I agree. I’ve been using this technique for the past year. Consistent results every time. SV at 185 F for 35 minutes.
I’ve been using the SV method for a while now and will never go back. I previously used the Alton Brown stovetop until 260°F (127°C) method. This is MUCH better, though I do take the separated product from the bag to the stovetop for about half an hour at 220°F before storing in jars, to drive out any residual water without using a temp high enough to add a “browned” flavor. I know there is very little moisture, but because I store my working jar at room temp I want to be certain there is no water at all.
That’s interesting. I may try the technique with a batch I just made. While the 220 degrees seems high I am concerned about the length of time. Thirty minutes is a long time.
I store my working jar of clarified butter at room temp, usually for a month or two. To ensure quality for that duration I take the extra step to drive out any residual water, which requires heating to over 212°F. And I use salted butter. And I use only first-use clean utensils to scoop butter from the jar.
When I make a batch, extra jars get chilled then vacuum sealed and placed in the freezer until I use up the previous room-temp jar. I detect no difference in the quality (e.g. smell/taste/texture/appearance or smoke-point) of the last scoop from a 2-month-old jar on my counter and the first scoop from a fresh jar.
I’m sure the room-temp longevity is attributable to both the water-elimination and salt variables, though I’m not sure how much is attributable to each. But if either variable is skipped I’d either pay careful attention to quality after a couple of weeks, or store in the fridge instead of on the counter.
“30 minutes” was really just an estimate. You do it until you stop seeing bubbles. How long that takes will depend on variables like your burner.
I put it on a heat diffuser on the lowest heat burner on my stove with a temp probe in the butter, turn it to medium and watch until it hits 212, then turn it to the lowest setting — making the continued rise as slow as possible. Once it gets much above 212 you’ll start to see a steady stream of very small bubbles, which is the residual water being driven off. I don’t leave it unattended for long, checking every few minutes until I note that the bubbles have stopped - which on my stove is typically after 20-30 minutes.
The AB “heat ≈45 minutes until the temp hits 260°F” method produced butter more browned than I like. Not as much as ghee, but more than I want for generic use clarified butter.
Old thread but this is one thing that is really easy to do in the APO, 85 C 30 minutes or so. No water left, but if so run for some more time. Perfectly clarified butter with all the milk residue on the bottom and the fat ready to pour into any jar you like to store it in.
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Greatttt idea!
Don’t make my mistake and cut the bag with scissors, use a needle at the bottom of the bag for little to no waste. It is much easier to control the flow of clarified butter!
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I used this method today. After 30 minutes at 185*. I placed the bag upright in the refrigerator, which solidified the clarified butter. The liquid at the bottom of the bag was then poured out by cutting a corner off the bag. Not sure about milk solids, I didn’t see any at this point but the liquid was milky. Storing the clarified butter in a sealed container.