Jalapeño Lime Capsicumel
A chile mead with green heat and lime zest. Great with food and surprising in a cocktail.
Jalapeño Lime Capsicumel is a semi-dry capsicumel made with wildflower honey and Lalvin D47 yeast, fermented from an original gravity of 1.090 to 1.005 for about 11.2% ABV. It is drinkable in 3–6 months.
- Original gravity
- 1.090
- Final gravity
- 1.005
- ABV
- 11.2%
- Drinkable in
- 3–6 months
Ingredients
Amounts are for a 1-gallon batch.
| 2.5 lb | Wildflower honey |
| to volume | WaterTo 1 gallon total. |
| 2.5 g | Lalvin D47 yeast |
| 3 g | Fermaid-OStaggered over four additions. |
| 1 | JalapeñoSliced, seeds in for more heat. Added in secondary. |
| 2 | LimesZest only, no white pith. |
Method
Ferment a traditionalMix, pitch, and feed as for a traditional mead. Keep it under 68 °F.
Add chile and zestAfter primary, rack into secondary and add the sliced jalapeño and lime zest in a sanitized bag.
Taste every dayHeat extracts fast. Pull the bag after 1–3 days, as soon as the heat is a notch below where you want it.
FinishStabilize and bottle. A touch of backsweetening balances the heat.
Brewer's note. Wear gloves when slicing the chiles, and don't touch your eyes.
Recipe by White Shed Meadery, Chehalis, Washington. ABV is estimated from gravity: (OG − FG) × 131.25. Scale every ingredient in proportion for larger batches.