Chilli Beer

[Luke]

Has anyone tried to make a chilli beer?

 

I grow some mean chillies and want to make something along the lines of a Robinsons' chilli beer. (Cold & Hot at the same time! :twisted: )

 

Should I boil them like hops and strain into the brew, or, chop them up and stick them in a stocking and throw that in the fermenter?

 

I'm thinking a Cooper's cerveza would be a good base?

[Hashie]

I tried a chilli beer once.

 

 

 

I had read somewhere that you could use a chilli for secondary fermentation. So, in 6 bottles, I placed a whole Thai chilli (birdseye) In place of the sugar.

 

 

 

The beer came up with a beautiful flavour, like you say hot and cold, but didn't carbonate.

 

 

 

I'd fully recomend doing it this way, but use some sugar or 1 carb drop per bottle, to ensure proper carbonation.

 

 

 

I have some Habenero chillies growing so might make a few bottles with them a bit later. Will let you all know how it turns out.

[kieran]

I wanna make a Mettwurst beer.. but I'm afraid the starter culture in the mettwurst will go nuts in the wort. Maybe its worth a try anyway! I might use on of those $4.95 BiLo extract tins so I don't waste it on a perfectly good coopers extract.

 

8)

 

 

 

Chilli beer - hashie has a good idea and you're on the right track I reckon. Do your ferment as normal - once it slows down, transfer it to another fermenter - and then prepare your stuff.

 

I'd take a bunch of chillies briefly boiled in water so they become soft but don't lose all their goodness into the boiling water, then put them in some pre-boiled panty-hose/stocking (ie. sterile/sanitary). Using a sanitised mallet on a sanitised surface, beat the living crap outta them to create a paste in the panty hose/stocking, and then toss the mashed t-bag in the fermenter. Let it sit for a week, with a bit of a swirl of the fermenter on the 2nd and 3rd day. After its been sitting for another 3-4 days, bottle as normal (just make sure it doesn't get too hot in this time, try to keep it as cool as possible). This would have the effect of having the chilli flavour going into the beer, and also clarifying the beer a bit.

 

Cerveza would be a great way to do it I reckon.

[BigAl]

Habenaros!!!! :shock:

 

 

 

I would be inclined to go with Keiran's idea but don't boil them and toss the seeds.....you want to be able to enjoy the beer, not have to drink another brew to kill the pain! :wink:

 

 

 

I grow habenaro's and only put three in a chilli con-carn (minus seeds as they make it a bitter heat rather than a sweeter heat), but if you can keep the orange/white membrane intact you will still have a chilli heat up there in the 9/10 bracket.

 

 

 

WARNING: when dicing habenaros use latex gloves.......believe me! :shock:

[Luke]

Thanks guys.

 

I've got a bunch of Jalapenos and Serranos, so I don't think I'll toss the seeds. I've also got heaps of dried chillies, but not keen on using those.

 

I'm going to use Kieran's method (and weigh down the t-bag with a sanitized stone).

 

I'll try the chilli in the bottle as well as I have a Cerveza on at the moment.

[kieran]

Habenaros!!!! :shock:

 

I would be inclined to go with Kieran's idea but don't boil them and toss the seeds.....you want to be able to enjoy the beer, not have to drink another brew to kill the pain! :wink:

 

 

 

Its a chilli beer though, you want to have that warmth that fills your mouth after the beer has already gone down. I say go 5 Habenaros, briefly (1min) boiled, mashed, and t-bagged. :twisted:

 

 

 

although, I woof down chilli bum-burners like they're gone out of fashion, I think I've overworked a lot of the capsaicin receptors on my tongue and have lost a bit of sensitivity there.

 

 

 

For an interesting read on Capsaicin, and the receptors on your tongue, butt, etc. which get bound by capsaicin, sending "hot" signals to your brain - have a quick read of this short bit of info, its quite interesting.

 

 

 

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/sigma/rbi-h ... illoid.pdf

[Luke]

Update on the chilli beer.

 

Put half-doz longnecks aside with 1 chilli in each.

 

 

 

Just put on Cerveza with BE2 and about 10 chillis (lightly boiled) in a t-bag (bashed 'em up a bit) and dropped it in the fermenter. SG 1036.

 

 

 

So I've got a bit each-way, will keep you posted.

[Chilli_beer]

I have brewed a number of Chilli beers over the last few years and most of my friends and workmates have an expectation that i wil bring them to parties. I have found the best way (i use a chilli called a Chocolate Scotch Bonnet) is to halve the chilli (must be ripe) and place half the chilli in a 750ml bottle. When pouring, you need to decant the lot into glasses in one go, or the bottle will just froth itself to death. The real party trick is to drink the sediment and chilli. (has ramifications next morning)

[Luke]

It's been 7 months since I bottled the chilli beer, and after that time the capsicum flavour :( has disappeared, leaving a nice mild warmth in the mouth. It wouldn't even be a 1 out of 10 on the chilli scale, but it's a very subtle effect.

 

I'm gonna have to try it with dried chillies this year. I think I'll get more heat if I use it like dry hopping.

[kieran]

One problem you'll find with capcaicin (the active heat ingredient in chillies) is that it is only very slightly soluble in water. So a habanero thrown in may only have less than 10% of its heat transfer into the beer (since the beer is probably 95% water). Capcaicin is very hardy, it survives freezing, boiling, drying, etc. so time will not be an enemy to the heat in the beer, unlike the loss of aroma from other elements of the chilli, or hops.

 

 

 

However, although it is not soluble in water, Capcaicin is very soluble in alcohols, oils and fats. This indicates that the %alc/vol will have some bearing in the heat of the beer, as a higher alcohol beer will have an increased ability to solubilise the capcaisin and bring some heat into the beer. So, perhaps try it in a porter or stout with a higher %alc/vol, say around 8%. This would actually balance the heat very well, or if you want unadulterated heat, even try a strong bright ale, or even a belgian-esque strong ale or barleywine.

[Chilli_beer]

The other problem, is that the capsaicin is locked in the membrane, which is why you need to at least halve the chilli before adding to the beer. What i have found quite successful, is to wait until the morning after a hot day, and then pick the over ripe chilli's. If you are using hab's, you will find that the capsaicin on the inside of the pod, has almost a full drop. The other thing to remember is that about 75% of the heat is in the seed membrane, so don't deseed the chilli before adding it. You will find that the seeds will stay intact on the chilli, even in the beer. If you are using a different Chilli, like a Cayenne, then chop into 2.5cm lengths so the liquid will flow through. I am going to try put them in for the primary fermentation around the end of the year, so i will let you know how it goes.

[kieran]

that's a good idea.. alternatively, you could just scrape out the white pith from the inside (the membrane that contains most of the capsaicin) and add that in by itself, and crush some seeds and add them (although the seeds don't contain as much heat as the pith).

[Dr Smurto]

G'day people

 

 

 

Am back on board after a few years away from the coopers club and stumbled across this topic.

 

 

 

I brewed a chilli beer a few years back and had a look in my brewing book and its says 'chopped up 12 birds eye chillies and dropped into the fermenter'.

 

 

 

Result was ok if you love the vindaloos but noone else was able to drink it. I suggest trying milder chillis or maybe only a few to see where ur limit is etc and who else wants to drink it.

 

 

 

On another note - strawberry topping doesnt produce a strawberry beer and a tin of milo was a very messy idea.

 

 

 

Cheers

 

DrSmurto

[kieran]

:lol:

 

Strawberry topping and Milo!

 

 

 

10/10 for style!

 

 

 

 

 

I like the cut'o'yer jib, good to have you here Dr.Smurto!