Extracting flavor from oak cubes

So I had this idea to make a maple oak ice cream that I will put on top of a cinnamon pear crumble. But I'm not exactly sure how to go about extracting the oaky flavor. I have these oak cubes that work great, and I've soaked them in vodka before for homebrewing purposes. Ideally I'd like to soak them in maple syrup, but I have a feeling that wouldn't really get enough of the flavor out there. Am I wrong? What would be the best way to go about this?

Thanks!

Note: I don't have a siphon, so if that's your answer, it's probably a no go.

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Comments

brian_martin2001

First recommendation is get a siphon.

This video goes over some of the virtues of pressure infusion <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkYKNf0AUoU>

If you have a pressure cooker, you might try putting a heat safe bowl in the pressure cooker with maple syrup and oak chips. put water in the pressure cooker and try cooking it and using the pressure to try and infuse it.

You might also using a neutral spirit: like vodka, for a while, cooking off the alcohol and then adding the maple syrup.

Without some kind of pressure vessel, it will take a long while to infuse. you could just soak the chips in the maple syrup, but just allowing it to infuse this way may take several weeks.

I hope that was helpful in some way.

Good luck.

Amos_Schorr_168815

Would boiling the vodka and reducing it down a crazy amount kill some of the oakiness? Because that's my primary concern. If I'm going to use vodka, I'm going to boil it down to as close to nothing as I can so I can still have a really creamy ice cream.

brian_martin2001

I haven't any idea. Give it a shot, see what happens

Afonso_Tito_de_Morais_164825

Soak them in some liquid that'd go well with maple syrup, infuse, mix that liquid + oak into maple syrup, reduce & evaporate until what remains is oak infused maple syrup. That's what I'd do

tshewman

If making ice cream, easiest (which is also effective) would be to simmer the oak in the custard lisquid (e.g. Milk or cream) and let it infuse overnight. Strain and proceed accordingly. The maple syrup could technically be substituted for the sugar with some change in measurements (obviously not being maple sugar there would be a change in texture). The other alternative would be to light some oak chips and soak them in the maple syrup (you can also use the siphon or vacuum chamber-Ive done it all 3 ways). This paring works quite well -I've used it in a gelato. Would likely be less "oaky", but the maple oak carries through nicely. Just my .02

Amos_Schorr_168815

Okay, I'm getting a siphon. I don't want to spend $100 on this thing, but I don't know which are good for infusions. What should I go with?

tshewman

Think about what you want to use it for (first, make sure you get the 1L). If you want to try ho AND cold......it's a bit more expensive. How often will you use it? I only use mine a few times a month.....um....both of them LOL! I wasn't going to spend that much either but.......You could spend more and get a vacuum chamber.......just sayn. ;-)

Amos_Schorr_168815

how much more for hot+cold? what are some good choices?