I used to brew my own ales, ales use a far more robust type of yeast that also acts as a preservative and creates a bottle condition beer that improves with age. Ale yeast survives and ferments in temperatures from 15C to 30C whereas a lager yeast ferments at 5C to 10C, so you need to brew them in a fridge. Lagers are filtered then artificially gassed and must be stored at low temperatures to keep, so are somewhat impractical for home brewing in hotter climates.
Still a light chilli Ale is doable, and I have read recipes for them though never got around making one, it’s done by adding 5 or 6 chopped chilli at the primary fermentation stage. I use added additional flavouring hops by simmering them in water for 5 to 10 minutes, so to make a chilli ale it would be just a matter of adding them in with the hops.
The recipes I used to make, out of those I’d say the Amber Ale would the one to chilli up.
Golden Brown Bitter Ale -
Ingredients :
1 can of Coopers Bitter
1Kg Dextrose
250g dried corn syrup
15g Fuggles hop pellets
1 tsp corn flour
Final specific gravity - 1008
Method :
Simmer hops in small saucepan in 750ml to 1L of water for 5 to 10 minutes.
Mix dry ingredients together in a sealed container.
Mix Kit, hot water, dry ingredients and strain hop water into fermenter, top up with cold water to 22.5L. Add yeast and stir, then seal lid with airlock in place.
Notes :
The 1tsp of corn flour provides head retention, if using a 25L fermenter fill to 18L mark, then after 1 to 2 days top up to 22.5L mark to avoid frothing through airlock.
These recipes will produce a tasty powerful brew (5.5% alc/vol).
Following the above methods, the ingredients are substitutable. For example -
Superior Old Dark Ale -
1 can of Coopers Old
750g dextrose
500g dried light malt
15g Fuggles hop pellets
1 tsp corn flour
Final specific gravity - 1010
Awesome Amber Ale -
1 can of Coopers Draught
1Kg Dextrose
250g dried corn syrup
15g Cascade hop pellets
1 tsp corn flour
Final specific gravity - 1008
Coffee Stout -
1 can of Coopers Stout
1kg dried dark malt
500g dried corn syrup
100g Lyons Freeze dried Columbian Coffee (instant)
20g Fuggles hops
15ml liquorice extract
1tsp corn flour
Final specific gravity - 1016
Notes :
Brew as with other recipes but only top up to 18L
15L if using 25L fermenter, then top up to 18L after 1 to 2 days.
Alc/vol - 7.2%, this is a great rich winter brew, but be warned as this is ‘morish’ and the more you drink the less you sleep.
Incredible India Pale Ale -
1 can of Coopers IPA
1kg dextrose
250g dried corn syrup
10g Fuggles hops
10g Cascade hops
1tsp corn flour
Final specific gravity - 1008