Smoked Chili IPA

5 gallons, partial mash; OG = 1.070 (17.5° Plato); FG = 1.020 (5° Plato); Bitterness = 55 IBUs

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. pale malt
• 1 lb. toasted pale malt (toast in oven for 30 minutes at 350°F)
• 1 lb. beechwood smoked rauchmalt
• 1 lb. medium crystal malt (50° to 60° Lovibond)
• 4 lbs. unhopped light dry malt extract (DME)
• 2/3 oz. of 12% alpha-acid Chinook hops (8 AAUs)
• 3/4 oz. of 8% alpha-acid Perle hops (6 AAUs)
• 1 oz. of 4% alpha-acid Kent Goldings hops (4 AAUs)
• 1 oz. of 4% alpha-acid Fuggles hops (4 AAUs)
• 1 large dried Anaheim chili o English ale yeast slurry (Wyeast 1098 or equivalent)
• 1 lb. oak chips (optional)
• 1 cup light DME for priming
• 25 medium dried Anaheim chilis, cut in half

Step by Step

Heat 10 quarts water to 164°F. Crush grains, mix into liquor and hold at 152°F for 90 minutes. Runoff and sparge with 15 quarts water at 169°F. Add DME to kettle, bring to a boil.
Total boil is 90 minutes. Add Chinook hops, boil 30 minutes. Add Perle hops, boil 30 minutes. Add Kent Goldings hops, boil 30 minutes. Turn off heat, add Fuggles hops and 1 dried Anaheim, chopped into small pieces.

Steep 30 minutes. Remove hops and pepper, chill wort. Steam (15 minutes) and toast (350°F, 30 minutes) oak chips, if desired, and place in fermenter. Add wort to fermenter along with enough preboiled and chilled water to make up 5.25 gallons. At 65° to 68°F, pitch yeast.

Ferment relatively warm (68-70°F) for two weeks. Rack to secondary and condition cool (55-60°F) for three to four weeks. Prime with DME, add half an Anaheim pepper to each bottle. Seal and condition for six weeks.