Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Jalapeno Cream Ale

[TacoBrew]

Ya...no need for lactose. You want this crisp. Think mine gets down to 1.008-1.010.

 

[sharpi462]

Awesome...thanks guys!

 

[RandalG]

Made this today as one of the beers for an upcoming Cinco De Mayo party we have at work every year. I split,roasted and threw four peppers in vodka over nite seeds and all. Then this morning I scraped out the seeds and just threw the peppers in the boil. I was going to do the same to the three more I throw in the secondary.The original instructions are a little vague so does that sound right? I'd like some heat,enough to know it's there but not overwhelming as many of the customers I will be serving to aren't necessarily into craft beer so I don't want it to be over the top hot.The sample tasted pretty good so far.

 

[njporter]

brewed this tonight, just did a shot of the jalapeno vodka, that burned

 

[Nemleu]

Made this today as one of the beers for an upcoming Cinco De Mayo party we have at work every year. I split,roasted and threw four peppers in vodka over nite seeds and all. Then this morning I scraped out the seeds and just threw the peppers in the boil. I was going to do the same to the three more I throw in the secondary.The original instructions are a little vague so does that sound right? I'd like some heat,enough to know it's there but not overwhelming as many of the customers I will be serving to aren't necessarily into craft beer so I don't want it to be over the top hot.The sample tasted pretty good so far.

I've brewed this excellent beer 5 times. Save the Vodka/Jalapeno tincture for the bottling bucket. It’s the only way you can control the heat. I’m at the point where I don’t put peppers in the boil, primary, or secondary. Flavor to taste with the tincture and you can’t go wrong.

 

[njporter]

for the peppers going in the secondary...if you soak them in vodka, do you still need to roast them? does the roasting change the flavor at all or is it more for a double sanitation?

also...the peppers that i added to the boil, i added them directly to the boil and not in a hop bag. when i transferred the wort into the primary, i couldn't filter the peppers out so there still in the primary, does that matter?

 

[Nemleu]

for the peppers going in the secondary...if you soak them in vodka, do you still need to roast them? does the roasting change the flavor at all or is it more for a double sanitation?

also...the peppers that i added to the boil, i added them directly to the boil and not in a hop bag. when i transferred the wort into the primary, i couldn't filter the peppers out so there still in the primary, does that matter?

I roast them and for an added touch smoke them with Hickory. It adds a very nice touch. Than soak them in vodka. The vodka draws out the smoke, jalapeno flavor and heat. After several weeks discard the peppers, you only need the tincture for racking. I don't add peppers to the boil, primary or secondary.

 

[rgauthier20420]

So I'm planning on doing this recipe, but I don't want to add the peppers to the boil.....actually I don't want to add whole/chopped peppers at all. My wife made a simple syrup with jalapeno's, suger, and water that was nice and hot but smooth. I'm thinking I can make a simple syrup with these same ingredients on a slightly larger scale and get the same heat that I'm wanting.

I know the added sugar will increase the ABV, but that's secondary to the want to get the pepper heat in the final product. What are peoples thoughts on doing it this way?

Thanks OP for this recipe! Cheers!

 

[Doed]

I brewed this yesterday. Roasted the 4 jalapeno, did not soak in vodka, threw them in the boil. I pitched a slury of Denny's Favorite from a wheat beer I did about 3 weeks ago. It was bubbling away this morning with a nice krausen.

 

[rgauthier20420]

I brewed this yesterday. Roasted the 4 jalapeno, did not soak in vodka, threw them in the boil. I pitched a slury of Denny's Favorite from a wheat beer I did about 3 weeks ago. It was bubbling away this morning with a nice krausen.

Doad, let us know how this turns out in terms of heat. A roasted pepper flavor does sound good indeed. The heat along with that added aroma would be nice with this beer I think. Happy brewing!

 

[Cathedral]

I just want to say that I brewed this a few months ago, and it is a HUGE hit. I have not had a single person say they didn't completely enjoy it, and two brewing buddies are now determined to get their own batches going. Make this beer. You will not be disappointed.

I made it exactly as the op described and I don't think a single thing needs to be changed.

 

[njale]

this was surprising good, i will rebrew

 

[Doed]

I brewed this yesterday. Roasted the 4 jalapeno, did not soak in vodka, threw them in the boil. I pitched a slury of Denny's Favorite from a wheat beer I did about 3 weeks ago. It was bubbling away this morning with a nice krausen.

I put this in secondary on Sunday the 21st with 2 sliced, roasted, and vodka soaked jalapenos. I let that sit until Friday, the 26, which would have been 6 days, in my keezer at about 38°. I racked the beer from secondary to keg on that Friday evening. The beer was very clear. I poured a sample and the roasted jalapeno aroma and flavor were amazing. There wasn't much heat but the flavor was very good.

I will definitely brew this again.

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

I brewed this one up today in celebration of Homebrew Day (I have to work on the 4th). Used 5 "king sized" japs sliced up to 1/4 inch strips ,added seeds and all, with 15 min left. Followed the recipe to the T and the hydro sample had some kick to it. I'm looking forward to tasting again when racked to secondary to see if it retains its heat after fermentation.

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

Racked this to the secondary on 5/17/2013 and added 4 more "king sized" roasted japs sliced up to 1/4 inch strips, seeds and all. I retained the vodka and saved it for the bottling bucket if extra heat is needed.
I believe fermentation did not reduce the spiciness but did increase the jalapeno flavor.

Bottled this on 5/24/2013. I did not add the vodka to the bottling bucket as SWMBO'd commented that tasting this beer was "like drinking pepper" (I personally thought that is was definitely spicy and the jalapeño flavoring was starting to dominate the flavor profile. After a couple weeks bottle conditioning I hope it will have even more pepper flavor and tone down the heat).

Excellent beer so far and it will only get better. You better love peppers if you brew this beer

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

After 2 weeks in the bottle it never did loose any of the heat. I would rate the hotness of 9 jalapeños at a 6 out of 10, and I like heat. I had some co-workers sample and they all agreed that while the flavor of this beer is excellent, the 9 total jalapeños used gives it a throat burning sensation that is unexpected when drinking a beer. When you first take a drink you will get a really good jalapeño cream ale flavor and about 4 seconds later the back of your mouth/throat will start to burn.

Next time I will reduce the number of jalapeños to OP's recommendation of 4 in the boil and 3 in the secondary to make this easier to drink.

Thank you sundowner for posting this recipe as I will be brewing it again. I believe the base recipe could be used without any "jalapeño flavoring" and make an excellent beer.

 

[wakers3]

I followed Nemleu's suggestion of making a tincture. Did about 6 japs and a cayenne in some Tito's and tasted a couple of times while mixing in but before bottling to make sure my heat was proper...then just dumped all the juice into the beer and prematurely had the first one last night with some relatives. one word: INCREDIBLE!

I have made what I consider some pretty decent beers since my brewing journey began and even had someone tell me that one of mine was the best beer she had ever had and this one is the one I would enter into a competition if I were going to do such a thing. Heat pumps out of this beer, but not in a way that rips your throat out. And the jalapeno aroma and flavor are out of sight!

Can guarantee this will be brewed again at my house.

 

[sundowner]

I'm really glad so many folks have enjoyed my little recipe...Cheers to you

 

[Nemleu]

I followed Nemleu's suggestion of making a tincture. Did about 6 japs and a cayenne in some Tito's and tasted a couple of times while mixing in but before bottling to make sure my heat was proper...then just dumped all the juice into the beer and prematurely had the first one last night with some relatives. one word: INCREDIBLE!

I have made what I consider some pretty decent beers since my brewing journey began and even had someone tell me that one of mine was the best beer she had ever had and this one is the one I would enter into a competition if I were going to do such a thing. Heat pumps out of this beer, but not in a way that rips your throat out. And the jalapeno aroma and flavor are out of sight!

Can guarantee this will be brewed again at my house.

Since I first read Sundowner's post I've made 35 gallons of this beer. I can’t keep it in stock so now its part of my regular rotation. Like all of us I’ve experimented with the recipe. I’ve used different yeasts, and multiple combinations of hops. I always stick with hops with low alpha acids. I’ve even added smoked grains to a couple of batches. I only entered this into a competition one time and it took 3rd place. I always use a tincture. I think controlling the amount of heat is the key to keeping the beer consistent from batch to batch. I also smoke the jalapenos on the grill before putting them into the vodka. I think I’ve explained it this way before:

What I liked most about it is the way the beer transitions across the palate. The aroma is smoky, with a "green" aroma like cutting into fresh jalapenos. What’s really nice is how the smoke flavor continues to come through along with everything else. It adds a wonderfully assertive balance to the whole beer. The initial flavor somewhat matches that aroma, then it finishes with a nice balancing act from the cream ale itself. Then the heat comes in the very late finish, making you want to reach for your next sip.

 

[wakers3]

Then the heat comes in the very late finish, making you want to reach for your next sip.

BINGO!!!

Nemleu,
Ever had a problem getting the heat to hold with age?

Seems based on your post tho, that you have actually never had a problem with age...

 

[Nemleu]

BINGO!!!

Nemleu,
Ever had a problem getting the heat to hold with age?

Seems based on your post tho, that you have actually never had a problem with age...

You’re right it doesn't stay in stock long. But I do stash a few beers from each batch for comparisons sake and I always bottle some bombers that I save for special occasions. I think it mellows out a little, but negligible. Personally I think it gets better with age. (Good luck keeping on the shelf) Bottle conditioning for me is 6 to 8 weeks. Always having a beer going in a carboy keeps me patient.

Sundowner hit a grand slam with this recipe!

 

[Mabus]

Our local HB club just had a meeting at a LHBS and I picked up a BB cream ale kit. One of the members brought a pepper ale that was really good. Not a strong pepper flavor but a slight lingering heat on the back of the palate. I'm growing habanero, scotch bonnet & jalapenos. This is inspiring me to add a tincture to 1/2 the batch at bottling time. I'm thinking 1-2 scotch bonnets &/or habaneros soaked in some vodka for a week or two. I may just use one of each of the three! Thanks to the OP and everyone else who's commented with suggestions. The only thing I'm doing different with the kit is adding 1 oz of citra hops late for the mango/citrus profile. The non-hot portion will be to share with folks who can't take the heat (yet continue to bug me in the kitchen!)

 

[marvso]

Just brewed this recipe a few weeks ago and think it will be killer! Aging in the keg now waiting for space in the kegerator. Thanks for this one!

 

[wakers3]

Our local HB club just had a meeting at a LHBS and I picked up a BB cream ale kit. One of the members brought a pepper ale that was really good. Not a strong pepper flavor but a slight lingering heat on the back of the palate. I'm growing habanero, scotch bonnet & jalapenos. This is inspiring me to add a tincture to 1/2 the batch at bottling time. I'm thinking 1-2 scotch bonnets &/or habaneros soaked in some vodka for a week or two. I may just use one of each of the three! Thanks to the OP and everyone else who's commented with suggestions. The only thing I'm doing different with the kit is adding 1 oz of citra hops late for the mango/citrus profile. The non-hot portion will be to share with folks who can't take the heat (yet continue to bug me in the kitchen!)

Interested in your citra results!

 

[ikoniak]

Damn, I accidently added the Jalapenos at 60mins and didn't notice/take them out until 28 mins left. Does anyone know if this will have an affect on the spicy factor of the beer?

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

I entered this beer in a competition and tied for 4th place overall out of 220 entries at the Iowa State Fair. It scored 40 out of 50 and got 1st place in 21a Spice-Herb-Vegetable. What a shocker considering I thought it was almost to hot to be session able.

See post 194-196 on page 20.

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

Thank you for an award winning recipe!

 

[Grzebyk26]

Did you take the seeds out of the jalapeños before you baked them?

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

Did you take the seeds out of the jalapeños before you baked them?

I did not remove the seeds. I sliced the jalapeños lengthwise into 1/4" strips and baked them seeds and all

 

[Dhinds10583]

Tapped this keg the other day. I really had no idea what to expect. I've never had any type of pepper beer. I really like it, something different. If you make it you must like the taste of roasted jalapeños. Mine doesn't have any heat when you drink it, but def. has the flavor. I guess the vodka must take the flavor out, but leave the heat behind, because I bit into one of the jalapeños after it had been siting in the vodka and it was one of the hottest I've ever had. Thanks for the recipe.