Kiora everyone,
I have a problem. I'm quite into making liqueurs for cocktails (I spent some time as a bartender as did many of my friends, and a large part of cocktails is the presentation. Often (i.e. tonight) I will make a liqueur (creme de cacao in this case) and find that the flavour etc is outstanding (of course ) the colour just isn't right. Browns in particular just seem to escape me.
So, I'm interested in any methods of changing colour through natural ingredients. I don't really want to resort to things like food colouring because..... well after all this 'doing it myself' it just seems wrong. Anyone else have this problem, and has anyone got any solutions? Imparting as little taste as possible is ideal of course, I could burn sugar to make my creme de cacao darker but that will impart too much burnt sugar flavour....
I think colour is my biggest problem in general actually, most of my rums and whiskies end up much too light.
I know where your coming from Kiwi, the only suggestion I can make is that most of the colour comes from oak within 24/48 hours, the flavour from oak comes later. Put twice as many well charred oak sticks in your jar of spirit and pull half of them out 24/48 hours later, which should achieve the right colour without over oaking.
kiwistiller wrote:Kiora everyone,
I have a problem. I'm quite into making liqueurs for cocktails (I spent some time as a bartender as did many of my friends, and a large part of cocktails is the presentation. Often (i.e. tonight) I will make a liqueur (creme de cacao in this case) and find that the flavour etc is outstanding (of course ) the colour just isn't right. Browns in particular just seem to escape me.
So, I'm interested in any methods of changing colour through natural ingredients. I don't really want to resort to things like food colouring because..... well after all this 'doing it myself' it just seems wrong. Anyone else have this problem, and has anyone got any solutions? Imparting as little taste as possible is ideal of course, I could burn sugar to make my creme de cacao darker but that will impart too much burnt sugar flavour....
I think colour is my biggest problem in general actually, most of my rums and whiskies end up much too light.
Kiwi
Could be well worth while to research the ingredients used in your food colourings. Even if commercially produced they could be composed of natural ingredients.
I have noticed a strong trend toward natural rather tnan artificial (commercially produced) essences lately.
I have used a table spoon of black strap Molasses to a gallon to darken rum down ... A little goes along way very easy to make it too dark.. I like this over the burnt sugar ..
I might try olddog's double oaking and adding molasses (thanks guys) for my rum etc, but I'm really stuck on the liqueurs where oak is out of the question and molasses will ruin the flavour. I might try to go and gatecrash a vegan society or something, they'll be sure to have some ideas
Thanks baker, will investigate food colourings further. I'm just a bit worried that I won't be able to get the colour right, all the things I've ever made with food colouring blends have looked.... wrong. I guess practice would be the key, as always .
Cheers dunder, I'll try to track down caramel colouring. As a sidenote, The creme de cacao I've made is exactly that, a maceration at 90% of crushed cocoa beans and vanilla bean, then diluted and sweetened. its bloody good, if I do say so myself
I hate to mention brewshops as it goes against the grain for me, , but still spirits distillers caramel is pretty powerfull stuff, only a small amount is needed and does not seem to impart any unwanted flavours.
As a sidenote, The creme de cacao I've made is exactly that, a maceration at 90% of crushed cocoa beans and vanilla bean, then diluted and sweetened. its bloody good, if I do say so myself
Hey Kiwi, where does one get cocoa beans? I've tried dissolving pure high grade chocolate with mixed results and would like to try the beans. Are they a widely available item? Cheers, bd.
i think the color in the wisky from the oak is darker/lighter depending on the actual wood, how much, and how much you char it. also, I think the percentage at which the white dog goes into oaking at plays a role. all of these variables however change flavor, so if it tastes good, the color is good. With liquers, they have to use food coloring to change the colors, you cant tell me Mothers apple puckers is that bright green naturally. (if some of you have that where your at) There are plenty of liquers that have crazy colors that arent natural. Kiwi, if your talented enough to make your own quality booze, go ahead, use some food coloring. We wont tell.......
Cheers MK
MuleKicker wrote:There are plenty of liquers that have crazy colors that arent natural. Kiwi, if your talented enough to make your own quality booze, go ahead, use some food coloring. We wont tell.......
but but but... I don't wanna Nah I've just never been very good at blending my own colours from food additives. I think it may require a degree of finesse beyond my usual approach of measuring things in pinches, handfuls, or 5 kilo sacks.
blind drunk wrote:Hey Kiwi, where does one get cocoa beans? I've tried dissolving pure high grade chocolate with mixed results and would like to try the beans. Are they a widely available item? Cheers, bd.
I got mine from a craft chocolate shop, they make all their own chocolate etc so they had the beans. However, you can use cocoa powder if you're stuck. get really good stuff, organic if you can find it (look for shops full of people with dreadlocks, tie-die shirts etc ), its better in taste and colour. So yeah, not very widely available, but out there if you look. I think cocoa would be much better than chocolate.
kiwistiller wrote:Cheers dunder, I'll try to track down caramel colouring. As a sidenote, The creme de cacao I've made is exactly that, a maceration at 90% of crushed cocoa beans and vanilla bean, then diluted and sweetened. its bloody good, if I do say so myself
Sounds great, could you let us know the quantities? Thanks!
kiwistiller wrote:my usual approach of measuring things in pinches, handfuls, or 5 kilo sacks.
The Baker wrote:Sounds great, could you let us know the quantities? Thanks!
I think you're asking the wrong guy ummmm if I were to take a stab in the dark and try and remember what I did... I was only wanting one bottle (1.125L), so I used about 350ml of 90% aiming for an end product ~25% (allowing for some angels share during maceration, this is high if you're macerating in 90%. Used my trusty mortar and pestle to grind up ~150 grams of cocoa beans, and added half a vanilla bean. over a period of several weeks you will end up with a rich red-brown product. strain out through a filter, add a slosh of caramel from the rum flavouring bottle, and top up with 1:1 (by volume) sugar syrup - adjust for sweetness. Glycerin will help the mouthfeel, if your product isn't thick enough glucose will sort it out. leave headroom in the bottle for some HD genius to tell you how to get the right colour (cheers dunder)
If your beans aren't fresh, add some (a teaspoon or so) of QUALITY cocoa to augment the beans. This settles out just fine.
Hope that gives you a rough idea, Sorry it isn't spruced up all nicely. Next batch I'll make good notes and post in experimental recipes.
) the colour just isn't right. Browns in particular just seem to escape me. 
.
, but still spirits distillers caramel is pretty powerfull stuff, only a small amount is needed and does not seem to impart any unwanted flavours.