In Rehoboth today with the Alstrom brothers brewing our Extreme Beer Fest 2014 beer.  Actually, this year we are brewing two beers that are related to each other...much like the brothers ;-).

We are using green hot chili peppers for one of the two versions of this brew (the serrano, poblano,and cubanelle) ...we smoked them all over mesquite and local Fifer Farms cherry wood.  We are doing two different versions from the same wort.  The base beer is a German Schwartzbier brewed with sweet smoky carob-like mesquite powder and de-bittered blackprinz malt.

Piles of peppers.

The 5% abv version with the smoked chiles will be called Stalactite (smaller).  The 7% abv version will be called Stalagmite (bigger).  The bigger version doesn't have chiles. It has Zeeuwse Keukenstroop (kitchen syrup) an exotic caramel-like syrup from the Netherlands.  The syrup bumps up abv to 7% by contributing fermentable sugars and malty complexity. 

Both versions have calcium carbonate added to the brewing water which hardens the water ... and the yeast digs it.  Calcium Carbonate is a main mineral in both stalagmites and stalactites.  

The tap handles we are building for these are so rad we may auction them off. We will premier both versions of this beer at the Extreme Beer Fest welcome party on Thursday March 20th in Boston and serve them at all sessions of the Fest as well.  

See you there! Sam