Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Jalapeno Cream Ale

Reporting back. You can look at my original post on page 14 I believe.
The beer turned out great! Wonderful jalapeño smell and flavor without being overpowering. One of my favorite beers to date! I used 3 in the boil, 3 at the beginning of the secondary and 2 more with the vodka with a few days left in the fermentation process. My only gripe is there is no heat what so ever. Next time I will leave the seeds and core in a few of the jalapeños to add a kick. Also, I might modify the beer recipe a bit. Its not bad at all but could have a little more flavor and creaminess. Might be great on a nitro tap...
Enjoy!

I have brewed this beer 3 times now.

The first time, I followed the recipe to a T and it turned out incredible! Not spicy, but very flavorful. I used 5 + 2 Jalapenos.

The second time, I followed the recipe to a T with one exception, I left the beer in secondary for a month. It turned out unbearably hot, had to dump the keg. I used 5 + 2 Jalapenos.

The third time, I followed the recipe to a T. It turned out somewhat hot, and lacking in the Jalapeno flavor. I used 4 + 1.5 Jalapenos.


How can I get more Jalapeno flavor and less heat? Anyone else get extreme variations on Jalapeno heat levels?

Yes, jalapenos will vary greatly with heat. This happens to me with my home made salsa. For me, some heat one time and more heat another is fine, but some like to complain about it. What you can do is de-seed one or two jalapenos to cut some of the heat and keep the flavor.

I've made this twice now, this version i did use a couple of serrano and a poblano in the secondary. Definitely spicier, but everyone loves this beer! Thanks for the recipe!

I just bought the ingredients to do 3 1-gallon batches. I have a high heat tolerance, so going to brew one exactly as described, one with serrano's in the secondary, and one with a habanero in the secondary.

Thanks for sharing...really looking forward to this one!!

Thank you for this recipe. I will be brewing this for the 3rd time. I like to throw 1 or 2 small habs in the secondary for some flavor (they don't seem to add much heat after the vodka.) This is the most requested beer I have ever brewed. Im doing 10 gallons this tim.

Thanks again!

sundowner said:

This is my most requested beer from friends and family. It's very well balanced, which I believe is the key to brewing a good pepper beer. I've tried it with different styles but the cream ale base has always been the very best and will remain so. It has done well in the few competitions it was entered. Don't change the pepper type..No fiery habaneros...no serranos. If you want to use anchos, brew another style.

7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row)
1.00 lb Corn, Flaked
1.00 lb Vienna Malt
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine
1.00 oz Cluster [7.0%] (60 min)
1.00 oz Liberty Leaf [4.3%] (25 min)
1.00 oz Liberty Leaf [4.3%] (15 min)
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 5.0 min)
7.00 items Jalapeno pepper (Boil 15.0 min) see notes
Wyeast 1056 or a neutral dry yeast

Mash 150F-152F for 60 minutes

Notes

Slit, rinse & roast Jalapenos 20-30 minutes at 350F, slice and soak in Vodka overnight. Add 4 Jalapenos at 15 mins. Use left over Vodka for the hottest Bloody Mary you've ever had!. Add 2-3 more roasted jalapeno peppers to the secondary depending on how much pepper bite you prefer. Peppers vary from crop to crop so use 5-7 depending

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What's the best corn to use? And how to prep it for this recipe? I am new at brewing

drjjunior said:

What's the best corn to use? And how to prep it for this recipe? I am new at brewing

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flaked corn is sold at HBS's (homebrew shops) or on brewing websites.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/flaked-maize.html

Thank you. I will be starting this on within the next couple weeks. I am excited for this one

Finally got this made and fermenting now. I roasted 4 jalapeños but did not soak them in vodka before adding them to the boil. I plan on moving to a secondary in a couple days and splitting the batch in half. I'm going to add more jalapeños to the one so it'll have a bit more kick. Curious to note the difference and will update when ready to bottle.

Preheating the oven, cant wait. love pepper beers.

onthedot said:

I have brewed this beer 3 times now.

The first time, I followed the recipe to a T and it turned out incredible! Not spicy, but very flavorful. I used 5 + 2 Jalapenos.

The second time, I followed the recipe to a T with one exception, I left the beer in secondary for a month. It turned out unbearably hot, had to dump the keg. I used 5 + 2 Jalapenos.

The third time, I followed the recipe to a T. It turned out somewhat hot, and lacking in the Jalapeno flavor. I used 4 + 1.5 Jalapenos.


How can I get more Jalapeno flavor and less heat? Anyone else get extreme variations on Jalapeno heat levels?

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I've also made this wonderful brew three times, and will brew it again this weekend. Adding jalapenos to the secondary is a crap shoot. You can bite into one jalapeno and it tastes like a green pepper, another will knock your socks off. I've always made a tincture and added to taste at bottling or kegging. It’s the only way to take the guess work out of how hot or not the finished product will end up. I try to get the nose of cutting into fresh jalapenos. 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.

Going to get the supplies today to make this as is, with the exception that I'm doing a 3 gallon batch. What kind of gravities were you all getting? It just seems like a small grain bill. Either way, I subscribed to this thread months ago so I could keep it till I got my equipment for all grain. This'll be my second all grain batch. Brewing this Saturday.

Additionally, how long are you all keeping the peppers in the secondary? It looks like some have pulled them out after a few days.

I just did my third batch yesterday and it smells fantastic. I don't do peppers in secondary, I like the subtle flavor and heat that is given by the boil addition. Though, I might split off a gallon or two to experiment with post fermentation additions.

just out of curiosity, why soak the peppers in vodka if your roasting and adding to the boil? also, have you ever tried adding some of the pepper vodka to the primary/secondary?

snyklez said:

Someone posted an extract conversion of this on page two (using the app) and it goes like this:

replace the grains using 5.0lbs Extra Light DME
.5lbs. Dextrine
.61lbs. table sugar

I that it? No corn or Vienna malt? Anyone else tried an extract version? I think it was beerphonic that posted an extract recipe they came up with but there wasn't an update. I'd love to do AG, just don't have the setup

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No, the extract versiosn would be
5pounds extra light or light DME
1.00 lb Corn, Flaked
1.00 lb Vienna Malt
1.00 oz Cluster [7.0%] (60 min)
1.00 oz Liberty Leaf [4.3%] (25 min)
1.00 oz Liberty Leaf [4.3%] (15 min)
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 5.0 min)
7.00 items Jalapeno pepper (Boil 15.0 min) see notes
Wyeast 1056 or a neutral dry yeast

the DME has carapils in it, the vienna will self convert, and dont worry about steeping the corn

Thanks njporter. I actually brewed this yesterday per recipe with the exception that I did a 3 gallon. It was my second all grain batch. I was wondering though how long the peppers are in the secondary? It seems some have only left them in there a few days.

Hey guys, I'm new to home brewing so I am primarily using kits to get comfortable. I really want to make tis brew, but want to do it right. That said, would the following kit for a cream ale be comparable to the one that you guys made ad an all grain?

6 pounds pale malt extract (lme)
1 oz willamette pellet hops
1 oz liberty pellet hops
8 oz lactose
Crushed steeping grains (1/2 lb caramel 40L malt, 1/4 lb victory malt)
Yeast

Thanks for any help you can gimme me!

dont add the lactose

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

Awesome...thanks guys!

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.

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

RandalG said:

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.

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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.

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?

njporter said:

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?

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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.

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!

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.

Doed said:

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.

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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!

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.

this was surprising good, i will rebrew

Doed said:

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.

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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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

wakers3 said:

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.

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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.

Nemleu said:

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

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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...