Jalapeno Wine

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[wineforfun]

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.

 

[wineforfun]

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.

 

[Arne]

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

 

[wineforfun]

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

 

[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?

 

[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?

 

[wineforfun]

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.

 

[wineforfun]

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.

 

[Arne]

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.

 

[newbietowine]

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

 

[Arne]

Keep us informed how it works. Arne.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.