Further Mad Science. Talk Me Out of It?

As some of you probably know, I am not a scientist. I wear a sleeping cap with a tassle while I brew and I am not above chanting, prayer, or burning offerings (usually bacon) to the brew gods. Your patience has been amazing, as has your help and encouragement. I am here to further impose upon you with a Capiscumel theoretical recipe. I was thinking about brewing a liter of said experiment in a Johnny Walker red bottle.

Here's my theory.

1 liter of water
1 lb of honey
raisins for yeast nutrient
2 serano chilis, halves
1 dash hot sauce (mostly for the red color)
1 tsp of my beloved Di-Go yeast.

What do you think? Could I make this work?

only one way to find out

perhaps you should make 20 gallons of it, on such a small scale mistakes will be easy to taste and a larger batch could mean a greater range of pepper utilization.

trust me, I own a microscope.

really though i would go for it, it sounds interesting and you will only regret not making it.

Why the heck would you NOT brew this? Do it, and let us know how that goes. Btw, burning bacon is a crime. I like it crispy, but not ash.

*Does his best Cartman impression* I love you guys.

Just slapped on the balloon. Pictures to come.

CreamyGoodness said:

Just slapped on the balloon. Pictures to come.

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i don't think you can post those kind of pictures here....

I think a mod will need to chime in on that ;-). Yoop?? ;-)

Serrano Capiscumel, CreamyGoodness style. If you cant take the heat.... drink some milk maybe I don't know...

did someone say bacon

If you don't do this your a *****. Report back please!

:rockin:

Took a shower and was about to go to work when I saw this foaming away. The balloon is fully... ahem... well the balloon is full of air. Also, interestingly, one of the raisins and one of the serrano halves continuously sinks to the bottom and then returns to the top in a circular pattern.

I didnt get any red color from the hot sauce unfortunately but Im sure Ill get all the flavor. This should prove to be pure fire in a bottle... prescription strength pain-killer/tonic.

No bacon, or even bacon grease was harmed this time, but I did eat a gloriously greasy burger, but not the last bite.

I've been eyeing up making a capsicumel... maybe the litre bottle is the way forward for testing heat levels...

CreamyGoodness said:

Took a shower and was about to go to work when I saw this foaming away. The balloon is fully... ahem... well the balloon is full of air. Also, interestingly, one of the raisins and one of the serrano halves continuously sinks to the bottom and then returns to the top in a circular pattern.

Click to expand...

Interesting. The SG of your concoction must be just right for the yeasty bubbles to attach to the raisin & pepper, raise them to the top, and when the bubbles burst they drop down again.

Tried my first sip last night. The verdict is... I like it! Its a little much to drink a whole glass, but it has an interesting briney spiciness that is tempered with a mild sweetness. I think it might be a cocktail mixer waiting to happen.

Sounds good. I've got some pears waiting on honey for 1G mead. Maybe I'll pick up double the honey and do a spicy one as well.

I've just finished drinking a 2l flaggon of perry that I figure is perfect for experimenting and my mini-bungs turned up today... have to test this later!

I made 3 gallons of this and it was not too hot. I like to cook with it the wife likes to drink it. Tastes just like jalapenos. from jack kellers web site.

16 large jalapenos cut in half
1 lb golden raisins chopped or minced
2 lbs finely granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp acid blend
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
Water to one gallon
1 crushed Campden tablet
3/4 tsp yeast nutrient
Pasteur Champagne Yeast

That's an interesting recipe, gird. What do you cook it in?

I throw the raisins and peppers in to a five gallon bucket in a paint strainer then pour 3 gallons of boiling water (with inverted sugar) over. wait until room tempish then add k-met and pectic enzyme wait 12 hrs then add the yeast and other ingredients. Stir twice daily for 7 to 12 days or until 1.005 sg then rack and squeeze bag with rubber gloves. I bottle in beer bottles so that i can use a cup in marinade and drink the rest. Definitely a sipping wine. I have upped the sg to about 1.100 and like that as well. If you remove the seeds and the white stuff it is not very hot. If you want hot leave the seeds and the white stuff and up the pepper count. We have tried 10 to 20 peppers per gallon and find 16 with out the seeds to be the best for us.

Jack says it is best right away. We like it after it has been in the bottle for 4-6 months. It seems to get hotter.

Just started mine last night night with enough honey to hit 14% and half a medium sized scotchbonnet. Will back sweeten to 1.01 once done I think.

Too bad you dont live closer. I need a home brew drinking buddy.

How's your brew coming?

Insomniac said:

Just started mine last night night with enough honey to hit 14% and half a medium sized scotchbonnet. Will back sweeten to 1.01 once done I think.

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gird123 said:

I made 3 gallons of this and it was not too hot. I like to cook with it the wife likes to drink it. Tastes just like jalapenos. from jack kellers web site.

16 large jalapenos cut in half
1 lb golden raisins chopped or minced
2 lbs finely granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp acid blend
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
Water to one gallon
1 crushed Campden tablet
3/4 tsp yeast nutrient
Pasteur Champagne Yeast

Click to expand...

I made this and it is GREAT. Not something that you wanna down a bottle of but a nice sipper and really good in spaghetti suace.

I would like to hear how the others are as well.

How hot? Is it a sipping wine or strictly a spaghetti sauce?

Mine is still fermenting, or at least off gassing so haven't tasted it yet. I'm working my way through another 2l bottle of cider so once done ill get it racked, stabalised and backsweetened and see how it is.

I dont have the biggest pepper tolerance so my stuff tastes plenty hot to me. Its a creeping heat too, not too bad until 2 seconds later and then you are breathing fire after a sip. When you use yours as a marinade, what do you marinade? I'm wondering if mine would work for that purpose.

Traditionally, you marinate meat.

Please imagine the look on my face right now.

Lol, well done though.

What cut is obviously what I was getting at. I would think maybe ribs or brisket?

huesmann said:

Traditionally, you marinate meat.

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need to get you guys a picture of it now. Its clear as a bell other than lees at the bottom and the fruit suspended on the top.

I'm thinking about hitting it with a teaspoon of gelatin, letting that form a lees cake and then racking to a clean whiskey bottle. Do you think this is a good way to go given the odd shape/volume of the bottle?

I am would probably still rack it off the lees despite the small bottles, though it is a bit more of a pain. I racked mine last weekend, stabilised, and added honey to 1.02. It was starting to clear before but is hazy again now. Once the honey has had a bit more time to mix I will stick it in the fridge and see what happens. I did give it a little taste, and not all that hot though there was a bit. I added a tiny bit more chilli in secondary. Mostly just tasted like a young mead though so hard to tell what it will end up like!

Any update on yours Insomniac? I'm thinking about letting a chuck steak marinade in mine and flopping it on the grill...

Added some finings a couple of days ago, probably not enough as it only pulled down stuff from the top half of the bottle, though it is gradually getting clearer by itself now. Didn't smell any different when I opened it but havent had another taste yet.

I turned my back for just a day and SWMBO decided to "decorate" this bottle. Sigh. Lol.

Which of you can't spell "capiscumel?"

That would be myself. I like to rub my own nose in my errors ;-).

Last night I marinaded a pound of shrimp in this stuff before making a simple tomato sauce for atop linguine. I thought it was a bit too mild (really nice flavor though!) but my friend and SWMBO said it had just enough heat.

This stuff might have been well worth the effort and the thread.