How to Use Ethanol As a Solvent for Hop Extracts

Fill a nonreactive container with 4 ounces of hops. A common and practical container is a quart glass mason jar that allows you to see the extraction level. Use freshly dried hops with a bright-green color since the volatile oils in plant matter evaporate into the air, leaving less flavor in the dried matter.

Cover the 4 ounces of hops with at 1 pint of clear, nonflavored vodka. Pour the vodka and the hops into a clean food blender and blend until you have shredded the hops into tiny particles. Pour the blended mixture back into the nonreactive container.

Cover the container with a tight fitting lid and place in a room-temperature, dark place such as a bottom cabinet in your kitchen. Shake the jar gently each day for four days. After four days, pour the liquid through a coffee filter removing the impurities and waxes dissolved from the hops.

Pour the liquid into a dark glass bottle and cap it tightly. This extract contains much of the bitterness and the hop flavor in a concentrated form. Use a small amount to add a hop flavor to drinks.