Trying to add spiciness to a stout clone, help needed..

[Bostrows128]

I'm trying to replicate a beer I have absolutely fallen in love with while trying to change it up a little (New Holland Dragons Milk Reserve 2022 1). Essentially this beer was flooding with cinnamon, vanilla, bourbon, and spiciness. I feel like I already got the cinnamon part down and vanilla but I'm struggling to try to find an answer to the spicy part.

Essentially, I want to add some heat to the back of the beer, not anything that's going to break a sweat but just enough to be noticeable. Everything I've read is about encapsulating the pepper flavor and aroma, but personally, I only need the heat. That being said has anyone experimented with peppered stouts? Has anyone figured out how to get only the heat? I plan on tasting the beer while in secondary so as to not overshoot.

Here's my rough recipe if anyone is interested

 

[Alan Reginato]

Hi. Not peppery stouts, but you could buy Capsaicin Extract or make your own with pepper powder.

Just test before. I homemade once with cayenne pepper powder and cereal alcohol (do not use anything with oil), and was surprisingly VERY strong. Really, I love it, but some high dosage bottles, 2 mL, were very hot. If you overdose, bad news here, the bite doesn't fade with time.

If you try, give some feedback.


Good luck!

 

[McMullan]

Grains of paradise or black pepper corns work well in a stout/porter, to spice things up.

 

[Gorm]

I use1 habanyeo with cut in the side during the last 10minutes od the boil. Then fish it out and discard.

Gives me all the heat and smoky ness I want in a stout.

I’ll second black pepper and add caraway seeds at the last 10 minutes of boil. I use 1/2 a teaspoon so not over powering.

 

[Kickass]

Earlier in my brew days I made a chili pepper beer with jalapeños at the end of fermentation. Nope, won’t go that route again.

I’d probably do a vodka tincture with something on the hotter side. Habanero or greater Scoville = more heat with less vegetal matter. Maybe even a bourbon tincture since you’re using that anyway.

Not related to your original question but looking at your recipe, IBU’s might be a tad low. Although some perceived bitterness might come from the chili, the oak and the bourbon so maybe you’re in the ballpark.