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Pure grain alcohol, such as Everclear, will generally do those jobs better. I make limoncello with Everclear, which does a much better job of extracting oils an
by dpark 9y ago
Pure grain alcohol, such as Everclear, will generally do those jobs better. I make limoncello with Everclear, which does a much better job of extracting oils and flavors than regular vodka. And it does the job much faster, especially if you have access to 190 proof. Of course you have to dilute down to the proper strength when the extraction is complete.
- jotm 9y agoI don't get it, Everclear is literally vodka (pure grain alcohol), maybe a bit stronger?
- harryh 9y agoVodka is typically 40% ABV. Everclear is sold in 75.5% ABV and 95% ABV varieties. So, quite a bit stronger.
- jotm 9y agoAh damn, missed the 1 in front of 90, 90 proof would be 45% :)
- refurb 9y agoA lot stronger with the 190 proof (95%) Everclear. Ethanol works well to extract flavors due to it's lipophilic character (oil-loving). The more dilute it is, the less oil-dissolving power it has. 190 proof alcohol will pull a lot more from something like orange peels than 80 proof.
- mirimir 9y agoI believe that Everclear contains even less contaminants (higher alcohols, esters, ketones, etc) than typical vodka does. I know that 95% reagent-grade ethanol does.
- abritinthebay 9y agoIt literally isn't vodka. Everclear is a rectified spirit (pure grain alcohol) Vodka isn't anywhere near as distilled. It's less pure, a lot less. Plus vodka has a ton more water. Any time you create a liqueur you should use rectified spirits (Everclear/Crystal Clear/Golden Grain/etc) not vodka.
- georgecmu 9y agoThere's quite a bit of a confusion here. Everclear is a rectified spirit (pure grain alcohol) 'Rectified' refers to the method of distillation, not purity or source. 'Rectified spirit' is not equivalent to 'pure grain alcohol'. The latter can be the former, depending on the type of distillation. The former can be the latter if it's derived from grain (rather than from e.g. potatoes). Vodka isn't anywhere near as distilled. Russian state standard for vodka specifies use of rectified alcohol. This statement doesn't make much sense, as vodka is simply diluted ethanol. Before dilution it has been distilled just as much as any other rectified ethanol. It's less pure, a lot less. Alcohol used in high-grade vodkas typically undergoes extensive filtration beyond distillation. Industrial rectified alcohol will typically contain significantly more contaminants (e.g. fusel oils) unless it's UHP lab grade and is what's used in the crappy cheap vodkas. Any time you create a liqueur you should use rectified spirits (Everclear/Crystal Clear/Golden Grain/etc) not vodka. Depends on the liqueur. Some formulations call for grappa, some for brandy, and clearly will not tolerate a substitution with a rectified spirit.
- Symbiote 9y agoHow much worse is it to use a cheap vodka rather than a 60-95% spirit? I had planned to try making some liqueurs next month, probably with berries and/or spices, but if the vodka won't work well then I might not bother. (I'm fine with destroying a cheap bottle of vodka, it's not so expensive. The one shop that a Google search suggests might have 95% spirit sells it for almost $60/L, which is a lot for one of my food experiments that probably won't work out very well.)
- georgecmu 9y ago
- twblalock 9y agoYou can also use Everclear for industrial purposes, e.g. diluting wood finishes, as a less toxic alternative to denatured alcohol. I live in a state where you can buy denatured alcohol full of legally-mandated poison at hardware stores, but you can't get 190-proof Everclear anywhere. It's an odd screwed-up situation when you are only allowed to sell high-proof alcohol if you poison it first. I suspect the health damage done by the fumes over the years far outweighs the public health benefits of restricting the strength of drinkable alchohol, and the health damage falls disproportionately on people using the alcohol for non-recreational purposes.
- kgwgk 9y ago> the public health benefits of restricting the strength of drinkable alchohol I think the restriction is mostly to ensure taxes are paid on drinkable alcohol and not due to health concerns.
- twblalock 9y agoIt is illegal to sell 190 Everclear in my state. Taxes don’t have anything to do with it.
- mirimir 9y agoAnother Everclear lover here. It's great when you want a serious buzz. Because there's nothing there but ethanol and water. So hangover is much less intense. Back in the day, I used to drink 95% reagent grade ethanol, liberated from the lab. But not absolute ethanol, because it contains traces of benzene.