin, whatever) to get an extract that will give you a fair concentration.
If you add water to the extract then shake it with cooking oil then let it settle most of the capsaicin will end up in the oil.




Now that sounds pretty simple and fairly safe with no 'tear gas"/fire hazard scenario. So, if the alcohol dissolves the capsacinoids, will they then bind with some vegatable oil which could be seperated out without the danger of cooking it down? Sure, it wouldn't be as pure but still hell on wheels, I'm thinking.


then there's this, which is more like the first technique:

I believe I'll try to prepare a stronger still solution by slicing some peppers up finely, and soaking them in alcohol (vodka, 50% alcohol, 100 proof). I should then be able to (carefully!) cook off a good portion of the alcohol and water, leaving me with a much stronger solution.

What would happen, though, if I managed to cook off most of the alcohol, leaving water behind? Would the water-insoluble capsaicin precipitate out of the solution?

Yes, capsaicin would precipitate out, together with the oily stuff from the chillis. You will probably get some of the colour from the chillis too.
You could extract most of the capsaicin from the alcohol with oil. If you use a small volume of oil you will get a higher concentration. (not sure you need it and be careful, at high concentrations the stuff destroys nerve cells)





Hmmmm

So, should I try to add oil to the chile infused alcohol then seperate out the oil? What sort of oil should I use?
 
Man, please be careful. We had a near hit once, and I wasn't able to see for about an hour, not to mention taste or smell for nearly a day and a half. Setting up a 'still' on a stove is just flat out dangerous.

That being said, you're on the right track. The alcohol puts the capsaicinoids into solution, and the suger in the peppers as well (peppers have A LOT of sugar in them). By using the simple still process (and upping your homeowners insurance beforehand) will yield a hot little mixture. Vegetable oil is the best for extending the amount of reserve you create, and most companies that bottle extract do just this. Most of the stuff you buy is inert ingredients in which the hot stuff is merely in suspension. The ancient Chinese secret is stopping the sugar/capsaicinoid bond, which of course will yield a far hotter and nasty reserve, hence our ZERO product. We also use interesting alocohol, usually corn. Experimenting with different grains is a lot of fun, as they each produce a distinct flavor. Yeah, they all smell like battery acid as well, but that's unavoidable.

A pressure cooker is another way to separate what you are looking for, but instead of having an aerosol version of tear gas, you would be playing with an Oppenheimer-type device, unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing. I am glad to hear you are taking our advice though, I really am, as messing with Mother Nature's Hellbeast can seriously injure you. The stuff you are making right now should suffice in most applications.
 
Tina Brooks said:
Guys, guys, guys.

Fermented pepper mash IS Tabasco, almost... Then they add mother of vinegar, which transfers the alcohol. If you skip the mother of vinegar phase, you have pepper wine. Neither the Peppermaster nor I have any idea how drinkable that would be... But if someone makes one, we'd be willing to taste it.

T.

Hmmmm...pepperwine...it has possibilities...maybe this fall after my crop of bonnets and chilis...I'm thinking it would be really Freakin hot! Maybe I'll buy a few pounds of peppers and try a small batch with bonnets I think they would have the best flavour for wine...I'm guessing so any opinions will be appreciated.
 
My opinion remains open ... until I taste the stuff that is.

I've had good jalapeno beer and bad jalapeno beer, so it makes you wonder what someone who knows how to ferment grapes can do with some sweet habaneros.

T
 
Tina Brooks said:
My opinion remains open ... until I taste the stuff that is.

I've had good jalapeno beer and bad jalapeno beer, so it makes you wonder what someone who knows how to ferment grapes can do with some sweet habaneros.

T

pardon my ignorance..."sweet habaneros?" are there more than one kind? or are you just referring to the natural flavour of the hab?..honest question...I don't know.
 
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