Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Jalapeno Cream Ale

[icanbenchurcat]

This is amazing! I had a cream ale partial mash kit I used, 1 oz of cluster at 60 min. 4 jalapeños de-seeded and roasted at 15 min boil
2 jalapeños roasted and soaked in vodka for a day, strained, add just the vodka, a little at a time (at kegging), I ended up adding all of the vodka.

Sweet corny smell, slight sweet taste. Strong roasty/peppery flavor in the middle, a very slight burn in the back of the throat.

Perfectly balanced in my opinion! This will be my regular "first beer of summer"


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[gregorybriscoe]

Made this beer with my dad a few weeks ago along with a german lager. Flash forward 3 weeks and I take the lager out ofnthe fridge for 2 days. Dad accidentally put the cream ale in the fridge and left the lager out. He put 2 roasted jalapeños in the lager. I was surprised when I went to bottle and put all the pieces together. The lager tasted great so I went ahead and bottled. Think I'll be ok to go ahead and bottle the non jalapeño dry hopped cream?

 

[Shenanigans]

So I have sourced some Cluster but now I need to decide what to use as a substitute for Liberty.
I already have a lot of Mt. Hood, Tettnang and Hallertau Mittelfruh which according to several different charts are 3 recommended substitutes for Liberty. Anyone know which one of these would fit best into this recipe? Would Saaz also be worth a try?

Thanks!

 

[icanbenchurcat]

So I have sourced some Cluster but now I need to decide what to use as a substitute for Liberty.

I already have a lot of Mt. Hood, Tettnang and Hallertau Mittelfruh which according to several different charts are 3 recommended substitutes for Liberty. Anyone know which one of these would fit best into this recipe? Would Saaz also be worth a try?



Thanks!

I only used 1oz of cluster, .75@60 .25@15.
I would not change my version because I liked it so much, but I would say mt hood just because it is more 'American' kinda but not really





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[Shenanigans]

I only used 1oz of cluster, .75@60 .25@15.
I would not change my version because I liked it so much, but I would say mt hood just because it is more 'American' kinda but not really





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Thanks for the reply.
Indeed all Cluster might also be a decent option, I have about 4oz so I'll probably use a bit more than 1oz to get it closer to the IBUs from the original post.

 

[dbillingsby]

I brewed this using the original recipe, except for the hops, a few weeks ago and thought I would share my experience. I like spicy things but was a little scared about a spicy beer. I added 4 jalapeños to the boil. The beer had a nice little kick after the boil. Waited 10 days moved to secondary and it still had about the same spice. So far so good. Added 3 more jalapeños to secondary and tasted about 4 days later. Holy crap! It was like drinking a liquid jalapeño. Way to hot. Pulled the jalapeños out of the secondary and let it sit for about another week or so. After bottling the hotness went down a lot and was drinkable. Tried one last night after about 1.5 weeks in bottle and it is very very yummy. Just the slightest spice in the aftertaste. So far this is my favorite brew I have done.
For those of you worry about the spiciness of the beer it is not that bad and as time goes it gets better.


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[TheOrlandoGuy]

Good to know! I just poured the first pint of this and experienced the same thing. I did 4 jalapeños in the boil, and 4 in the primary after 7 days. Let them sit for another 10 days and kegged. It's only been in the keg for a week, but it's like drinking a jalapeño! Not unbearable, but definitely more prominent than I originally thought.

Still a great brew and I hope to enter it into a competition soon!

 

[SexualCastles]

I brewed this last night, I had to use crystal 15 as the LHBS didnt have 10 but shouldn't cause to much drama. I like things hot so added 6 large Jalapeños, smaller peppers are generally hotter so I upped it a little. Rinsed, sliced and added 15min into the boil.

Initial sample before pitching the yeast had good creaminess and a slightly noticeable burn in the back of the throat. I will do as per original recipe and add to secondary aiming for 6 days and will eat one of the jalapeños to determine heat before making a tincture and adding the whole lot.

Not sure if I am going to smoke the peppers yet but think I might have to..

 

[christobrew]

gonna brew this tonight as my 3rd BIAB batch and 2nd chile beer. my first chile beer was a patty's chile ale clone that tasted a whole lot better than the original. i think i grabbed 7 jalapenos from the store, so i'll be using all of those in the boil and getting more for secondary.

 

[TheOrlandoGuy]

Quick update on this - after letting sit in the keg for about 3 weeks, the spice has toned down quite a bit and has really incorporated itself more into the overall flavor of the beer. At first, it dominated the palate. Give this one some aging time, it'll do it nothing but good.

 

[christobrew]

just brewed my batch the other day. i used 7 jalapenos, i think i'm skipping any secondary additions. i want this in a bottle ASAP, i loved my last chile beer.

 

[icanbenchurcat]

just brewed my batch the other day. i used 7 jalapenos, i think i'm skipping any secondary additions. i want this in a bottle ASAP, i loved my last chile beer.

I used 5 in the boil and didn't add them to primary.

At the end i made a tincture with 2 added at bottling and most of the flavor/aroma came from the last two

I would not skip this part, it is very easy


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[Nemleu]

I used 5 in the boil and didn't add them to primary.

At the end i made a tincture with 2 added at bottling and most of the flavor/aroma came from the last two

I would not skip this part, it is very easy


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I've brewed this and similar jalapeno recipes seven times. Good move making the tincture. It’s the only way you can guarantee the heat will be right where you want it to be. I usually roast at least a dozen jalapenos on the grill. Smoke them for additional flavor and aroma, and let them soak in vodka. The tincture is used at bottling, no jalapenos in the boil, primary, or secondary.

 

[icanbenchurcat]

I've brewed this and similar jalapeno recipes seven times. Good move making the tincture. It’s the only way you can guarantee the heat will be right where you want it to be. I usually roast at least a dozen jalapenos on the grill. Smoke them for additional flavor and aroma, and let them soak in vodka. The tincture is used at bottling, no jalapenos in the boil, primary, or secondary.

I wish I would have made 1 gallon of it without the tincture, just to compare.

I feel like it added just a touch of heat and an enormous amount of flavor, and the ones in the boil might not have done anything excepts add haze.



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[OKCAg2002]

I'm doing a test batch one gallon of this stuff. Brewed it up last night with Northern Brewer's Cream Ale kit. Added a single roasted jalapeño to the last 10 minutes of the boil I roasted. I'm gojng to rack to secondary on some frozen mangos and another jalepeno. Am I crazy? The idea is to make a mango salsa kind of beer. I'll let you guys know. If it's terrible, I'll warn you ahead if time. Lol.

 

[Hootmon]

Can't imagine it wouldn't be quite tasty! Let us know.


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[christobrew]

I used 5 in the boil and didn't add them to primary.

At the end i made a tincture with 2 added at bottling and most of the flavor/aroma came from the last two

I would not skip this part, it is very easy

ok so i took your advice and i used 5 jalapenos. half of them seeded. i also put a head of cilantro in there. i'm even more excited for this beer now.

I'm gojng to rack to secondary on some frozen mangos and another jalepeno. Am I crazy? The idea is to make a mango salsa kind of beer.

no, do it! this thought crossed my mind, too. maybe do a puree and add jalapenos to taste right to the mango puree?

 

[shortyz]

little jalepeno lacto cream ale coming in!

 

[christobrew]

just finished bottling this. goddamn i hate bottling day. tastes great, a bit spicy, but it should settle down in the next week or two. i added peach flavoring to 4 bottles, blueberry flavoring to 4 others, and both flavorings to 3 other bottles. i'm interested to see how these turn out. will update when they're ready to drink.

 

[dbillingsby]

Bottled this at the end of April. Still drinking them and they are yummy and the perfect amount of heat.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

ok so i took your advice and i used 5 jalapenos. half of them seeded. i also put a head of cilantro in there. i'm even more excited for this beer now.

I was all set to brew this per original recipe until I read your post about adding cilantro. A local brewery here has a serrano/cilantro ale that is delicious, but just a tad too hot for me, so I'll use jalapenos. Question, when do you add the cilantro? Do you infuse in vodka? What is your process for the cilantro?

 

[christobrew]

i muddled the cilantro a little bit, then let it sit as i chopped the jalapenos for the vodka tincture. so far, though, the heat has not subsided enough for me to even taste the cilantro. if i were to do another herb infused beer, i'd make sure to pair it with less overbearing flavors. maybe soon the cilantro will become more noticeable? i think i used a 2oz package of cilantro.

 

[crjpilot]

Big news (for me)!

So, I've brewed this recipe many times, always to great acclaim from all those who've tried it. I don't really change it except a few minor details:

I don't use WLP001/Wyeast 1056. I always use WLP080 Cream Ale Blend. I ferment at 65F, once as low as 62F. I'm guessing the difference is subtle, but I think it adds some extra depth to the smooth/clean character. I think this allows the jalapeno to stand out, while still taking an edge off the heat. There's still the "ale" character, but it's very clean.

I make sure to get a good roast on the jalapenos by turning them several times and I always do 25 minutes. The roast is a definite part of the flavor profile.

Anyway, the big news...

I entered my 4th batch in the Peak-to-Peak ProAm in Longmont, CO a few months back. Not only did it win a gold medal, it was chosen by Left Hand Brewing as their GABF Pro-Am entry for this year! So, I'm heading over to Longmont tomorrow morning and we'll be brewing it on Monday afternoon. Obviously, I'm pretty stoked for this. I'm really interested to see how the recipe scales up to a system of their size.

I'll let you all know how the brew day goes!

 

[aStoutObserver]

That is your beer they are talking about on Instagram right? Congrats!

 

[crjpilot]

That is your beer they are talking about on Instagram right? Congrats!

Yep, that's it! It was an awesome experience and I hope it comes out great for GABF!

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

cjrpilot, do you roast the jalapenos in the oven or on the grill? You brew this per the recipe in the 1st post, except for the yeast? What is your fermentation process?

 

[crjpilot]

cjrpilot, do you roast the jalapenos in the oven or on the grill? You brew this per the recipe in the 1st post, except for the yeast? What is your fermentation process?

I do the oven just because the first time I brewed it, it was winter here in Salt Lake City and I didn't want to get the grill out. I think grilling would work fine though. I think the level of char is something to keep a close eye on. You want some char on the sides that are touching the baking sheet/grill, but you don't want much more. Too much char can give off bitterness and you just want the roasted pepper flavor. 25 minutes, flipping once or twice, works great. The grill probably only needs a few minutes per side. Make sure to slit them first for the grill for sure.

I do brew per the 1st post except the yeast, where I use WLP080 Cream Ale Blend. I've been wanting to try something like Wyeast 2112/WLP810 Cali Common yeast just to see how it effects the heat and roasted flavors, but it's still really smooth with WLP080. I've never brewed it with Wyeast 1056/WLP001 myself, so I can't speak to how much difference it makes. I mash at 152F and I recirculate for the entire mash. I really try to get good clarity with this beer, so I also cold crash and use gelatin when brewing it for competition. Clean is the name of the game for this beer.

Fermentation I try to keep at 65F, though I have run it up to 68F on the first couple of batches. 65F seems to work good for the WLP080 and I haven't had any attenuation problems. I typically ferment in a 6.5g bucket and then rack it onto 2 jalapenos in a glass 5g carboy. I haven't really studied the interaction of yeast and jalapenos, but I think it's best to get the beer off the primary yeast cake to reduce any stripping of pepper attributes by the yeast. I don't know that it makes a huge difference though.

Good luck!

 

[jekeane]

Few general questions about jalapeños and beer. If a beer is too hot will it mellow in a keg? How much jalapeño aroma should you expect? I obviously have made a beer that smells and tastes like liquid jalapeño...

 

[tmendick]

Jalapeno is tough, They are very inconsistent in heat. I cut and roasted 8 total 4 for flame out and 4 for secondary. I cut a small piece off of each to gauge their heat.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

yea jalapenos are very inconsistent, but they are better than habaneros.......anyone ever try the Habanero Sculpin? that **** is too hot!

 

[crjpilot]

Few general questions about jalapeños and beer. If a beer is too hot will it mellow in a keg? How much jalapeño aroma should you expect? I obviously have made a beer that smells and tastes like liquid jalapeño...

I wouldn't expect to mellow a whole lot. Seems like the capsaicin is pretty stable. I think there's a pretty significant jalapeno aroma with the amount of peppers in this recipe. Make sure you're slitting them open so the vodka can get into the seeds and veins.

It's true that peppers aren't consistent, but I've found I can pretty much always get right on target over multiple batches. I always use the same boil amount, but I never use more than two in secondary and taste daily to gauge the heat.

 

[dbillingsby]

Few general questions about jalapeños and beer. If a beer is too hot will it mellow in a keg? How much jalapeño aroma should you expect? I obviously have made a beer that smells and tastes like liquid jalapeño...

When I added the jalapeños to a secondary, I tried it after about 4 days and it was like drinking a liquid jalapeño. I pulled them out and let it sit for a few more days before I bottled it. After a couple weeks in the bottle, there was only a slight burn left. Nothing unbearable and very drinkable.
So my experience is that it mellows out a lot. I think from reading through this thread you will find a lot of people say it mellows out after it sits I'm a bottle for a couple weeks.

 

[TheOrlandoGuy]

Agreed...I let it age for 4 months...jalapeño is just a aide note at this point

 

[jekeane]

I tucked the keg in the back of my keezer, Ill give it a pull every now and then to check. It's not completely undrinkable atm but I am terrified of having to use the bathroom after drinking it...

Update: Gave it a try after a week in the keg carbing. It's a different beer now. It was fiery liquid jalapeño and now it has the flavor but no real burn. Much better.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

Cilantro, does it get infused? How long? Does it go in primary or secondary?

 

[magpiebrew]

Amazing beer! Very pleased with how it turned out. I believe that a cream ale style is the perfect match for a pepper beer. All who've tasted it, love it. Wish I could take credit for the recipe.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

why soak em in vodka and just toss em in roasted only?

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

getting closer to brew time, so why are the peppers soaked in vodka?!! and do the secondary peppers go in roasted only?

 

[icanbenchurcat]

The vodka soak draws a lot of heat out of the seeds, and a good amount of the pepper/smokey flavor. It allows you to control it easier.

For me, I did about 5 peppers de-seeded into the boil. 2 more soaked in vodka - seeds and all - to the secondary. I only added the vodka and it got me right where I wanted to be.


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[tuelmen]

The vodka soak draws a lot of heat out of the seeds, and a good amount of the pepper/smokey flavor. It allows you to control it easier.

For me, I did about 5 peppers de-seeded into the boil. 2 more soaked in vodka - seeds and all - to the secondary. I only added the vodka and it got me right where I wanted to be.


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I've brewed this beer 7 times. Making a tincture is best, and probably the only way you can get the heat where you want it. I don't add jalapenos to the boil. Put them on the grill roast and smoke. Put them in a large mouth jug and pour the vodka over them. Two days later you tincture is ready to use. I add when I bottle. As a bonus the tincture is GREAT in a Bloody Mary.