Rapid Infusion

[greggn]

I've been making lime and lemoncellos for nearly 15 years, always following the traditional process of weeks of maceration and aging. Then, I read the book "Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail" by Dave Arnold. In it he discusses the use of a whipped cream dispenser for the rapid infusion of flavors into alcohol.

I had a lightbulb moment and thought the process could significantly shorten my 'cello process. Sure enough, I can now create a lemoncello in 5 minutes that tastes exactly like those that took months. An added benefit it's less critical to avoid the pith since the author claims, and my results seem to confirm, that rapid infusion extracts more of the good flavors, and less of the bad, than simple maceration.

A basic recipe:

180 ml 190 proof neutral
210 ml simple syrup
the rind of 3 lemon
charge and allow to sit for 5 minutes
rapidly release gas, strain

[Dancing4dan]

Nice discovery!

[greggn]

For those interested, here's a little bit extracted from the book:


Rapid Infusions, Shifting Pressure

Infusion refers to two intertwined processes. It can mean extracting the flavor of a
solid into a liquid or impregnating a solid with the flavor of a liquid—or both. When
you make coffee, the process is one-way: the coffee liquid is good, the spent grounds
are not. Making coffee is about extracting the flavor of the coffee grounds into the
liquid. When you brandy cherries, you get two delicious products, brandy-flavored
cherries and cherry-flavored brandy. When you infuse, you’re basically making your
own new liquor with a distinct flavor. I like to use infusions in simple, uncomplicated
drinks that highlight that flavor.

Rapid infusion is neither better nor worse than traditional long-term infusion, just
different. Rapid infusion tends to extract bitter, spicy, and tannic components less than
long-term infusion does. If you have a product that is too bitter, too spicy, or too tannic
for you, go rapid. Rapidly infused cocoa nib liquor will have less bitterness than one
steeped for weeks, and will require less sugar. Rapidly infused jalapeño tequila will
have more jalapeño flavor and less spiciness than slowly infused jalapeño tequila
will. A consequence of this flavor shift is that rapid infusion tends to extract less total
flavor from a given amount of solid ingredient, so rapid infusions call for larger
quantities of solid ingredients than traditional ones do.

Even when your goal is to extract the flavor of a solid into a liquid, infusion always
starts the other way around: infusing a liquid into a solid. Choosing the right solid is
important. Any candidate for rapid infusion must be porous—it must have air holes in
it. Coffee, cocoa nibs, galangal, ginger, peppers—most plant products, in fact—have
pores and produce good infusions. During the rapid-infusion process, the pressure of
the N2O injects those pores with liquid. The larger and more numerous the pores in
your solid, the more liquid you can inject into it and the more flavor you can get out.
Pores are only useful if the liquid can get to them, so some ingredient preparation
is usually necessary. Cutting ingredients into thin slices or grinding them creates more
surface area and makes more pores available to the liquid. Exactly how thinly you
slice or finely you grind your ingredients will have a major impact on the flavor you
achieve with rapid infusion, much more so than with traditional long-term infusions.
Don’t overlook the importance of consistent cutting and grinding when you work
rapidly.

[PalCabral]

Interesting. I must admit I was very suspicious, another word for critical (being honest), but after reading the extract it makes sense. I am thinking if it could be used with seeds that we use for Aquavit: caraway seeds, dill seeds, anise and fennel?

[HeyBroChuckNorris]

I'd be curious to try that method with a gin maceration before redistilling

[Yummyrum]

Sounds interesting greggn

I have to say I am unfamiliar with cream dispensers .
Does it have to be charged via a gas canister or the likes or do you squeeze handle a few times to pump it up ?

[SW_Shiner]

Sounds interesting greggn

I have to say I am unfamiliar with cream dispensers .
Does it have to be charged via a gas canister or the likes or do you squeeze handle a few times to pump it up ?

They have little NO2 canister that you charge them with. You may have heard them revered to as 'nangs' by the younger gen. I believe they also work with the little CO2 ones that are common with small portable kegs if you not sure how the nitrous might affect it.

Its been common practice in Molecular Gastronomy Cocktail making for a number of years.