extracts and mead

I am looking for a rich nutty chestnut flavored mead.
Is a basic recipe for making an extract 1 volume of chestnuts to 2 volumes of vodka ? I see that loveofrose has suggested that for flavoring purposes you can add between 5 - 10 ml of the extract to 1 L of mead (or about 20 - 40 ml to a gallon of mead). Is that 20 -40 ml of extract based on that concentration of extract or a very different ratio of nuts/fruit to alcohol? What ratios of ingredients to alcohol do you use and what quantity of the infusion do you add to a basic mead? Thanks

I've dabbled in making extracts for bitters with the intention of adding my knowledge to Mead and Beer making. The easiest answer I can give since I've not quantified an exact amount of extract per gallon (in any case it is likely entirely dependent on what you've extracted) is to make the extract and just start mixing the Mead with your extract until you get the flavor you're looking for. Just add the amount your were happy with to your Mead and let it sit for a few weeks (Bitters require you let the flavors meld after you've mixed a batch). Just keep in mind that a lower ABV like Vodka, as opposed to Everclear, will take longer to extract depending on what you're extracting. For example, a coffee extract from Vodka is ready in 10 minutes but a Lavender Extract may take a week in Everclear!

Just start with a Tablespoon of crushed chestnuts per half cup of Vodka, shake every day for a week, put some drops on your palm, rub your hands together and smell. Does it smell distinctly like chestnuts? If not add some more, if it does Taste it with a little simple syrup and club soda. If it tastes like chestnuts then you are good to start testing it in your Mead samples.

Every extract is a little different. It's best to do a bench trial with a glass of mead to determine your preferred dose, then scale up to the size of your batch.

Bench testing was - and still is my plan but I guess I was looking for some guidance as to where to start. So for example, if my mead samples were 50 cc should I expect to begin with 10 cc of the extract or 50 cc or a single "drop" from a pipette... worse case scenario, I can bench test the bench test...

Dr Floyd, I have two batches of extract in the making Both batches use commercially roasted chestnuts. The first uses about 1 lb of chestnuts that I processed in a mixer with about 2 pints or so of vodka. This batch I will need to strain through a filter.

The second parallel batch uses about 5 oz of chestnuts (whole ) in about 3/4 pint of vodka. I shake the jars a couple of times each day with the intention of allowing the nuts to infuse the vodka for 30 days. Thirty days is about the time I use to make liqueurs such as genepi or lemoncello or kahlua.

bernardsmith said:

Bench testing was - and still is my plan but I guess I was looking for some guidance as to where to start. So for example, if my mead samples were 50 cc should I expect to begin with 10 cc of the extract or 50 cc or a single "drop" from a pipette... worse case scenario, I can bench test the bench test...

Click to expand...

My guess is the correct amount is a lot closer to 1 drop than it is 1 part in 5. But that is just a guess.

bernardsmith said:

Dr Floyd, I have two batches of extract in the making Both batches use commercially roasted chestnuts. The first uses about 1 lb of chestnuts that I processed in a mixer with about 2 pints or so of vodka. This batch I will need to strain through a filter.

The second parallel batch uses about 5 oz of chestnuts (whole ) in about 3/4 pint of vodka. I shake the jars a couple of times each day with the intention of allowing the nuts to infuse the vodka for 30 days. Thirty days is about the time I use to make liqueurs such as genepi or lemoncello or kahlua.

Click to expand...

I've never made a Nut Extract before so this is only an educated guess but I'd imagine a Nut Extract would take longer than a lemon extract for a Limoncello. It's worth mentioning that a higher ABV will extract faster and requires that you water it down to at least 45%.

Now I'm having a hard time imagining what 1 lbs. of chestnuts in 2 pints of vodka would look like (post a picture?) but I'd hazard a guess that it might be more chestnuts than you need. That being said, have you tried dropping some Extract in your palms, rubbing them together and smelling your cupped hands? How Chestnut-like is the smell (smelling it directly can knock you out)? Have you tried the simple syrup, club soda and Extract Test? Good information on extracts and bitters is pretty fleeting online which makes this all highly subjective and requires you just test it until you are happy. The end result should smell strongly of the item you are extracting (otherwise you need more chestnuts). And how much you mix in is so dependent on how strong a flavor you are extracting. I'd guess you need more of a Nut Extract than you would need for say Lavender.

Start with a few drops and move from there. In addition look up the recipes for Almond Extracts and extrapolate what you can from there. Please keep us up to date!