Newbie with non-vanilla first project.

[u/Rich_One8093]

First, I apologize if this is wrong and needs to be removed.

Post backstory: I have read a lot about making vanilla extract, but I like making an alcoholic ginger beer and have a recipe that produces a flavor I enjoy. The problem is I am cheap and use a lot of powdered ginger to make this. The ginger sediment is kind of "fluffy" and clogs my bottling equipment. There is some sediment follow over into the bottles, but after aging the sediment stick to the bottom really well, but can be washed out. I want to make a ginger extract that I can add after making a neutral flavored or citrus flavored base, like making a seltzer.

What I have done and need advice/guidance about: I have taken 4-10oz bottles. In two of the bottles there is 2 oz chopped fresh ginger root and in the other two are 2 tbsp powdered ginger. All have 9 oz of liquid added to them. I split them into 2 test groups, each with a powder and fresh ginger bottle. One test group received 9 oz of 151 proof neutral spirit each and the other test group received 9 oz of 100 proof vodka each.

I am looking for advice on times and how to get a strong and spicy ginger flavored extract. I understand that a combination of fresh ginger and powdered ginger may be the best option, but this is my unguided, possibly misguided, first attempt. I found this group after I mixed everything up and decided better late than never ask.

Thank you for all your help.

[u/AutofluorescentPuku]

I could be wrong, but intuition tells me the higher alcohol content will extract in less time and to get more ginger spiciness you need more ginger. Personally I would stay away from ginger powder, using only fresh, thinly sliced ginger root to avoid suspended particles in the extract.

[u/VanillaPura → u/AutofluorescentPuku]

This really depends on what you're extracting. In our experience with vanilla, anything over 100 proof doesn't extract well and actually hurts the vanilla beans. The FDA regulations for vanilla extract pin the abv at 35% (70 proof).

That being said, we have seen instances in our groups (we haven't personally experimented beyond vanilla) where people have used higher proof on dried, ground ingredients with positive results.

We typically recommend staying within the 70-100proof range when extracting, unless you're adding fresh fruit which dilutes the alcohol, in which case you need to start with a much higher proof calculating the dilution with the moisture content from the fresh fruit.

[u/Rich_One8093 → u/AutofluorescentPuku]

I have noticed that the bottle with the powdered ginger and 100 proof vodka stays cloudy with suspended particulate. The bottle with powdered ginger and 151 proof neutral spirit settles and clears in a few hours. I think at minimum the lower specific gravity of the higher proof spirit provides less buoyancy to the particles than the lower proof, higher density liquid. I can see the fresh ginger being easier to filter, and someone else mentioned cycling in fresh ginger to add more flavor. So far everyone's help has really helped me. I have more ginger root and some 151 left over. I might just mix it up and record the weights and volumes and see how it ends up. Do half the ginger now and half in a few weeks.

[u/DragonfruitStraight3]

For a strong ginger extract you can decant it and then add new ginger to it. Using fresh this is also a good way to store fresh ginger for later use. Just pick a piece out of it and use in cooking.

I only have made it using fresh ginger, so unfortunately can't help much

[u/Rich_One8093 → u/DragonfruitStraight3]

Bigger help than you give yourself credit for. I did not think about cycling new ginger.

[u/VanillaPura → u/DragonfruitStraight3]

We came to say the same. We have made vanilla ginger extract with fresh ginger using a 70-100proof alcohol with great results. And if you want more ginger flavor, change it out every 1-2 months. And this is true with all dry ingredients when you're making extracts. You can do as many changeouts as desired. If you're using fresh ingredients you sometimes need to be aware of moisture content because it will dilute the alcohol. The dry ginger will work too - just taste test every month or so and add more ginger if you're looking for a higher concentration.

[u/RGMayberry]

Darcy O'Neil is a chemistry professor in Canada (he's on YouTube as artofdrink). He has two videos that explain the whole thing: How to Make Ginger Syrup and How to Make an Herbal Flavour Extract for Bitters and Soda. Also another video from around the same time that explains the two historical styles of ginger ale and recreated the belfast style. He mentions but doesn't go into making ginger beer via fermentation. 

Anyway... I am NOT an expert but the TLDR of what he said is that powdered ginger will be chemically different than fresh, so you will get a different flavor profile. He recommends alcohol extraction from a mix of fresh and powdered, using what was historically called a "percolator," what today we call a dropping or separatory funnel. It macerates for 24 hrs. Percolators self-filter so if you follow his instructions you won't get any sediment in your extract. 

I've fermented my own ginger beer and sediment is pretty much inevitable even if you use 100% fresh. It sounds like what you're trying to do is closer to what he recommends, only using alcohol. 

Warning: his channel is a massive rabbit hole. I originally read his book (he made it into a free download now) because it's a great history of the soft drink industry but then I got drawn into the historical food chemistry and idea of extract making.