# Jalapeno Wine



## Arne

Started the jalapino a week or so ago. Just making a gal. Anyway not wanting to contaminate any of my good equiptment decided to put the peppers in a ferment bag of their own. Got Kathy to whip up a small bag out of unbleached muslim. Chopped the peppers a bit and threw them in. Started with a gal. of apple juice and got it fermentin good. Then a couple of days in threw the peppers in. It was rollin and boilin and the peppers hit and it pretty much quit. Must of taken the yeast a bit to get used to the peppers, but a couple of hours later they were munchin contentedly on them. Checked on it today and the bag the peppers are in was floating, no suprise. It was also inflated like a balloon. Took a stick and squeezed it against the side of the bucket, deflated and let it go. Not too much later blown up again. Guess I'm gettin some ferment out of the peppers, also found up I need to use a much looser weave material for a ferment bag. One time use,tho, so guess I'm gonna live with it. 5 peppers in a gal. smells pretty strong will let ya know how it is when the ferment stops. Arne.


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## Julie

I use to add my hot peppers at the very beginning but had an issue with it fermenting one time, so now I add once fermentation is complete. It works out much better. What kind of hot peppers did you use?


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## wolf197

I am intersted in this. Please keep updating and tell if it stays hot. I would like to cook with it.


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## Julie

wolf197 said:


> I am intersted in this. Please keep updating and tell if it stays hot. I would like to cook with it.


 
It does stay hot. Well, at least for a year that is about as long as I have been able to keep it in stock. And it is great to deglaze chicken with.


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## Runningwolf

I made it after talking to Julie and used about 10 Jalapeno peppers per gallon. I used a paint strainer bag from Home Depot. I did not have any issue getting a six gallon batch to ferment with the peppers in it. Yes it stays hot longer than a year. Ensure you clean your fermentation pail and carboy real good after using them or the heat will pass on to the next batch of wine...OHHH how I know about this!


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## Tom_S

Those paint strainer bags work very well.


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## Arne

I used jalapeno peppers. Bought one plant this spring just for this. Came from Walmart or Menards, don't remember if the tag said anything except jalapeno. It fermented down quickly. I started the gal. of apple juice, then a couple days later stuck the bag of jalapeno in. Seemed to stop the ferment for a couple of hours, then really took off again. Got it in a gallon jug with airlock now. Will taste it one of these days and let you know how hot. This is more of a request from some other people, I really don't go for the really hot foods. Mite have to find somebody else to taste it. Anyway, it is working good. Question, does it take a long time to clear? Got some pear that is done fermenting, it doesn't look like it has cleared at all, but racked it off a bunch of lees so it has to be clearing some. Anyway will let it sit and see what happens. Arne.


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## Arne

Dan, what did you use to get the hot out of your glass secondaries? Figure I would just take the primary and mark on it with a sharpie, if I want to do this again will use it again otherwise just pitch it. Was thinking oxyclean to clean the secondaries, then tripple rinse. Will that be enough to clean them out? Thanks,Arne.


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## Runningwolf

Couple rinses with Oxy-clean, and then a two day soak.


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## Julie

Arne said:


> Dan, what did you use to get the hot out of your glass secondaries? Figure I would just take the primary and mark on it with a sharpie, if I want to do this again will use it again otherwise just pitch it. Was thinking oxyclean to clean the secondaries, then tripple rinse. Will that be enough to clean them out? Thanks,Arne.


 
Arne, you really shouldn't have an issue with the glass. I just add a little Dawn and that seems to work. The issue is the primary and again I wash it out with Dawn and the tubing, just rinse immediately and you should be fine. Also, a one gallon batch doesn't cause as much of an issue as a bigger batch like Dan did


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## Runningwolf

Julie said:


> Arne, you really shouldn't have an issue with the glass. I just add a little Dawn and that seems to work. The issue is the primary and again I wash it out with Dawn and the tubing, just rinse immediately and you should be fine. Also, a one gallon batch doesn't cause as much of an issue as a bigger batch like Dan did


 Agree...glass is easier to clean then plastic.


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## Julie

You know Dan, I still remember the issues you had with the aftermath of the hot pepper wine. And it is still funny especially since it happened to you and not me   



Sorry!!!!!!


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## Runningwolf

Yup and I don't mind sharing that experience. An expensive Washington Valley Riesling with a jalapeño after burner.


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## Arne

Thanks, both Dan and Julie. The glass is all I am worried about, the plastic bucket is outside, gonna be a garden bucket or something. And now I wait. Will let you know how things come out. Will be a while tho, I am in no hurry and the basement is getting colder every day. Things slow down a lot here in the winter. Arne.


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## Arne

Like Frank used to say on Raymond, Holy Crap. This stuff is hot. Still sitting and clearing, but had to try it. Now wondering what I am going to do with it when it is done. Mite make another gal. of apple and see if I can tone it down a bit. Still deciding. Arne.


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## Fabiola

Arne said:


> Dan, what did you use to get the hot out of your glass secondaries? Figure I would just take the primary and mark on it with a sharpie, if I want to do this again will use it again otherwise just pitch it. Was thinking oxyclean to clean the secondaries, then tripple rinse. Will that be enough to clean them out? Thanks,Arne.



You won't have problems cleaning the chili flavor out of the glass with oxyclean, the real problem is the plastic carboy which keeps the smell forever, what I did to get rid of the smell was to clean it and then leave it outside under direct sun all day, and that was it...


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## bein_bein

Julie said:


> I use to add my hot peppers at the very beginning but had an issue with it fermenting one time, so now I add once fermentation is complete. It works out much better. What kind of hot peppers did you use?


I did 3 hot pepper wines of varying degrees of 'hotness'. The tamest of the bunch was a 3gal apple/pineapple blend that I put toasted; 1 habanero, 1 jalapeno and 1 chili, in to soak for 3 days after the wine was in the secondary. Gave it a nice little zing with a definit 'smokiness' to the nose. I think it is gonna turn out to be unique complex little wine 
The other two are 1 gal wines that consist of 5-7 different kinds of hot peppers in batches 15 and 40, fermented in the primary. just racked em today. The two hotter wines (and I do mean HOT) actually have a great taste if you can take the heat. These will be for cooking, 
although they are drinkable in small (shot-glass) quantities if so inclined 




..


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## Arne

Had a little test of this over the weekend. Not as hot as it was, still a big burn to it, tho. Has not totally cleared yet, my cellar gets pretty cold over the winter and things slow way down. Another month or so and the magic starts happening as it warms up a bit. Will be time to finish cleaning out the freezer then. Arne.


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## Arne

It is still hot. Finally added a little sparkaloid to it. Clearing nicely now. Doesn't have as much burn to the nose as it had but still just a slow sipper. Arne.


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## gird123

Started my 4 th batch this morning. Used 80 dried jalapeños from 2010 parents garden. Tasted this morning before adding the yeast and it has a nice little burn to it. I'm curious to see how dried works. First time with dried peppers

Did one batch in 2010
2 batches last summer and I will do 2 or 3 this summer. Won fist place at the local competition in the country wines category last September with my 2010 batch. I did not want to enter it thought they would laugh. Wife insisted. So she entered the jalapeño got first I entered a pear and got last.


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## wineforfun

What recipe are all of you using? I got one off of Jack Keller's site that looks similar to what you are doing.
I would like to try a batch of this.
Any insight would be appreciated.


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## Arne

Hey D.J., 
If I remember right, I got some off the shelf apple juice (1 gal.) Started it out as apple wine. Dumped in 6 big hot peppers and fermented it out. Will be making some trips your way in the next month or so. Will try and remember to bring you a small sample. Arne.


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## newbietowine

Does anyone have the recipe for this wine? My pepper plants are going crazy in the greenhouse and would love to try a gallon each of jalapeno, serrano, and habanero.


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## wineforfun

newbietowine said:


> Does anyone have the recipe for this wine? My pepper plants are going crazy in the greenhouse and would love to try a gallon each of jalapeno, serrano, and habanero.



Go to Jack Kellers site and look for Apple Jalapeno wine. That is the one I am using.


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## wineforfun

Arne said:


> Hey D.J.,
> If I remember right, I got some off the shelf apple juice (1 gal.) Started it out as apple wine. Dumped in 6 big hot peppers and fermented it out. Will be making some trips your way in the next month or so. Will try and remember to bring you a small sample. Arne.



Thanks Arne. That is what I am going to do is use shelf apple juice and follow Keller's recipe. Calls for 8 large jalapenos. Did you use the seeds along with the peppers? Recipe said to use seeds for "hot" wine and for a medium hot, take seeds out.


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## Arne

Yep, just split em or maybe quartered them and dumped them in. Arne.


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## wineforfun

I will probably use half the seeds to keep it tamed a little.


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## newbietowine

Also found one on his site with jalapenos and raisins that doesn't have apple juice. Just curious - when you do a 1 gallon wine, what do you use for your primary fermenter when you need to use the bag? Do you need something that will fit an airlock for the primary?


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## newbietowine

Just curious - did any of you heat the water to dissolve the sugar? The Jalapeno recipe I found on his site doesn't say to heat the water - just to stir to dissolve. Would it be ok to heat like half the gallon of water with the sugar in it to dissolve it?


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## wineforfun

newbietowine said:


> Also found one on his site with jalapenos and raisins that doesn't have apple juice. Just curious - when you do a 1 gallon wine, what do you use for your primary fermenter when you need to use the bag? Do you need something that will fit an airlock for the primary?



I have a 2 gal. primary I received with my equipment kit, so I use it when doing 1 gal. batches. I just use a paint strainer bag if I need one for the 1 gal. batch. Usually am making something that I don't need a fruit bag. My lid that came with the primary has an opening for an airlock though I don't use it. You don't need an airlock on the primary, you want all the air you can get in there.


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## wineforfun

newbietowine said:


> Just curious - did any of you heat the water to dissolve the sugar? The Jalapeno recipe I found on his site doesn't say to heat the water - just to stir to dissolve. Would it be ok to heat like half the gallon of water with the sugar in it to dissolve it?



I don't heat the water to dissolve the sugar, I just stir it up real good and have never had a problem. I would just use room temperature water and still it real good and you will be fine.


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## Arne

newbietowine said:


> Also found one on his site with jalapenos and raisins that doesn't have apple juice. Just curious - when you do a 1 gallon wine, what do you use for your primary fermenter when you need to use the bag? Do you need something that will fit an airlock for the primary?


 
When I made this stuff, Kathy made a little bag for me. She used unbleached muslim. Not going to do that again, the weave on the muslim is so tight, it blew up like a balloon and floated on top. Sink it, get most of the air out and come back a little later and it would be blown up again. Still let the hot out, tho. Arne.


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## newbietowine

Thanks!! Going to get it going tomorrow. Went out last night and picked a bunch of serranos.


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## Arne

Keep us informed how it works. Arne.


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## Midwest Vintner

Our Jalapeno Wine has raisins. We use more than 10 jalapenos in it. :: The sight on peoples faces when they taste it is priceless every time! Had a younger lady say she just had to have a bottle. She said her husband drinks wine like beer and never tastes it really. She was going to pour him a glass of Jalapeno and not tell him what it was.


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## wineforfun

Just racked mine from primary to carboy last night. SG was down to .998 so it can finish up in the carboy. Already looks to be dropping alot of sediment in carboy. Next time, I will put the peppers in a "fruit bag" and see if that helps with sediment. I just cut them up and put them in the primary. Hoping it will clear on its own.


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## djrockinsteve

I'm down to my last bottle now. Time to make another batch. Those who like hot foods loved it. I made another batch a different way that was milder for those weaklings. 

I remember us all making this at the same time. Dan used 80 per 6 gallons and it damn near killed him. Ha ha ha

I'll have to stop back out at the one wine store that sells a version of this just for comparison again. 

My primary bucket I didn't bother cleaning. Just moved it to the garden area. I knew the smell would never come out of it but the glass carboy was fine. Just a good cleaning and rinsing. 

I did invert my sugar for those asking. It makes it easier on your yeast. Used Lalvin EC-1118 with no problem fermenting all ingredients mixed in at the beginning. Didn't mesh bag the quartered peppers just spaghetti sieved them out. 

This really was a great wine and good conversation starter.


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## wineforfun

steve,
Did you use anything to clear it with or just let time run its course? Mine is a yellowy-honey looking color right now.


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## djrockinsteve

I use sparkolloid to clear all of my wines. I let it clear 6 weeks after being degassed. All the sediment drops out quick.

After racking off of that I let it age a year. It definitely gets better as time goes on. It had a slight burn on the first sip then very smooth afterwards.

I used 40 medium size jalapeno peppers and a white apple base.


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## wineforfun

Steve,
Thanks, I will look at doing that. I only made a 1 gal. batch to see if it is something I may like. It is made with a gallon of apple juice for the base and then 8 peppers. Left seeds in from 4 of them. It is the recipe from Keller's site.


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## djrockinsteve

Jack Kellers recipes seem to always be short on the amount of fruit to use. Just FYI

I also made an apple wine then at bottling added 1/2 a jalapeño pepper to the bottle with 2-3 seeds. It had an immediate apple taste with a slight kick in the end. (not literally though).

As with age this version softened which was wasn't what we anticipated. Just polished the last one of that batch. Like I said time to make more.


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## Arne

D.J. 
Mine cleared on its own. Took a long time, tho. Didn't think it was going to then went to the basement one day and it was clear. Arne.


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## newbietowine

Oh shoot - when do I take my first reading? Before or after the pectic enzyme? I just got it together and in the primary. It says to wait 12 hrs before adding the pectic enzyme, but is 10 1/2 ok? Or should I wait until 15 hrs? Darn work!


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## beardy

newbietowine said:


> Oh shoot - when do I take my first reading? Before or after the pectic enzyme? I just got it together and in the primary. It says to wait 12 hrs before adding the pectic enzyme, but is 10 1/2 ok? Or should I wait until 15 hrs? Darn work!



After will be fine. Just dont want to do it after ferment starts. The longer the pectic sits the more it helps so if you can wait it won't hurt.


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## djrockinsteve

Wine making does have some latitude. You don't have to be on a strict time table but be aware of it. 

Pectic enzyme breaks down the cell membrane releasing the juice making it easier for yeasts to feed upon it. It also breaks down a possible haze which may occur in some juices. 

It doesn't work during fermentation but doesn't stop the moment you add yeast. It begins to slow at that time but will continue working on a haze if any afterwards. 

I add my pectic enzyme after my must is all created if I'm starting from scratch or when I open my juice bucket. I check ph sometimes if its from a different region and I will indicate gravity. Yeast nutrient is added then all gently stirred and allowed to sit for 12+ hours. 

Then add yeast. No need to set your alarm clock however you should look ahead a week which is my normal fermentation completion time. If I am going to be busy then I will wait a day or two if I can before starting.


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## newbietowine

I tasted it and took a reading this morning (1.09)when I put in the pectic enzyme. It has NO heat. If i add more peppers, do I need to add some more pectic enzyme and wait or just add the yeast?


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## wineforfun

djrockinsteve said:


> *Jack Kellers recipes seem to always be short on the amount of fruit to use. Just FYI*
> I also made an apple wine then at bottling added 1/2 a jalapeño pepper to the bottle with 2-3 seeds. It had an immediate apple taste with a slight kick in the end. (not literally though).
> 
> As with age this version softened which was wasn't what we anticipated. Just polished the last one of that batch. Like I said time to make more.



I have heard that about Keller's recipes. I figured with 1 gal. of straight apple juice, I should be good to go. Will backsweeten some when its done.


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## wineforfun

newbietowine said:


> I tasted it and took a reading this morning (1.09)when I put in the pectic enzyme. It has NO heat. If i add more peppers, do I need to add some more pectic enzyme and wait or just add the yeast?



Just keep going as is, mine had no heat either when I first started it out. Took until almost completely dry (4 days) to start "heating" up.


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## newbietowine

Finally got back on after moving. As soon as I find corks for the smaller bottles, I'll be bottling the Serrano wine. It turned out AMAZING! I will definitely be making this wine again! My Blueberry and Raspberry wines also turned out great! I'm looking for the beginning of fruit and veggie season to start more wines.


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