# Vanilla Chilli Lager



## boingk (11/6/07)

Hey all - I just got a great Idea when reading through some posts and so on. A Vanilla Chilli Lager! Just picture it: The aroma of Tettnanger, the clean crisp finish of a good lager, the smoothness of a hint of vanilla, and the tingly excitement of chilli. By Zeus' hairy chest, it sounds like a cracker beer to me!

So...I was thinking of basing this one around a Dutch preium lager, or perhaps a German one. Something simple and extract/kit based. I've got some chilli flakes lying around [staple in my cooking], as well as Tettnanger hops and a few grams of Cascade. The rest is still on the cards. Thinking S-23 for the yeast.

Any ideas on the chilli and vanilla bean additions on this one? I want it just subtle enough on the vanilla that it doesn't sweeten the mix overpowerfully, but not too subtle that the uninitiated won't pick it up. Also, the chilli shouldnt come on too strong, but should have a bit of a dangerous tingle in the mouth, as well as a small amount of spice that may otherwise feel at home in a good Pilsner. Might sound ambitious, but I want to do it.

So...taking into account the above - any suggestions?

Cheers all - boingk


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## MVZOOM (11/6/07)

Sounds pretty good actually! Can't really offer you any qty advice, but go for it!

Cheers - Mike


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## Duff (11/6/07)

You guys are nuts.


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## Stuster (11/6/07)

I'm with Duff, but if you want to do it, why not use a clean ale yeast like US56 (US05). I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference with the vanilla and chilli in and it'd be done a lot quicker.


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## bonj (11/6/07)

My suggestion is to call the resultant beer: "Chilli Vanilli."


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## boingk (12/6/07)

Hahaha! Nice one Bonj, may have to do just that! I'm thinking of doing maybe 3g of chilli flakes/seeds to start with, and 3 vanilla beans. Then make up a good all-malt lager with Tettnanger flavouring and aroma, bittered to 25 IBU with POR. Plus some Munich grain if all goes to plan.

So...provisional recipe here

3500g LDME
150g Munich
20g POR [9%AA] @ 60 minutes 
20g Tettnanger @ 15~20 minutes
03g Chilli Flakes/Seeds @ 5 minutes
Vanilla Beans @ 5 minutes
10g Tettnanger @ flameout

I was thinking also a minimal Cascade addition [5g] would be nice to give it a bit of an interesting background flavour - or do you think this would be too complex with the Tettnanger, chilli and vanilla?

Any ideas regarding this 'pulled-out-of-the-arse' recipe? Seriously, I'm flying blind on this one 

EDIT: Stuster - if I can get my hands on a US-05 yeast then I will. Otherwise I'll be doing an S-23. Depends on what the HB shop has I guess, never really asked...
EDIT2: Wait, no! I want to do a Lager what with the cold temps and all floating around. My Heineken is running at 14'C at the moment because I've left the window open at night for 2 days haha!

EDIT3: Found an old brewing recipe site [last updated '96!] and a recipe for a good chillied beer. But the beer itself was very American and OG 1.020 says it all. Main thing I got out of it was that 10 freshly chopped Jalepenos gave "a great spicy (bordering on hot) aftertaste" when boiled in the wort for 30 minutes and strained out while pouring into fermenter. Looks like I just found a winner of a method!


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## bonj (12/6/07)

You'll need to mini-mash the Munich. Don't know if it would be worth mashing such a small amount.


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## boingk (12/6/07)

I've been doing 150g additions like that for a little while - precracked and everything, just whack it in hot water for an hour or so then add to the boil at flameout after a bit of a sparge through a wire strainer. Haven't had the chance to taste any brews with it in though...they aren't aged enough yet <_< 

The clincher will be in my revamped Heineken recipe - any major change in flavour will be due to the addition of 150g Munich. Theres also 100g more LDME, 50g more Dex, and 50g less Maltodextron. Same hopping relatively. Should be a tasty brew...

Now all I'm trying to do is find a place around here with good fresh vanilla beans and/or habaneros.


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## boingk (14/6/07)

The recipe is down, and went as follows:

3700g LLME
20g POR @ 60 min [25 IBU]
2 Chipotles @ 35 min
100g Jalapenos @ 35 min
2 Vanilla Beans @ 35 min
20g Tettnanger @ 15 min
10g Tettnanger @ flameout

Jalapenos & Chipotles were split along their length before adding, and strained out before pitching into fermenter. The Vanilla Beans were left in.

Pitched yeast after rehydrating - a 15g BrewCellar Euro Lager.

Plan to ferment at 12 to 14'C.

EDIT: OG 1.046


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## bconnery (14/6/07)

boingk said:


> I've been doing 150g additions like that for a little while - precracked and everything, just whack it in hot water for an hour or so then add to the boil at flameout after a bit of a sparge through a wire strainer.



That pretty much is mini mashing.

A mini mash is essentially a temperature controlled steep. You may not be worrying too much about the temp but as long as it doesn't boil you will be sweet. If possible you should try and get it to around 62-70C. 

Just one thing, and you might never have any issues but it's worth considering, any wort that comes off grains should be boiled for a while afterwards. 10 mins minimum preferably. Adding at flamout might never give you any issues but grains can contain a lot of bacteria. This is the main reason why an all grain beer requires a full boil.


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## boingk (15/6/07)

bconnery - Cheers for the tip, I'll remember it in future. I think I've added before flameout in the past, but it hasnt been consistent by any stretch of the imagination!


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## raistlin_kell (24/6/07)

Very interested in knowing what the result was! I use a lot of chillies in my brews - hot small red only. I tend to add fresh chilli to the fermenter housed in a tea infuser after sterilizing. Tried the dried stuff but bang for buck, go the fresh in the fermenter for the duration.


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## boingk (24/6/07)

Transferred to secondary last night after 9 days in primary. Took out a shot-glass and sampled some from the tap - its come out well!

The chillis have given it a nice spice, only hinting at becoming the lingering heat you get with the real deal. The chipotles have imparted a smoked flavour to the brew as well...I like it! Can't comment on the vanilla beans as yet - not sure I used enough. But the result is good at this stage anyways, so I can't complain.

Now I just have to bottle, carb, and age


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## boingk (16/7/07)

3 weeks in the bottle and this has turned out better than I could have expected. The base beer [Dutch Lager] has come through nicely, with low/moderate bitterness and midground hop flavour. The chilli has come through very well indeed, with the FLAVOUR of the chillis coming through, not hotness. There is a very mild tingle, a hint at hotness that doesn't develop into anything more than a background wisp. The chipotles are a must in my opinion for this recipe - they could not have been left out. The smoky, cured taste has made its presence felt, with a beautiful aroma intermingling along the way. The vanilla hasn't really come to the party...shame, but I don't think I'd add it at all in retrospect.

Overall, a nice, refreshing beer thats easy drinking but at the same time fairly complex. I can't wait to age a few up and have a nice glass or two with a BBQ'd marinated steak with a few sausages thrown on the side.

I'd recommend this beer to anyone that likes a good BBQ, chillis, jerky, or just something different.

Cheers all - boingk


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## dataphage (17/7/07)

boingk said:


> 3 weeks in the bottle and this has turned out better than I could have expected. The base beer [Dutch Lager] has come through nicely, with low/moderate bitterness and midground hop flavour. The chilli has come through very well indeed, with the FLAVOUR of the chillis coming through, not hotness. There is a very mild tingle, a hint at hotness that doesn't develop into anything more than a background wisp. The chipotles are a must in my opinion for this recipe - they could not have been left out. The smoky, cured taste has made its presence felt, with a beautiful aroma intermingling along the way. The vanilla hasn't really come to the party...shame, but I don't think I'd add it at all in retrospect.
> 
> Overall, a nice, refreshing beer thats easy drinking but at the same time fairly complex. I can't wait to age a few up and have a nice glass or two with a BBQ'd marinated steak with a few sausages thrown on the side.
> 
> ...



Interesting brew - have thought of doing some chilli beer myself. I make an alcoholic ginger ale with vanilla and it really comes through in the final flavour but you have to cut the beans in half & scrape out the gunk and add gunk & pod/bean to the boil and I generally leave it in for the ferment too. 

I use 1 pod/bean to between 10 & 13 litres & my initial reaction to your recipe was that you would get way too much vanilla. You could probably get away with using only 1.5 to 2 vanilla pods if you scrape 'em out, maybe even less.


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## boingk (18/7/07)

DP - The vanilla beans were split along their lengths fully, but not scraped. I've done this in a previous brew [vanilla cinnamon cider] and it turned out pretty well...maybe I just used inferior beans or something. They looked nice and big and healthy though...hmmm.

I'll give scraping a shot if I bean up again in the future.


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## reveler (1/12/07)

I'm going to give this recipe a shot tonight with S-23 yeast and a Mexican Cervasa kit.

its kinda just using what I had in the house, but sounds interesting


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