imasickboy
Drinkasaurus extraordinarius
I've been making Kahlua for many years, and have nailed down a very good, reliable recipe. I'll post it as soon as I dig it out.
Kahlua Anyone?
- Thread starter JimiGibbs
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Ryanh1801
Well-Known Member
Went to the store and got some Vodka today. Now if I can just find a place with vanilla beans.. Any Idea's?
mr x
Well-Known Member
Good quality vanilla extract will work just as well. Most large grocery stores will carry vanilla beans.
OP
OP
Ryanh1801 said:
I've been getting mine on line.... Ebay. I'll try and find the seller for you. Grocery stores & Health food stores have them but they usually charge a lot. I got a dozen beans for what you get one there.
Ryanh1801
Well-Known Member
Ok well ended up just having to use pure extract. Used the OP recipe, but used Turbinado sugar. Not bad only 20 bucks for everything, thats less than one bottle of Kahlua is at the store, next time it will be even cheaper. So how long before I can start drinking this stuff?
mr x
Well-Known Member
It's ready to drink now.
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elbajista
Well-Known Member
Awesome! I've been on a big white russian kick lately and I love Kahlua.
Do you really need to let it sit for 2 weeks? I can see waiting for the vanilla beans to impart their flavor, but if you use vanilla extract it seems to me that you can have almost "instant" Kahlua after a bit of shaking.
Wouldn't the use of real coffee beans or brewed coffee be a better idea than instant coffee? I can't stand instant, and I do find myself to be a bit of a coffee snob.
Anyone else used Mr X's idea of cutting the sugar down, substituting 1 cup of the 3 remaining for brown sugar? Sounds great to me, as I agree that the store-bought stuff is awful sweet without enough coffee flavor.
How long are you guys boiling for? The OP said 20 minutes, then others are saying 2 hours+....
Do you really need to let it sit for 2 weeks? I can see waiting for the vanilla beans to impart their flavor, but if you use vanilla extract it seems to me that you can have almost "instant" Kahlua after a bit of shaking.
Wouldn't the use of real coffee beans or brewed coffee be a better idea than instant coffee? I can't stand instant, and I do find myself to be a bit of a coffee snob.
Anyone else used Mr X's idea of cutting the sugar down, substituting 1 cup of the 3 remaining for brown sugar? Sounds great to me, as I agree that the store-bought stuff is awful sweet without enough coffee flavor.
How long are you guys boiling for? The OP said 20 minutes, then others are saying 2 hours+....
mr x
Well-Known Member
If you are using vanilla extract, then it is done as soon as you throw in the alcohol. Godd quality vanilla extract is easily the equal of beans in this recipe. Personally, I wouldn't bother using beans or good extract with instant coffee,
I agree with real coffee being better. But, it is still good with instant. I find I can make it stronger with real coffee and maintain better taste.
When I look at the label, I think it includes caramel, which is why I use the brown sugar. I'm cutting the sugar even more next time, maybe closer to 2 1/3 cups. I fins when you start making/drinking gallons of this stuff, it gets to sweet quickly. I also find the store made stuff unneccessarily sweet after making my own.
Boiling time really depends on if you are using instant or real coffee. I simmered two hours because I made 10 cups of real coffee, and I needed to the the O.G. up.
I agree with real coffee being better. But, it is still good with instant. I find I can make it stronger with real coffee and maintain better taste.
When I look at the label, I think it includes caramel, which is why I use the brown sugar. I'm cutting the sugar even more next time, maybe closer to 2 1/3 cups. I fins when you start making/drinking gallons of this stuff, it gets to sweet quickly. I also find the store made stuff unneccessarily sweet after making my own.
Boiling time really depends on if you are using instant or real coffee. I simmered two hours because I made 10 cups of real coffee, and I needed to the the O.G. up.
elbajista
Well-Known Member
mr x said:
What amount did you eventually boil down to?
Does cheap vodka affect the final product? Most likely I'll be making my Kahlua with Skol
. Has anyone used a higher-quality vodka with significant results, or does the cheap stuff do the trick?mr x
Well-Known Member
From a few posts back.mr x said:
I wouldn't use Belvedere or Grey Goose for sure. Smirnoff quality would be fine I'm sure.
Ryanh1801
Well-Known Member
Get a bottle of Svedka.. Its a great Vodka for half the price of Grey goose.
MikeFlynn74
Well-Known Member
Great choice.
Course I like Smirnoff blue.
imasickboy
Drinkasaurus extraordinarius
Okay, found my recipe:
Mine yields roughly 5 750 mL bottles @ about 40 proof, (same as store bought).
Ingredients and recipe are for either using instant coffee, or fresh ground.
6 cups sugar
9 cups water
1 cup instant, or 3 1/2 cups whole bean, ground, (wrapped in a few tied bundles of cheesecloth), coffee
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbls vanilla extract
750 ml grain alcohol, (I use Everclear, 190 proof)
Boil 6 1/2 cups of water, add coffee, cover and let steep. Stir occasionally, "fluffing" the coffee bundles as well. If you are using instant coffee, disregard the next 2 steps.
1 - Let stand until cool, line a colander with coffee filters, remove coffee bundles, and strain through colander into large pot.
2 - Warm slightly
In separate pot, make syrup of remaining water, (2 1/2 cups), and the 6 cups of sugar, boiling 1 minute.
Add sugar syrup to the coffee mix. Stir well, add salt. If your sugar crystallizes, warm the pot, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves again. (This is a big pain in the ass trying to do this without it crystallizing, expect it to happen if your coffee is too cool.)
Allow to cool for about two hours if warmed, add vanilla and grain, stir well, and bottle. Store unrefrigerated in dark bottles for a minimum of 30 days before drinking. Ages incredibly well. I've had some 2 1/2 years old, and it was excellent.
DO NOT, no matter what, decide to taste the stuff if it is slightly warm and the grain has been added. I did so once and I thought I was going to die. Warm grain alcohol is deadly. Once cooled it is a bit more safe, but still tastes like **** until it has sat for a month.
Mine yields roughly 5 750 mL bottles @ about 40 proof, (same as store bought).
Ingredients and recipe are for either using instant coffee, or fresh ground.
6 cups sugar
9 cups water
1 cup instant, or 3 1/2 cups whole bean, ground, (wrapped in a few tied bundles of cheesecloth), coffee
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbls vanilla extract
750 ml grain alcohol, (I use Everclear, 190 proof)
Boil 6 1/2 cups of water, add coffee, cover and let steep. Stir occasionally, "fluffing" the coffee bundles as well. If you are using instant coffee, disregard the next 2 steps.
1 - Let stand until cool, line a colander with coffee filters, remove coffee bundles, and strain through colander into large pot.
2 - Warm slightly
In separate pot, make syrup of remaining water, (2 1/2 cups), and the 6 cups of sugar, boiling 1 minute.
Add sugar syrup to the coffee mix. Stir well, add salt. If your sugar crystallizes, warm the pot, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves again. (This is a big pain in the ass trying to do this without it crystallizing, expect it to happen if your coffee is too cool.)
Allow to cool for about two hours if warmed, add vanilla and grain, stir well, and bottle. Store unrefrigerated in dark bottles for a minimum of 30 days before drinking. Ages incredibly well. I've had some 2 1/2 years old, and it was excellent.
DO NOT, no matter what, decide to taste the stuff if it is slightly warm and the grain has been added. I did so once and I thought I was going to die. Warm grain alcohol is deadly. Once cooled it is a bit more safe, but still tastes like **** until it has sat for a month.
mr x
Well-Known Member
That doesn't make any sense.imasickboy said:
imasickboy
Drinkasaurus extraordinarius
What doesn't make sense? My recipe uses 190 proof grain alcohol. Drinking it warm, even diluted with sugar, water, coffee, and vanilla, is HORRIBLE. Burns everything on the way down, makes the eyes water, etc.
As far as sitting for a month before drinking, it's rather simple. Fresh, it seems thin, and flavors are not well blended. It even seems a bit astringent, if I recall correctly. After it ages, it thickens, flavors blend, and it becomes much more like real Kahlua.
Does that clarify things a bit better, or is there something else that you want to know that I'm not seeing?
As far as sitting for a month before drinking, it's rather simple. Fresh, it seems thin, and flavors are not well blended. It even seems a bit astringent, if I recall correctly. After it ages, it thickens, flavors blend, and it becomes much more like real Kahlua.
Does that clarify things a bit better, or is there something else that you want to know that I'm not seeing?
mr x
Well-Known Member
It sounded like you were saying warm ethyl alcohol is poisonous. I use the same stuff while the Kahlua is still warm, and mixed with milk over ice it's perfect. I get nothing from letting it age. It's better than real Kahlua straight off the stove.
Ryanh1801
Well-Known Member
Just had some, compared it to some Kahlua I had at the house, not the same but pretty dang close and taste great. Next time I am gonna up the coffee amount.
Ryanh1801
Well-Known Member
Just did a side by side tonight. And well I have to say the homemade stuff kicks the real stuffs butt. Now the bottle of Kahlua I have is pretty old. But, the homemade stuff is awesome.
I've got a batch of infused vodka going right now. I used medium roast Arabica beans (whole, not cracked), about 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 oz simple syrup, and UV Vodka. I'll let you know how it turns out in a week or so. This picture was taken after 24 hours:
Gahhh, yuri, you need to crush those beans! It'll take a while for it to finish if you leave it as is...Simply not enough surface area. I keep a mortar and pestle around for just such an occasion.
I've made a few coffee liquor batches myself, all of which involved soaking a number of beans in high-proof alcohol, then diluting to drinking strength with a touch of vanilla extract and a white/brown sugar mix. There's so many ways to do coffee liqour right that you simply can't screw this stuff up.
Recently a buddy has encouraged me to try using some "Toddy" coffee...If I try it I'll let you know how it goes
I've made a few coffee liquor batches myself, all of which involved soaking a number of beans in high-proof alcohol, then diluting to drinking strength with a touch of vanilla extract and a white/brown sugar mix. There's so many ways to do coffee liqour right that you simply can't screw this stuff up.
Recently a buddy has encouraged me to try using some "Toddy" coffee...If I try it I'll let you know how it goes
I figured I'd try whole beans first. I can always add some crushed ones if the flavor is lacking. The vodka has already darkened significantly, so I'm assuming I'm getting some flavor as well.RadicalEd said:
Ok, so it's only been two days, but I just had to try this stuff! All the beans sank, and the coffee aroma was very prominent when I cracked the lid. So, I poured a little. It's VERY good. Smooth, slightly sweet, and the alcohol heat almost gives it a hot cup of coffee feel. I mixed it up into an Albino Communist, and damn, that's a hell of a Caucasian!
I'm just gonna leave the beans in the bottle and let it strengthen as it ages.
No, Ed, you don't have to crush the beans!
I'm just gonna leave the beans in the bottle and let it strengthen as it ages.
No, Ed, you don't have to crush the beans!
I made a completely dumb ass mistake last night making this. You all know to never turn your back on a boiling brew pot and the same goes for simmering liquid down to a syrup. I left the kitchen in the later part of the simmer. A few minutes later I walk out of the office I see smoke billowing out from the kitchen door. Run in there to see a giant syrupy mess all over the stove top, syrup on the burner, syrup under the burner, syrup everywhere.
The dumb part about it is that I know very well what sugar does at this temperature. I lost 2/3rds of my double batch that I was making for Christmas as well as wasting some lovely Kona Sunrise coffee beans. Took an hour to clean it up too.
Bad, bad Nurmey!
The dumb part about it is that I know very well what sugar does at this temperature. I lost 2/3rds of my double batch that I was making for Christmas as well as wasting some lovely Kona Sunrise coffee beans. Took an hour to clean it up too.
Bad, bad Nurmey!
elbajista
Well-Known Member
Anyone used instant espresso? I'm thinking a Cafe Bustelo addition would be excellent.
elbajista
Well-Known Member
Okay well here's my batch:
6c water
4c dark brown sugar
1.75L vodka
8Tbps Bustello instant espresso
1tbs vanilla extract
Came out really sweet, almost too much, even though it's about 20% abv. I slip 3-4 icecubes in each glass to water it down. after a bit it really mellows out. Next time I'll cut the sugar down to 2c. the *dark* brown sugar really gives the sweetness that molasses-y depth I was going for. I'm happy with it, even though it really tastes exactly how the instant coffee tastes, albeit much sweeter with the ETOH bite. My wife loves it, and she has more discriminatory taste than me.
I filled about 5 1/2 32 oz. mason jars, and am down to my last one. I think I made it about 10 days ago, so it's going fast! I'll definitely try making it again, next time with less sugar and probably "real" coffee. I'll post back results of my second batch.
6c water
4c dark brown sugar
1.75L vodka
8Tbps Bustello instant espresso
1tbs vanilla extract
Came out really sweet, almost too much, even though it's about 20% abv. I slip 3-4 icecubes in each glass to water it down. after a bit it really mellows out. Next time I'll cut the sugar down to 2c. the *dark* brown sugar really gives the sweetness that molasses-y depth I was going for. I'm happy with it, even though it really tastes exactly how the instant coffee tastes, albeit much sweeter with the ETOH bite. My wife loves it, and she has more discriminatory taste than me.
I filled about 5 1/2 32 oz. mason jars, and am down to my last one. I think I made it about 10 days ago, so it's going fast! I'll definitely try making it again, next time with less sugar and probably "real" coffee. I'll post back results of my second batch.
Thanks for bumping this. I might try it. I don't drink much of this stuff, but the description makes it sounds more like what I'd want in a coffee liqueur. And I need to buy a bottle of vodka for my airlocks anyway...
cujocon
Well-Known Member
I made a Simple Kahlua recipe last night that I am happy with -
Brew a full pot of coffee a little stronger than you normally drink it.
Once brewed pour into a pot on the stove and crank the heat
Add 2 lbs of brown sugar and 1 split and scraped vanilla bean.
Stir until sugar is dissolved and pot just starts to boil, remove from heat
Continue stirring until Room temperature
Add bottle of Everclear (190proof) and stir.
Bottle it and it is ready to go.
This creates a very "fresh" flavor, no OLD or Burnt coffee flavors, no fake vanilla aftertaste.
All of the ingredients cost in the neighborhood of $20-$25 and I ended up with a full handle, plus the full everclear bottle (750 I think).
Brew a full pot of coffee a little stronger than you normally drink it.
Once brewed pour into a pot on the stove and crank the heat
Add 2 lbs of brown sugar and 1 split and scraped vanilla bean.
Stir until sugar is dissolved and pot just starts to boil, remove from heat
Continue stirring until Room temperature
Add bottle of Everclear (190proof) and stir.
Bottle it and it is ready to go.
This creates a very "fresh" flavor, no OLD or Burnt coffee flavors, no fake vanilla aftertaste.
All of the ingredients cost in the neighborhood of $20-$25 and I ended up with a full handle, plus the full everclear bottle (750 I think).
Fades47
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How much everclear? 750?
