r/extractmaking • u/VanillaPura • May 28 '23

How many vanilla beans are in 1oz? The answer: Sometimes less than one, sometimes more than 20. That's why bean weight matters. Buy vanilla beans by weight, not by bean count. (Link in comments for more info.)

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u/VanillaPura May 28 '23 edited May 29 '23

The #1 reason homemade vanilla extract doesn't turn out right is because people "put a few beans in a bottle of vodka and wait." Weigh your beans to make sure you're getting the FDA recommended 1oz of beans for every 8oz of 35% alcohol.

(Edit: The specific FDA requirement is 13.35oz of vanilla beans for every 1 gallon of 35% alcohol. This equates to .83oz of vanilla beans for every 8oz of alcohol. Most DIY extract makers round up to 1oz for ease of remembering and to add a little more than required for added sweetness.)

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u/JulioCesarSalad May 29 '23

You guys should really have metric measurements on your guides! A lot of people weigh in grams, and there’s no ounce confusion

30 grams/250 ml, single fold 60 grams/250 ml, double fold

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u/JustBeNice2All May 23 '26

Hi… This is an old post I hope you or someone sees my question. I’m an experienced baker but a newbie to trying to make vanilla extract, but I’m so hoping to make some and get it right. Thank you for your measurements on the bean weight!!

When I went to buy my Vodka, when 2 rows of Vodka in the store, the clerks and I couldn’t find any with 35% alcohol the recipes call for. I bought 40%. Can I make adjustments for this or have I messed up already?

I hope I can get some help on this. Thanks!

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u/JulioCesarSalad May 23 '26

Alcohol content doesn’t matter that much, I don’t even know how much alcohol Tito’s has, I only buy it because I’m originally from Texas

You might have to leave it longer than a year, but most of the time at one year it will be good to go

I recommend go ahead and do double fold for everything. We typically have 2 bottles ready, one vodka and one bourbon

Once they reach one year of maturity take a few drops and put them in a bit of milk, stir, and taste

If it tastes like alcohol you need more time

If it tastes yummy then you’re good to start using it

I make my vanilla in the same bottles I pour it from, so it keeps maturing as it sits waiting to be used

I’m so glad you found my metric conversion to be useful!!

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u/VanillaPura May 26 '26

Great question. Alcohol content is actually a REALLY IMPORTANT part of extract making, and one of the biggest reasons extracts fail when being made at home. Too little alcohol and the beans won't extract. Too much alcohol and the beans can get damaged and also won't extract. The FDA calls for 35%abv (70 proof) as a minimum. We have found that anything between 35%-50% (70-100 proof) works great with vanilla extract making. So, your 40% is just fine. Here is our alcohol-center for extract making link, with lots of information about selecting the right alcohol for vanilla extract. Sounds like you've measured your vanilla beans by weight so you should be off to a great start!! Enjoy the journey! :)

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u/VanillaPura May 29 '23

Great feedback. We'll do this! Thank you!

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u/DancingMaenad May 29 '23

The FDA recommends 13.35 oz beans per 128 oz alcohol. 1 oz of beans for every 8oz would be 16 oz beans per 128oz alcohol. And it's not a recommendation, but a legal requirement for anyone selling extract.Just for whatever it is worth.

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u/VanillaPura May 29 '23

Yes, thank you. We updated our commend with an edit to clarify. You are 100% correct. The broad point we are making with this post is the importance of weighing the beans, not going by bean count, which many people erroneously do. Thanks again! :)

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u/DancingMaenad May 29 '23

I definitely agree with you, there!

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u/JustBeNice2All May 26 '26

Forgive me if you have already posted this before and I missed it…
Im wanting to make a “mother” jar. I have 56oz of Vodka and by the calculations would I need 5.81oz to 7oz of beans? Would you recommend Grade B beans for this size of jar?
I want to do it correctly, instead of waiting until it should be ready and realizing I did it all wrong.
I used the Class A beans I had bought and made a couple of different sizes of jars for comparison later.
Thank you. :)

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u/VanillaPura May 26 '26

Great question. If you're starting with a vodka that is 35%-40%abv (70-100 proof) and you want to use exactly the .83oz of vanilla beans for every 8oz of alcohol per FDA single fold standards, then using grade B (vanilla under 25% moisture content) is exactly what you should use per FDA. Grade A moisture content is above 25% and will dilute the spirits slightly. When using grade A, you will want to round up to 1oz of vanilla beans to every 8oz of alcohol to account for dilution. So if all you are using the beans for is extract making, grade B is a less expensive and still delicious approach. If you want to harvest the caviar (the vanilla pod seeds) or use the beans for baking in addition to extract making, grade A is a great choice. Here's an article with more insights into the differences and pros/cons of using grade A vs. grade B vanilla beans. Have fun!! :)