The original set of instructions followed for the first bottle of Vanilla Extract said to wait “for 6-12 months before using.” Other sites claim “3 weeks is the minimum“. What’s the actual answer? A variance of 3 to 52 weeks is a bit much. Therefore, an experiment needs to be conducted which can test Vanilla Extract made with the same procedure and materials, but repeated for at least six months at regular intervals.
Method
Our proposal: Using one 200 ml glass bottle of New Amsterdam vodka, add 0.75 ounces of Grade B Vanilla Pods, store in one cabinet with each of the other samples, and shake all of them once per week. Every weekend, create another sample and add to the same cabinet. Continue this process for at least six months. Perhaps up to twelve months.
Preparation
In June, 2025, a case of 24 half-pint (200 ml) glass bottles of New Amsterdam vodka was purchased. This will ensure the vodka stays the same as some plastic bottles of New Amsterdam are popping up. This will be enough to get to the six month mark. Once the last bottle has been created, testing the quality of the Vanilla Extract will begin, starting with the oldest bottle, then going through a number of the remaining bottles using a binary search algorithm. I.e., select the second test from the middle bottle from the remaining bottles. If that one is good, then continue with the middle sample bottle from the newer bottles. If the second test is bad, then move up the chain to the middle of the older bottles. Keep doing this until we can definitely see a change in the quality of the Vanilla Extract.
The Test
These tests will begin in late 2025 or early 2026. The string of bottles are already being built, but an appropriate number of bottles must first be built and aged.
Results
This post will be updated as the string is built and when the actual tests begin.
