Advice on using chipotle

Had a competition on facebook.. I have brewed almost every style of beer and could not decide on the next beer I wanted to make. So I posted a challange to friends If I picked their beer I would brew it and send them a six pack. The winner was a chipotle stout. I wanted to brew something lighter however, I never brewed with peppers before.

Here is my question... How, when, and how much per gallon should I use? Should it be added to the boil or to a secondary?

I will be using O' Flannagain's.. O'Flannagain Standard as the base. Receipie for 10 gallons is.

12 lb 2 row
2 lb flaked barley
2 lb cara pils
1.5 lb roasted barley
1lb chocolate malt
2 oz EK Goldings at 60 min

Any advice would be greatly appreciated..

Would that give kind of a smoky spicyness? Sounds very good, but I would use a very small amount, probably added to secondary, I wouldn't want yeasties to change any of the good flavors into bad ones...

Are you gonna add whole ones, or some liquid extract?

mbobhat said:

Would that give kind of a smoky spicyness? Are you gonna add whole ones, or some liquid extract?

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Yes, it will. I had a great, rich, thick, roasty, imperial chocolate chipotle porter once at a homebrew competition. The homebrewer said he used dried chipotles, but did not advise when he made the additions.

To get the flavor to pop, toast them first in a dry skillet, or on a sheet tray in the oven. It's up to you at that point to reconstitute them for 10-15 minutes in 180 F-ish water, or to use them dry. Either way, I would deseed and destem prior to using.

Probably whole ones... Unless someone with 1st hand experiance suggest otherwise.. I am pretty sure I will be making my addtions in the secondary. This will alllow be to split the batch into two 5 gallon batches.. If I over pepper I can blend from the second batch.

Go to basicbrewingradio.com and find a video podcast from a year or so back about brewing with chipotles and other chili's. IIRC they added them to secondary for two weeks.

I've got a chocolate porter that uses habeneros. I de-stem and de-seed 4 habeneros for 5 gallons and add to the boil @15 minutes. 4 gives a pretty good warming sensation on the way down but is not overpowering.

I just watched the video mentioned previously about adding peppers, and they mentioned to tone down the hops because the flavors compete. Very informative video, they did 5 different peppers.

I watched the same video.. It was very helpful.

BTW...you a marine gunny? I spent some time over in the desert on a marine base myself, you guys are some funny SOBs

I have made a pepper beer for years, mostly with extract but this last time with AG. I use about a dozen large jalapenos sliced, addedto the boil 15-30 minutes. Never overpowering, just a taste of heat and a good aroma as you drink. I have always used cascades but this time used citra...will know more in a few weeks, still in primary now.

Yes.. I am a Marine Gunny

I love our sense of humor... we always talk **** to each other...