Chilli Wine Rejuvenation

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penguinarmy

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This is a recipe from an old thread (from 2009) i have restarted.

4 green chillies (chopped, I removed the seeds, I might try it with the seeds at a later date)
125 g raisins (sliced)
4 pints (2.2 litres) water
1 tsp pectolase
1 tsp citric acid
1/2 tsp tannin (going to use 3 tea bags )
2 tsps yeast nutrient
2 tsps general purpose wine yeast
500 g sugar

1. The chillies and raisins were put into a bucket.
2. Then the boiling water poured into the bucket.
3. When cool the pectic enzyme was added.
4. The mixture was then left for 6 days, and stirred daily.
5. The liquid was then strained through a sieve into a demijohn. (was thinking of adding 1 ltr WGJ for extra body?)
6. The citric acid, tannin, sugar, yeast nutrient and yeast were then added.
7. A fermentation lock fitted and the demijohn left in a warm place.
8. After 1 day the fermentation started.
9. After 4 weeks, the fermentation ceased. The wine was racked and 1 campden tablet added.

Bottled after another 3 weeks, the quantities above gave enough wine for 3 bottles.

2014-08-25 11.10.24.jpg
 
UPDATE 30/08/14

I strained and racked into DJ as per above instructions except i added 500ml of WGJ aswell (to add body and hopefully a little more flavor)

On initial taste its quite pleasant it only has a warmth on the after taste and slight fruity note from the raisins (hence the addition of WGJ)

the S.G. was 1066.

2014-08-30 14.03.26.jpg
 
On initial taste its quite pleasant it only has a warmth on the after taste and slight fruity note from the raisins (hence the addition of WGJ)

I was expecting you to say you could taste the chillies.
 
Ive racked it into a new DJ and added campdon tablets and stabilizer.

The FG was 992 giving it an ABV of 9.8%

I'm going to see how well it clears without finings.

it tastes nice but the chilli flavor has defiantly matured,
 
I have two meads with chilies brewing and ageing and i think you need some finings to clear this or a bit more patience :).. Have a cucumber habanero and it is in secondary for about 2 months now and its slowly clearing now..
 
After racking it and adding the stabilizer and campdon tablet (9th Sept) i left it to clear by its self and this evening i bottles it, I managed to get 3.5 bottles from it.

the FG remained at 992 so the ABV is 9.8%. I've not tasted it yet ill post the results when I have.

2014-09-28 21.00.51.jpg


2014-09-28 21.01.31.jpg
 
I'm picking up the "Chilli" gauntlet...

This Thursday I'm going to start three identical 1 gal demijohns going with a personal favourite...
2L Lidl Raspberry and Cranberry (69p a litre) and 1L Lidl RGJ... (mid fermentation top up with a dark sugar syrup helps a little with the colour.).

I will add varying quantities of Morrison's dried chilli flakes. (I use these to terrifying effect in curries and chillis, one of my friends who has asked for this wine has an asbestos gullet...)
I will try 1 teaspoon, 1 desert spoon, and... whatever is left in the jar for the final gallon...

I will then try them all and, assuming my survival, I will update on the results.
 
Common sense prevailed, and instead of doing three and probably wasting two, I ultimately decided to try the middle one first and if that didn't hit the Goldilocks Zone I would adjust accordingly for my next effort.

I did the 1RGJ + 2 Rasp/Cranb + 500g sugar, 3-bag mug of tea, then topped to the shoulder and after some umming and ahhing decided to start with the chilli flakes already in instead of adding later... while this might affect the fruit flavour, I'm guessing it won't be by much, and any heat it generates will mask it.
I used Youngs Super Wine Yeast Compound, Wilko Yeast Nutrient and Wilko pectolase.

Whatever else they did the chilli flakes certainly didn't impede the fermentation. It started well, and kept a steady pace.

I used 1 rounded desert spoon of Morrisons dried chilli flakes, and after 2 days added a booster of 250g soft dark sugar.

It kept going at a constant 2-3 pops a second for 3 more days and then slowed steadily.

It is now sitting and waiting for the next stage. Which I will crack on with tomorrow.
 
Right then...

Degassed and transferred into a clean DJ with a crushed campden tablet and stabiliser and leaving overnight before adding finings.

Had a "wee nip" and Blimey O'Reilly!!!! There's definitely a chilli kick, and I *THINK* I have dropped lucky on the first go... cos it tastes pretty good too.

Whether I will be able to drink a full glass let alone a bottle will be discovered next weekend... I have invited "Leatherbelly" and a few friends over to try the first batch...

The "kick" is not as hot as it could be, so it's not outrageously "Phal Curry" hot... but because it's a wine, it washes the whole mouth... and it lingers...

I think that if I do more that the rounded desert spoon is the measure to go by... anything more and it will probably need at the very least a government health warning, if not full ratification by the Geneva Convention...

I have a feeling that it will make a bloody great "Mulled" wine come Christmas...
 
Two days ago I realised that the heat overpowered the taste, and that it needed something doing to it...
It was basically "done" and ready to bottle, but too hot to taste... which sort of misses the point.
I took 1/2 Litre and split into 5 100ml samples and dripped in a few alternatives.
After trying just sugar syrup, apple, and vimto (boiled and cooled to kill the chemical preservatives and additives) I just tried some RGJ... which I probably should have done first to be honest...

I topped up the 4L to 4.5 with 1/2 L of Lidl RGJ, and today made sure no secondary fermentation had occurred, and have bottled it.

It is surprisingly good. The heat is now reduced, (you certainly know its there, but it doesn't HURT) and for whatever reason best known to chemists and druids, the mouth burn now dissipates far quicker since the introduction of the RGJ.
So you get a warmth reminiscent of a neat top-shelf spirit, but you don't get that "When will it end!!!!" sensation of a scary chilli or curry that burns for ages. It's gone in a few seconds with a slight tingle remaining for a short while.
The flavour is vastly improved by the sweetening with the RGJ.

I will definitely do this again! (And I am CERTAINLY going to mull the be'Jazus out of it come Christmas)
 

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