I'm getting ready to brew a jalapeno cream ale next month, and I've been combing the threads for info on brewing with peppers. I had a jalapeño pilsner in Fort Collins a decade ago and it was the best nachos pairing ever. I've wanted to brew one ever since. Here's what I've gleaned so far:
- Seeds and veins give you heat. If you want more flavor, get rid of them.
- Adding the peppers to the boil gives you less heat and more flavor, adding to secondary gives you heat.
- If you do not remove the pepper from secondary or wherever it dropped, heat will continue to increase until it becomes undrinkable.
- Heat will mellow with time if the pepper is gone.
- Roasting, freezing and thawing will break down cell walls. (Does this help with flavor utilization?)
-# of peppers added ranges from 1 to 25. (Not really helpful, but I plan to err on the conservative side to ensure drinkability)
-Jalapeños have a high heat to flavor recipe.
-Serranos are another commonly used pepper (how do these compare in heat/flavor ratio to jalapeños?
I decided to just put all of this information in one place and ask the collective to chime in with their experiences and opinions. I'm looking to brew a cream ale with nice pepper finish but little to no heat, but I'm sure others have different tastes and might be looking for some control. Thoughts?
- Seeds and veins give you heat. If you want more flavor, get rid of them.
- Adding the peppers to the boil gives you less heat and more flavor, adding to secondary gives you heat.
- If you do not remove the pepper from secondary or wherever it dropped, heat will continue to increase until it becomes undrinkable.
- Heat will mellow with time if the pepper is gone.
- Roasting, freezing and thawing will break down cell walls. (Does this help with flavor utilization?)
-# of peppers added ranges from 1 to 25. (Not really helpful, but I plan to err on the conservative side to ensure drinkability)
-Jalapeños have a high heat to flavor recipe.
-Serranos are another commonly used pepper (how do these compare in heat/flavor ratio to jalapeños?
I decided to just put all of this information in one place and ask the collective to chime in with their experiences and opinions. I'm looking to brew a cream ale with nice pepper finish but little to no heat, but I'm sure others have different tastes and might be looking for some control. Thoughts?