Pepper Beers: Ghost and Serrano

[rodwha]

I make a jalapeño blonde, an oak/mesquite smoked jalapeño light brown, and a habanero strong ale. I’ve yet to create a recipe for serranos, but was thinking of something like a porter. But what of ghost peppers now that I found some in my grocery store? And how many would you use in a 5.25 gal batch if you are looking for a very hot beer?

 

[Bubbles2]

Consider a Skoval chart to understand what you like now, and the new 2m Ghost you have discovered. I grow the 3 hottest.
Did you know if you grow, that if there is a Reaper it will even make a Banana pepper hotter...So you need to separate 30 yards or so to keep skovals down on the Banana P.

 

[rodwha]

Consider a Skoval chart to understand what you like now, and the new 2m Ghost you have discovered. I grow the 3 hottest.
Did you know if you grow, that if there is a Reaper it will even make a Banana pepper hotter...So you need to separate 30 yards or so to keep skovals down on the Banana P.

Crazy! I had no idea that could happen.

The Scoville chart didn’t do me any favors when I made my first habanero strong ale, and it doesn’t seem accurate when I eat serranos or Thai chili’s vs jalapeños. They each seem equally hot, but then I’m taking a bigger bite of the jalapeño.

What peppers do you grow? Do you let them get nice and pretty and then starve them of water when the peppers grow to increase the heat? Does a hotter environment enhance this as well as I hear it does with jalapeños?

I’m at the verge of trying to grow peppers again (my first jalapeño plant never did well and something kept stealing the tiny peppers). As we are renting I figured I’d put them in food grade buckets for now. I’d love to pick your brain concerning growing them.

 

[Bubbles2]

Easy container growers, buy the peppers you like, take seeds and plant em. I do not even plant em any more they just have re seeded and pop up, they are in the ground so re seed is easier for them than a container.
No need for food grade buckets, 3 gal nursery are fine with good POTTING soil, water let dry out a couple inches on top before re watering. See youtube.
I grow Scorpions, Ghost, and Reapers for heat.
Serrano, Jalapeno, and a myriad of not so hot peppers for flavor without heat.


I make all my food and sauces from ketchup, mayo to bbq sauces.
The last hot sauce I made was
N4P
4 P
I think you could figure the acronym. Some run to the sink even on the 4P....LOL!
I cook for two days, crock pot style. I think most here who brew and wine make venture out and grow too.
Skovals are real even if you cannot tell the heat range.
Jalapeno's are like bells to me, most times but indeed they are hot at times especially if one of the Trinity is growing nearby.
I also dry, use coffee grinder and make dust and put it in a shaker on the table. You might try that on a beer you like, just a sprinkle in there.
I use my beer to quench not heat in my case.

 

[The_Professor]

.......The Scoville chart didn’t do me any favors when I made my first habanero strong ale......

When adding hops, one would add a certain amount of hops to a 1.045 beer to get a certain IBU. To get that same IBU in a 1.085 beer more hops would need to be added. How does that work with scoville?

 

[rodwha]

When adding hops, one would add a certain amount of hops to a 1.045 beer to get a certain IBU. To get that same IBU in a 1.085 beer more hops would need to be added. How does that work with scoville?

I’m not sure really. But I don’t find serranos or Thai chili’s any hotter than a jalapeño. And I usually use 12-14 jalapeños (half roasted and in the boil where they don’t add so much heat and the rest as an extract which do) in my jalapeño blonde. When I made my first habanero strong ale I figured I’d reduce it to 4 and just as an extract knowing they are something like 4 times as high on that scale, yet my beer had a vague heat. I’ve wondered if this is due to the size difference or something. Don’t really know, but I’d like to.

 

[Abrayton]

I dry hop 2 dried ghost peppers in my imperial chocolate oatmeal milk stout and the heat is about perfect

 

[rodwha]

I dry hop 2 dried ghost peppers in my imperial chocolate oatmeal milk stout and the heat is about perfect

Mind going into detail about what you do and how much heat that is?

 

[Abrayton]

I cut two dried ghost peppers in half and add to the beer in a muslin bag for 5 days (I also add cinnamon, vanilla and cocoa nibs). The heat is very mild on the tongue but noticeable. It’s definitely not a burning heat that might be expected from ghost peppers. My wife who has almond no tolerance for heat loves it.

 

[Abrayton]

If you’re looking for super hot I would double or triple the amount of ghost peppers and taste frequently until you get to the desired heat level.

 

[rodwha]

I cut two dried ghost peppers in half and add to the beer in a muslin bag for 5 days (I also add cinnamon, vanilla and cocoa nibs). The heat is very mild on the tongue but noticeable. It’s definitely not a burning heat that might be expected from ghost peppers. My wife who has almond no tolerance for heat loves it.

Have you ever tried liquor to make an extract?

 

[Abrayton]

Have you ever tried liquor to make an extract?

Yes I did a tincture with ghost peppers and vodka. If I remember I soaked them for a week and then added everything before bottling. That beer had some major heat. A lot of people on here do recommend tinctures for adding flavors to beer.

 

[rodwha]

Yes I did a tincture with ghost peppers and vodka. If I remember I soaked them for a week and then added everything before bottling. That beer had some major heat. A lot of people on here do recommend tinctures for adding flavors to beer.

How do you feel dry peppering vs the extract compares as far as heat and flavor?

 

[Abrayton]

I think it’s probably a horse apiece. The tincture helps to kill any critters if that’s a concern, it’s not for me. The one I used tincture on had a more intense lip burning heat where the dry had just a touch of heat on the tongue and back of the throat. Plus dry is one less step to worry about.

 

[rodwha]

Like you I dry some peppers (jalapeños with serranos) and grind it to powder. Goes great on popcorn or if you ran out of peppers, and I also dehydrate them for backpacking trips. Never thought to use them in beer.

 

[Bubbles2]

Like you I dry some peppers (jalapeños with serranos) and grind it to powder. Goes great on popcorn or if you ran out of peppers, and I also dehydrate them for backpacking trips. Never thought to use them in beer.

Popcorn and chili is great. I am from the past so I make popcorn in a pot, I toss in a dried serrano in the oil with the kernels and pop it, outstanding as is a pinch of garlic.

 

[rodwha]

Popcorn and chili is great. I am from the past so I make popcorn in a pot, I toss in a dried serrano in the oil with the kernels and pop it, outstanding as is a pinch of garlic.

That sounds great! Unfortunately the ladies of the house, especially the tiny one, doesn’t like much spice so I’d probably be in big trouble if I used the popper with peppers, but then I’d get all of the popcorn during the movies!

 

[Tagobolts]

Curious on how you go about this. Was out in the garden last night looking at my chile plants and thinking about doing a chile beer.

Is it a bad idea to throw it in there fresh? I know this whole sanitation thing could cause some issues. Curious on how everyone goes about it. Does dehydrating help? Typically here we will roast the pepper then peel off the skin and eat the meat. Was thinking about doing this and dropping it in the boil for the last minute? then just toss it in to ferment.

 

[Abrayton]

I use dehydrated ghost peppers in my stout but I’ve used fresh jalapeños in a honey wheat that turned out really well. Just cut them in half, soaked in vodka for a few days and tossed in the fermenter.

 

[Bubbles2]

Curious on how you go about this. Was out in the garden last night looking at my chile plants and thinking about doing a chile beer.

Is it a bad idea to throw it in there fresh? I know this whole sanitation thing could cause some issues. Curious on how everyone goes about it. Does dehydrating help? Typically here we will roast the pepper then peel off the skin and eat the meat. Was thinking about doing this and dropping it in the boil for the last minute? then just toss it in to ferment.

Whenever I pitch something post Boil... Ball Jar, Vodka, 24 hours. IF covering calls for too much Vodka (as if) I just flip the jar after 12 and pitch at 24