Chocolate and chile pale ale

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Hopheadie

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Hi I am wanting to brew a chocolate and chilli pale ale, which is light like a golden ale in colour but with Chocolate and chilli flavours for a Mexican themed birthday party for a friend.

I have a few questions

1) I know that you can get nice chocolate flavours from speciality malts but these all give of a dark colour and I want a light coloured beer. Are there any speciality malts that taste chocolaty that give a pale colour? Also I know that Cacao nibs will also give off a chocolate flavour, do these also give off dark colours? and what is the recommended amount to use in a 5 Gallon batch?

2) When to add the chilli's? with 10 mins to go? flame out? or dry hop?

I know @10mins this will sterilize the chilli and am thinking at flame out during 15 min rest before cooling would also. How do people sterilize chilli's for dry hopping?

Any other tips would be greatly appreciated, the idea is to brew a light coloured ale that looks like a pilsner but has a nice hit of Chocolate and chilli.
 
Nibs are probably your best bet, I don't know how much color they'll add? Even pale choc malt will make it a red ale before the flavor is noticeable, a brown ale or porter by the time it is delivering on the flavor.


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I've found that the best way to add any adjunct to the beer post fermentation is to put it in a bit of vodka for a few days and then pour the whole thing in the secondary. I've done this with vanilla and nibs. I've read that this is enough to sterilize. Chilis are next on the docket and I'll be doing it the same way.


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Adding chiles during the boil adds a lot of heat. It will take a bit of time to mellow out.
If it were it were me I would make a chile, cocoa nibs, and vodka cocktail and add it to the secondary.
 
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