Hawaiian Chili Pepper Beer

[BloodyThumb]

I am wanting to use Hawaiian chili peppers in beer, and I'm looking for some advice. There are lots of recipes using jalapenos or green chilis, but these peppers are quite different. The Hawaiian chili is about the size of a candy corn and with a taste similar to molten lava. It is commonly used to make the creatively named condement, chili pepper water (which also tastes like delicious molten lava).

Has anyone used this pepper before, and/or do you have any advice how much to add? I want the beer to have a significant kick but still be drinkable.

I've seen a lot of posts saying to add peppers to the secondary. What is the procedure for sanitizing for that? Do you add them whole or cut them? Also, I am wanting to use fresh peppers. I don't really want any smoked or charred flavors in the beer.

 

[Hoosier-Brewer]

I haven't used a Hawaiian chili pepper, but I am using jalapenos. I will be using my peppers in the secondary to allow what I feel is better control of the flavor. I'll taste it after 3 days and keep checking daily until the flavor is where I want it and then rack it to the keg. I'll make 4-5 knife scores in each of two jalapenos and lightly roast them on the gas burner of my stove, then drop them in some vodka for a few to sanitize. After that I'll toss them into the secondary and rack my blonde over. I would think this would work for what you want to do as well, maybe less the roasting. Good luck!

 

[wallberlin]

I just brought a bunch back from Maui, with this exact purpose in mind. I was thinking of putting maybe .25-.5 oz in at 5 mins before flame out for heat, then another .25-.5 oz in the primary for actual pepper flavor and some additional heat.

What were your experiences with these chilis?

 

[LavaSteam]

wallberlin: how did your HI chili pepper beer come out? I'm going to try and put some of the little buggers in a Stout. Jalapenos are pretty wimpy oz per oz to our HI chili peppers. Into how many gallons did you put your 0.25-0.5 oz? How was the heat?
cheers