As to the vodka tincture or extract, I think it works remarkably well. I typically make the beer and about the same time or shortly thereafter, I add the dried lemon to the vodka in a separate sealed container. I leave it in there for a couple weeks to really soak it all in, but I suspect that with real fruit, the essence would come more quickly. If you want more, of course, it can always be added later if kegging your beer. If adding to a keg, you can also use a stainless steel teaball to avoid dip tube clogging (other methods work as well, of course).