liquer shelf life

[Shovelhead89]

I make a number of infusions (fruit, coffee, juices ect) with my neutral and was looking to extend my shelf life of these. I opened a jar or pineapple the other day that was about 2 months old and it was definitely off. What do you use to help preserve your liquers?

[still_stirrin]

Drink 'em.

Seriously, if you want to extend the dwell time of macerations, you could store them in the freezer. It may even cause some of the suspended solids to settle. Then you can filter through coffee filters.

I think the shelf dwell for "infusions" is shortened because you're putting stuff back into the alcohol. The alcohol itself will be OK. Rather, it's the fruit, beans, spices, etc. that degrade over time.

Somehow, my liquor is always gone before anything bad happens to the flavor or aroma.
ss

[DAD300]

I've had some really old stuff change, but not go bad...unless you left some fruit solids in the jar.

If you leave solids in a maceration, the alcohol will eventually break the cell structure down and create some off flavors.

Depending on the fruit and the strength of the alcohol, about 7-10 days is max for the maceration.

[Shovelhead89]

I've had some really old stuff change, but not go bad...unless you left some fruit solids in the jar.

If you leave solids in a maceration, the alcohol will eventually break the cell structure down and create some off flavors.

Depending on the fruit and the strength of the alcohol, about 7-10 days is max for the maceration.

Yea that was my problem. I left pineapple in the jar not thinking it would break down. How does midnight moon get away with leaving fruit in their "shine" or smokey with their moonshine cherries?

[NZChris]

The fruits in rumtopf are in the liquor for months and don't 'go off', so I suspect the answer to your problem is something in your method that you haven't told us.

[DAD300]

ABV plays a big role. 50% may break some fruits but 30% might not....90% will eat wood pretty quick, but we age in wood at 60% for years.

[scout]

You are spot on Dad300, most all of the fruit shines are at 85-90 proof (around 45%), some are even lower at close to 30%.

I'm getting ready to make a run of white that a portion of the run will be turned into apple pie, just making it into apple pie will reduce it to around 40% and that will keep for at least a year. Well, unless some of my friends find out I have it, in which case it won't last a month.

[Shovelhead89]

You are spot on Dad300, most all of the fruit shines are at 85-90 proof (around 45%), some are even lower at close to 30%.

I'm getting ready to make a run of white that a portion of the run will be turned into apple pie, just making it into apple pie will reduce it to around 40% and that will keep for at least a year. Well, unless some of my friends find out I have it, in which case it won't last a month.

What ingredients cause the shortened life span and is there anyway to counteract this? I believe it shouldn't spoil but it does oxidize cause off flavors? Are there any natural preservatives I can add? Citric acid, lemon juice, ect?

[NZChris]

The ethanol alone should be enough preservative, so I have no idea how you are getting problems. If you tell us exactly what you are doing, you might get some useful answers.

[Shovelhead89]

The ethanol alone should be enough preservative, so I have no idea how you are getting problems. If you tell us exactly what you are doing, you might get some useful answers.

I was boiling the pineapple before and I belive that was the issue. But not focusing on that particular case. What can one expect of for a infused PD style liquor in terms of shelf life? I hear people throwing around 3 months, 6 months and a year all the time on this site. Why? What are commercial distillers doing to get 2,3,5+ year shelf life's for their liqueurs?

[NZChris]

What can one expect of for a infused PD style liquor in terms of shelf life? I hear people throwing around 3 months, 6 months and a year all the time on this site. Why? What are commercial distillers doing to get 2,3,5+ year shelf life's for their liqueurs?

I would expect indefinite, as long as the seal remains airtight. Commercials don't do anything special and yours should last just as long as theirs without any trickery. If you read of someone throwing their product out because it has 'gone off', that is a very good indication that they didn't know what they were doing, so don't expect that you can repeat what they did and get a different result. Find a tried and proven method and do that.

[Shovelhead89]

So besides anything that contains fats and dairy (creme, milk, eggs) if there anything else I should watch out for that would affect shelf life? What ingredients does the oxygen affect? Isn't it beneficial for alcohol to breathe? I use cork stoppers to allow for this for my short term bottles, am I making a mistake by doing so?

[still_stirrin]

...I use cork stoppers to allow for this for my short term bottles, am I making a mistake by doing so?

I think you're OK. But I'm speculating regarding your panty droppers. I don't know the proof, sugar content, or other additives (spices, flavorings, etc) you've included.

I age in glass with wood at 125 proof. I temper to bottle strength (90 proof) with RO water. I bottle with cork stoppers and seal with heat shrinkable seals (security/safety). My bottles have yet to exceed shelf life and I have whiskey, gin, rum, and white approaching 2 years old. By most standards, its young.

I have a couple of bottles of Fire Piss and coffee infused liquor, both at 70 proof and corked and sealed. But they're a year or less young.

Finally, I don't have any panty droppers (never made them), so I can't comment regarding them. Sorry.
ss

[NZChris]

What ingredients does the oxygen affect? Isn't it beneficial for alcohol to breathe?

No. It's not beneficial for alcohol to breathe. It's beneficial for whiskey, brandy and rum to breath. PDs and liqueurs are not whiskey, brandy and rum, and when they are based on them the spirit is aged before the liqueur is made.

[Shovelhead89]

What ingredients does the oxygen affect? Isn't it beneficial for alcohol to breathe?

No. It's not beneficial for alcohol to breathe. It's beneficial for whiskey, brandy and rum to breath. PDs and liqueurs are not whiskey, brandy and rum, and when they are based on them the spirit is aged before the liqueur is made.

I'll swap out for t top corks. Thanks for the heads up.

[Shovelhead89]

...I use cork stoppers to allow for this for my short term bottles, am I making a mistake by doing so?

I think you're OK. But I'm speculating regarding your panty droppers. I don't know the proof, sugar content, or other additives (spices, flavorings, etc) you've included.

Well that's kind of my question, what would cause a shortened shelf life so I can avoid those ingredients if possible. I basically macerate with fruit, strain and use an inverted sugar syrup for everything. I also add lemon juice to everything i macerate. I use some spices that are strained off after a week of steeping for a few of my recipes. And concentrated apple juice for my apple pie.

[NZChris]

You are assuming that we know what you are doing. Maybe some of the clairvoyants among us do, but they're not replying.

If what you like to make is 'going off'', all I can suggest is to freeze it, or drink it quickly. The liqueurs I like to make last for years without any special tricks.

[Shovelhead89]

You are assuming that we know what you are doing. Maybe some of the clairvoyants among us do, but they're not replying.

If what you like to make is 'going off'', all I can suggest is to freeze it, or drink it quickly. The liqueurs I like to make last for years without any special tricks.

I'm asking a hypothetical question not pertaining to anything I've made in particular at this point.

Are there ingredients one should avoid to have a shelf life of 2+ years (for example I know fats such as cream tend to separate and coagulate after a couple months)? Is there a minimum abv that would be required? Should I be worried about pectin when macerating (for example, removing fruits after a week and straining suspended particles out)? Does adding lime juice and/or citric acid help in preservation when fruit has been macerated but then removed? What does the introduction of oxygen do exactly? And does it act differently on liqueurs as apposed to other spirits?

Edit: some info... http://www.guntheranderson.com/liqueurs/storage.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow