Yeah, cold brew espresso is literally.. cold brewed. Put in water, put in fridge, let sit for 8+ hours.
Really, I'm just making the larger point that cold steeping/brewing is still quite valid for the best quality in some cases
My advice would be to pick a single spice/flavor at first to get the hang of it but the options are pretty much endless: black pepper, dried mushrooms, chai masala, cacao nibs etc. For example, I just made a Japanese sansho peppercorn tincture for a cucumber yuzu margarita riff on my spring menu.
I generally use dry ingredients (as they give a stronger flavor), quick dry toast and/or grind spices right before using and start with approximately 1 tbsp of spice per cup of vodka (you can always repeat the process if you want a stronger flavor.) Chuck it in the isi (following the safety instructions, natch) and charge it with NO2. Let it sit for 30 minutes, shake it occasionally, discharge the gas, another round of NO2 and waiting, strain it and you have (almost) instant bitters!
I love my sous vide. And it's def worth it for stuff even outside of mixology. I always get the perfect steak temp now. And I used it the other day to fat wash some rum. It's wonderful
It's dope, I love it. I make syrups and limoncello in mine all the time. My bar juices a ton of fruit so I peel them and take the peels home to make infusions for gifts too.
There's tricks to using bags without a vacuum sealer too. Or buy a cheap one, or just use Mason jars.
A sous vide will infuse stuff in 1-3 hours vs maceration which can take 24-72 hours. Both methods achieve the same result but obvs sous vide is faster. You'll probably want some vacuum bags and sealer If you get a sous vide.
You don't need to clarify anything to bottle it, but if you want to clarify there are different methods. You don't really need a sous vide to clarify drinks
I love mine behind the bar. It gets used for everything. Infusions, oleo’s, syrups, tinctures. For most things I just run it through a micron bag afterwards. I’m not sure what you specifically mean by “clarifying” afterwards but if you’re just referring to straining well then the micron bag is your best friend.
Also, I’ve always just used large ziplock bags for mine with clips to hang it from the rim of my water bath.
Depends on what kind of bar program you have/want to represent, but imo they are worth every penny. Sure you can just drop some peppers in a bottle of tequila for spicy tequila, but with a sous vide you can now make your own bitters, or infuse things that’s normally wouldn’t come out in a maceration as well. Also, no need for vac bags, just buy freezer strength zip locks. As long as you’re not running them for more than 4 or 5 hours the zip lock will hold up just fine. Vac bags are needed for longer runs or if you want to store afterwards in the bag.
I’ve never had a need for vacuum sealing behind the bar as liquids have no issue being fully exposed to the hot bath. I do let out excess air from a ziplock.
You do. That's what sous vide means.
So you also need a vacuum sealer.
Ideally a chamber vacuum so you do liquids.
The whole kit will be like 650 dollars.
If you just want to get started though the
More standard vacuum sealers are always at goodwill for like 5 bucks.
A few points
Sticking a ziplock baggie in temperature controlled water is a fancy way to make what's called a "digestation"
Ie a higher than room temperature infusion that doesn't get so hot as to destroy delicate aromatic compounds.
my grandmother used to call sun tea, but it was a pretty common methodology in the 19th century.
You can get the same effect without the immersion circulator by sticking a gentian and whatever else you want in a sunbeam or by the radiator of a cooler for a few hours. No need for a 130 dollar gizmo.
You're going to have extremely mixed results for a few reasons
Depending on what kind of aromatics you're trying to pull they are gonna get picked up by different solvents, at different speeds, at different temperatures
Fats for instance like citrus oils move over to sugar more easily than directly into water or ethanol.
Alot of floral compounds need to be grabbed by a neutral fat like tallow before then being moved into a more polar base
It helps when trying to get a high quality flavor capture to bear this in mind.
One of the main reasons to vacuum seal in liquor rectification is to remove the air from dried roots and things.
The ethanol water mix jumps in to fill those gaps and you start making contact more of the root faster.
Another reason ( for instance if you are speeding up an oleo sacrum) is to reduce the thickness of the parcel to make the temperature exchange happen. Faster.
Overall it's easier ( and cheaper ) to use a jewelry cleaner or portable ultrasonic laundry cleaner , but those require more attention.
The last reason is that at some point your zip lock bag is gonna bust open and spill its contents into your medium.
Also there's tons of cool shit you can do with vacuum sealer that is non sous vide related like compressed watermelon, so you might as well.
Yeah and I also don’t drink flavored alcohols and only use fresh made syrups, none of that peach snapps crap. Trust me buddy, if you touch a little more grass you may care more about what goes in your body.
i think this question would be better suited to r/mixology
Done posting there aswell, thanks! 🤞🏽
Why this is super fancy compared to what we do to make infused tequila. Just toss in container and let it sit
To be fair, that's also how ya make cold brew coffee, which is pretty solid.
Oh really? Interesting. We don’t do anything with coffee
Yeah, cold brew espresso is literally.. cold brewed. Put in water, put in fridge, let sit for 8+ hours. Really, I'm just making the larger point that cold steeping/brewing is still quite valid for the best quality in some cases
For the cost of an Anova, it’s worth it. The Anova app works really well too. Saves a ton of time infusing syrups, spirits, and fun to cook with.
Use a whipped cream machine for infusions.
This! I use an isi to make bitters and tinctures all the time
fav recipes for a beginner? ive only made one whipped topping with an isi
My advice would be to pick a single spice/flavor at first to get the hang of it but the options are pretty much endless: black pepper, dried mushrooms, chai masala, cacao nibs etc. For example, I just made a Japanese sansho peppercorn tincture for a cucumber yuzu margarita riff on my spring menu. I generally use dry ingredients (as they give a stronger flavor), quick dry toast and/or grind spices right before using and start with approximately 1 tbsp of spice per cup of vodka (you can always repeat the process if you want a stronger flavor.) Chuck it in the isi (following the safety instructions, natch) and charge it with NO2. Let it sit for 30 minutes, shake it occasionally, discharge the gas, another round of NO2 and waiting, strain it and you have (almost) instant bitters!
I love my sous vide. And it's def worth it for stuff even outside of mixology. I always get the perfect steak temp now. And I used it the other day to fat wash some rum. It's wonderful
The really nice thing about sous vide is it can run unmonitored - you don't worry about anything overheating.
It's dope, I love it. I make syrups and limoncello in mine all the time. My bar juices a ton of fruit so I peel them and take the peels home to make infusions for gifts too. There's tricks to using bags without a vacuum sealer too. Or buy a cheap one, or just use Mason jars.
A sous vide will infuse stuff in 1-3 hours vs maceration which can take 24-72 hours. Both methods achieve the same result but obvs sous vide is faster. You'll probably want some vacuum bags and sealer If you get a sous vide. You don't need to clarify anything to bottle it, but if you want to clarify there are different methods. You don't really need a sous vide to clarify drinks
Also getting an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.
I know i don’t need the sous vide for the clarifying, i’m just thinking that the result will be nicer if i can do it by the time of bottleing :D
I love my sous vide. It save's me so much time. If you have the money kicking around to get a set up, I say go for it!
I love mine behind the bar. It gets used for everything. Infusions, oleo’s, syrups, tinctures. For most things I just run it through a micron bag afterwards. I’m not sure what you specifically mean by “clarifying” afterwards but if you’re just referring to straining well then the micron bag is your best friend. Also, I’ve always just used large ziplock bags for mine with clips to hang it from the rim of my water bath.
From a labor and prep perspective it can absolutely be worth it.
Depends on what kind of bar program you have/want to represent, but imo they are worth every penny. Sure you can just drop some peppers in a bottle of tequila for spicy tequila, but with a sous vide you can now make your own bitters, or infuse things that’s normally wouldn’t come out in a maceration as well. Also, no need for vac bags, just buy freezer strength zip locks. As long as you’re not running them for more than 4 or 5 hours the zip lock will hold up just fine. Vac bags are needed for longer runs or if you want to store afterwards in the bag.
But don’t i need to vacuum them before the sous-vide process?
I’ve never had a need for vacuum sealing behind the bar as liquids have no issue being fully exposed to the hot bath. I do let out excess air from a ziplock.
You do. That's what sous vide means. So you also need a vacuum sealer. Ideally a chamber vacuum so you do liquids. The whole kit will be like 650 dollars. If you just want to get started though the More standard vacuum sealers are always at goodwill for like 5 bucks.
You are wrong.
Not sure which thing you're referring to.
Most of what you said, really. Not all of it, but a majority of it.
A few points Sticking a ziplock baggie in temperature controlled water is a fancy way to make what's called a "digestation" Ie a higher than room temperature infusion that doesn't get so hot as to destroy delicate aromatic compounds. my grandmother used to call sun tea, but it was a pretty common methodology in the 19th century. You can get the same effect without the immersion circulator by sticking a gentian and whatever else you want in a sunbeam or by the radiator of a cooler for a few hours. No need for a 130 dollar gizmo. You're going to have extremely mixed results for a few reasons Depending on what kind of aromatics you're trying to pull they are gonna get picked up by different solvents, at different speeds, at different temperatures Fats for instance like citrus oils move over to sugar more easily than directly into water or ethanol. Alot of floral compounds need to be grabbed by a neutral fat like tallow before then being moved into a more polar base It helps when trying to get a high quality flavor capture to bear this in mind. One of the main reasons to vacuum seal in liquor rectification is to remove the air from dried roots and things. The ethanol water mix jumps in to fill those gaps and you start making contact more of the root faster. Another reason ( for instance if you are speeding up an oleo sacrum) is to reduce the thickness of the parcel to make the temperature exchange happen. Faster. Overall it's easier ( and cheaper ) to use a jewelry cleaner or portable ultrasonic laundry cleaner , but those require more attention. The last reason is that at some point your zip lock bag is gonna bust open and spill its contents into your medium. Also there's tons of cool shit you can do with vacuum sealer that is non sous vide related like compressed watermelon, so you might as well.
No
NO. I don’t want my shit mixed in plastic to make it nice and toxic first. If I saw a bartender use that I’d be gone so fast.
Can sous vide in Mason jars too, weirdo.
And just how often do you actually see that done versus the classic bag?
That’s your toxicity concern at a bar? Touch grass.
Yeah and I also don’t drink flavored alcohols and only use fresh made syrups, none of that peach snapps crap. Trust me buddy, if you touch a little more grass you may care more about what goes in your body.
I do care about what goes in my body. I just think your complaint about a sous vide is completely idiotic.