Chilli Beer

[nickbrew]

Something I've wondered about brewing is a chili beer. Is it possible to mix chili peppers, sugar and hops to make a spicy style beer? something that leaves your tongue a bit hot and firey like a good quality rogan josh type curry? or at least to give a tingle on the tongue.

 

[Brewmarc]

Never Brewed chilli beer but found this info I hope its usefull http://www.byo.com/stories/recipes/arti ... li-peppers

 

[nickbrew]

yes that is useful thanks. strikes me that the best thing to do is use jalepinos and add them to the fermentation tank/barrel. I thought this would be the case to get a good and tasty chilli beer. I was worried that the chilli might disturb the fermentation and cause a reaction lol. Seems not though. Chilli beer on the way, and I will report back when I do it. what i used etc.

 

MD had a go at this, the result was pretty good!

 

[nickbrew]

ok, did you taste any?

 

[nickbrew]

one thing I've just thought about - if you add chilli peppers without slicing them then the flavour may not come out as much. So to get a really hot chilli beer surely they would need to be chopped and added, then the seeds could also work easier. am I right?

 

[Tony]

Friend of mine used dried birds-eye chili and crushed them. Came out rather well too ... it had an 'after-burn' No idea how much he used though! Far easier than using fresh ones, he threw it in about 5 mins from the end of the boil. If you are sold on using fresh ones, try slicing a few (or a load) and dropping them in boiling water. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to soak for about 30 mins. Then strain and add to the boil just before the end.

I'm sure I read somewhere about why its best to add the chili into the secondary fermenter, nothing to do with taste but something about the yeast not liking it... but damned if I can find it. Like I said, I know someone who made it successfully by adding to the boil.

 

ok, did you taste any?

Yes I did, you had to wait a little while to get the "chilli" effect".
To my mind it was another MD sucess!

 

[Brewmarc]

Im growing some Habanaro's at the mo so might even have a go at this cheers : : :thumb:

 

[hairybiker]

There was a discussion on chilli beer on the basic brewing homebrew video (http://www.basicbrewing.com)

When my chilli's mature (they are just flowering at the mo) I will try dropping a few in a beer.

 

[cutnrun]

I'm sure I read somewhere about why its best to add the chili into the secondary fermenter, nothing to do with taste but something about the yeast not liking it... but damned if I can find it. Like I said, I know someone who made it successfully by adding to the boil.

From by basic food and chemistry knowledge…..

Capsasin ( the heat chemical of the chilli) is not soluable in water ( ionic liquid), hence the reason drinking water doesn’t help a hot curry. It is More soluble in alcohol (I think alcohol is ionic but less polar and so the solubility is higher) hence drinking beer with a curry helps a little more than water

By adding to the second ferment there will be a greater abount of the capsasin included into the beer!

Again this is based on my food knowledge and 9 years out of date chemistry A levels. Don’t shoot me if I am wrong!

 

[markp]

Randy Mosher does a piece on chilli beer in his book 'Radical Brewing'.
I'll dig it out tonight when I get home and do a brief summary

 

[Muddydisco]

Here's my recipe I added them to the copper for a steep @ 80c as I remember

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=7274

 

[markp]

FWIW, Mosher says to treat them as a spice....add at the end of the boil or to the secondary FV.

The recipe he uses asks for the chillis to be chopped, seeded and deveined; though it doesn't say which part of the chillis to add :wha:

 

hence the reason drinking water doesn’t help a hot curry.

From personal experience, I find milk or yoghurt a great help with curry!

 

[Wez]

Just to add my 2p.

Chilli Beer = Why?

I like to spend my precious brewdays making something that wont burn a stain on the lawn when I have to tip it away :lol: :lol: :lol:

Edit - my scotch bonnett crop are going into a hot pepper sauce not into my fermenter.

 

Chilli Beer = Why?

Well yes, those are my thoughts, I don't know the answer.