J.B.'s Hot Chocolate

Classification: pepper beer, spiced ale, chocolate, jalapeno, serrano, extract

Source: Stephen M. Kranz (smkranz@aol.com), r.c.b., March 6, 1995

This is an extract/grain recipe I recently made using Jalapeno and Serrano peppers which has an extremely MILD pepper hint and is a very drinkable beer. The beer friends I know have said this is one of the best beers they've ever had.

Ingredients:

3.3 lb. can Morgan's Light extract syrup
3.3 lb. can Morgan's Amber extract syrup
1/2 lb. chocolate malt, crushed
1/2 lb. crystal malt, crushed
1 cup molasses
2/3 lb. light honey
4 oz. unsweetened baker's chocolate, chopped up into small pieces
2 jalapeno peppers, fresh, cut in half lengthwise
2 serrano peppers, fresh, cut in half lengthwise
2 yellow (pepperoncini?) peppers, fresh (don't know what kind, look sort of like jalapeno peppers, but yellow. Similar to Jalapenos in hotness)
1.5 oz. Hersbrucker hops (2.9%) for 60 min.
.5 oz. Hersbrucker hops (2.9%) 5 min. steep
5 gallons spring water
2 pkgs. John Bull dry ale yeast

Procedure:

Put grains in cold spring water, heat to boil and remove grains. Add malt extract, molasses and honey. Return to boil. Add chocolate, jalapeno and serrano peppers and boiling hops. Boil 60 minutes. Remove from heat and add aroma hops. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain hot wort into fermenter with VERY cold spring water to make 5 gallons. Rehydrate dry yeast in 1 cup 95 F water for 30 min, then pitch into 75 F wort.

Primary fermentation 70-73 F for 7 days. At this stage, pepper taste wasn't very noticeable. Racked into secondary fermenter, roasted yellow peppers slightly, then cut them into slices and add to secondary. Fermented additional 7 days at 60-63 F.