Adding dried Chili Peppers

I'd like to brew a Coco mole beer similar to the NewBelgium lips of faith. I will be using dried Chili Peppers. I need some ideas on how to add them in a controlled manner so that I don't end up with a smoking hot beer. Any advice would be appreciated.

I would add them after fermentation was done using a hop bag. Then after a few days to a week give the beer a taste. If you like it ...done! If you want more heat I'd pull that bag and repeat using some more chilies.

mvcorliss said:

I would add them after fermentation was done using a hop bag. Then after a few days to a week give the beer a taste. If you like it ...done! If you want more heat I'd pull that bag and repeat using some more chilies.

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Thanks! Do you think I should hydrate them in boiling water or Vodka first?

i have only done 1 chili beer ever, so take this for what it's worth, but i added (for a 20 L batch of porter) 8 chile pasilla, 4 chile mora. i deseeded them pretty well and added them dry with 5 minutes left in the boil. i also transfered them into the fermenter. the beer was not outwardly spicy, but had heat in the aftertaste. if the spritz got up your nose or in the back of your palate it stung quite a bit, and if you chugged it you felt a burn in your chest, but for sipping it was relatively mild

I would think they would rehydrate in the beer. And as long as you are adding them after fermentation is complete the alcohol will take care of sanitizing them.

The method I use for my jalapeño pale ale always works. I use 2-3 for a 5 gal batch. Broil them, peel the skin, deseed them. Place in I Muslim bag and into the secondary. You can start to taste it after 24 hrs so start there. I've left them for 4 days and it was really hot!