Jalapeno beer recipe for a 2.5 gallon batch

Kdenaultrdg · Sep 23, 2012

I just bottled my first batch today...tasted pretty good even without any bubbles! Now I'm itching to fill that fermenter again...but this time, I'd like to make something for the hubby. He's not really into craft brews or anything to hoppy or malty. I also just harvested a few nice jalapeños from the garden....so, it looks like Jalapeño chili beer may be up next. Hubby tends to like pilsner style beer. So, anyone with any good recipes?? Not sure when to add the peppers and/or how many to add. Should I remove the seeds. Etc, etc....
The thing is I really only want to do a 2.5 gal batch of the chili brew. I really don't have the space for another 48 or so bottles. I also would like to practice doing more smaller batches to experiment with. Is the timing of the boil any different with a 2.5 gal batch? Can I just half a recipe for a 5 gal batch? Can I use all of the same equipment that I used with my 5 gal batch (large white brew pail, large white bottling bucket, 6 gal brew kettle)?
Kathleen

Yesfan · Sep 23, 2012

I don't know if you're familiar with Brooklyn Brew Shop, but they have a Jalapeno Saison recipe, if that's what you're looking for. (link)

Bigbeavk · Sep 23, 2012

I'm not into pilsner's but an ale recipe I have tried we added 1/2 of a roasted red pepper and 2 oz of sliced jalapenos to primary fermenter.(I already halved the ingredients for a small batch for you) We used the roasted red peppers that come in a jar but you could always roast one or skip them all together. I think it came out well balanced and not too fiery hot. You can use all the same equipment you have already.

ReverseApacheMaster · Sep 23, 2012

If you're looking to do a 2.5 gallon batch, yes, just cut everything in half in the recipe. If you aren't set up to lager, or don't want to take that long to make this beer, you would be fine following a blonde ale recipe for the beer and ferment it cool to keep yeast flavor down.

As far as the chiles go, I would go ahead and deseed them now then freeze them overnight or however long it takes for them to freeze hard. This will break down the cell walls and make it easier for the flavor and heat to release into the beer. Once frozen, you can thaw and add them directly to the fermentor after fermentation ends. If you are concerned about sanitation, put the thawed peppers in a small pot with a little water and bring to 165F to pasteurize. Then dump the water and chiles in the fermentor. You will want to taste the beer daily to see when you are happy with the level of flavor and heat. For mild chiles seven days does it for me but for a chile with some heat I would expect fewer days to be needed. I use five mild chiles over seven days in 2.5 gallon but using more or less chiles may require fewer or more days to reach the right point. I can't stress enough the importance of tasting each day. If you make a beer that is too hot for your tastes, you will wait a long, long time for that heat to start mellowing.

xmacro · Sep 23, 2012

Recipes scale down - to cut a 5 gallon batch into a 2.5 gallon one, jsut use half the ingredients.

To turn a 5-gallon batch into a 1 gallon batch, just use 1/5 the ingredients

jonmohno · Sep 23, 2012

I made one with a 1.6 gallon batch. One large and on small jalepeno. The heat was pretty weak in the beer and I noticed that when i tried a taste before using it, I wish I had used more and made it more seasonal as I just took only what I could find which were not that fresh. I just chopped and boiled the last 15 min then removed them(I think).Next time Im not going to be afraid to add two large ones intense heat or not.Very real raw jalepeno flavor The beer is really nice..I find that some pilsner malts have its own sweetness which I think is a good idea because jalepeno ales tend to work well in the lighter styles, i just used 2 row and added a small amount of light crystal malt. Used some 05 dry yeast 04 would work well too and fermented low temp.

There are 3 gallon carboys you can get if you think you will be doing more and it doesnt hurt to have more,there are also 2 gallon buckets about any hardware store, I think I just seen a 2.5 gallon paint bucket the other day. I may get a 3 gallon glass carboy and that 2.5 gal bucket to bottle with.I havent seen any 3 gallon buckets though. I have three,2 gallon glass jars I found that I rotated and made new batches with every week in a 3 week rotation. Then I rack to my 2 gallon bottleing bucket to bottle.

You can even go as low as one gallon most lhbs and brewsites sell gallon wine jugs or just drink a gallon of wine, as well as mini siphons and everything.
You need to watch how much you boil off with smaller batches also, I generally boil 2.25 gallons which gives me about 1.7 gal in a 60 min boil.

Yesfan · Sep 23, 2012

^^^ If you're (or anyone else for that matter) needing some small fermenting buckets, check your local bakeries, Walmart, etc. I have 5 two gallon buckets I got from BiLo for free. One of the ladies at the bakery department had been saving them for me, since they throw them away at the end of their shifts. I already have the grommets and airlocks, so all I have to do is drill the holes in the lids. I went ahead and added another spigot to a couple of 1 gallon batches I ordered from NB to make one of those buckets for bottling.