Chocolate Chile Stout - To Bottle or Not?

[JCrazy84]

So, I made a dry stout 4 weeks ago now. I hit my FG of 1.012 two weeks ago. When I did that, I racked it over on top 4 red hot diced chillies from my garden last summer that were frozen, thawed, sanitized and diced. My gravity has stayed at 1.012 for the last two weeks. Thus, no bottle bomb issue with

Now, the question arises here. I have finals the next two weeks, and will be far too busy to bottle. The flavor of the chillies are there, but not very hot. I would like to have more flavor of them.

As I see it, I have a few options-
1. Bottle it now, accept minimal chile flavor. (not desirable)
2. Let it sit with the chillies I added for another two weeks. (Questionable if this would extract more capsaicin?)
3. Make a cayenne pepper infusion by adding about .5-1 tsp to the bottling bucket. (Could have issues mixing well, as well as having no idea how hot it is in the bottles)
4. Cut up more peppers and let sit for two weeks. (Easiest to control, I would be able to sample after 4 days and after 10, but those are the only two times until after 14.)

Any advice? I thank you all in advance. This will be my first batch that is fully ready for some bottles. I am excited and nervous!

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

if you are seriously wanting more heat... I would go with number 4

 

[jonmohno]

You would be surprised what carbonation can and will do.But #4 sounds like the option you want to check heat or flavor.Im only saying this because that is what they say with oak,so if its significant like that then age it and see if it gets more heat/flavor-so maybe im thinking #3 but im thinking may as well add more then check when good to speed it up maybe. So i dont see what it will hurt to add more then check,besides of increased tampering and infection risk but probably unlikley.Its just best not to medal with it,in my opinion and to let it age another week and call it good and done. So i guess now what im really saying is to let it sit and go with option #2. 6 weeks is not uncommon to age a stout.It will change in the bottle evetually anyway.

 

[JCrazy84]

I added more peppers yesterday, I will taste is again on Wednesday. Then, again on the next Tuesday. I can bottle either of those days if I manage my time REALLLLLY well if it tastes "done" to me. Thank you for the advice.

 

[Etu001]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the carbonation should add to the burn of the peppers in the beer when you sip it.

 

[JCrazy84]

It should, but I don't know how much. As a stout, I will only carbonate it at around 2 volumes of CO2. I'll taste it in a few days and decide if there is sufficient burn from the peppers alone.

 

[JCrazy84]

Just wanted to update for posterity purposes. I bottled 4 days after adding a few more peppers. I let it carb up for 4 weeks (basement was 62-66). Now, it tastes pretty damn good. I thank everyone on this forum for my first batch brewed all the way through!