Chili peppers and PET fermenters

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Has anyone added peppers to their secondary using plastic fermenters such as Big Mouth Bubbler or Fermonster? I have only done one pepper beer but did only a single gallon in a glass carboy but would like to scale up and all of my larger carboys are PET. My fear is the pepper flavor, smell, or heat tainting the fermenter permanently thus making it useless to use again for other non-pepper beers. Thoughts or experiences?
 
Has anyone added peppers to their secondary using plastic fermenters such as Big Mouth Bubbler or Fermonster? I have only done one pepper beer but did only a single gallon in a glass carboy but would like to scale up and all of my larger carboys are PET. My fear is the pepper flavor, smell, or heat tainting the fermenter permanently thus making it useless to use again for other non-pepper beers. Thoughts or experiences?
Yep. Poblanos. If you use a spigot and a bag, it's easy to taste and remove when the flavor is where you want it.
 
I haven't tried it.
But since I got plenty chili's and some spare bottles, I can do an experiment for you.
Are you planning to use fresh chili's or dried? Whole, chopped, ground?

What I can say is that my little hand sprayer smelks of neem oil, chili and garlic! I use it for insect control....
 
Yep. Poblanos. If you use a spigot and a bag, it's easy to taste and remove when the flavor is where you want it.

And no problems with the peppers "staining" the PET? The reason I ask is there's a great jalapeno cream ale by a local brewery that bars and restaurants won't put on tap because I've heard you can never get that smell and taste out of the lines afterwards. I'm assuming PET carboys are a lot less permeable than tubing though.
 
I haven't tried it.
But since I got plenty chili's and some spare bottles, I can do an experiment for you.
Are you planning to use fresh chili's or dried? Whole, chopped, ground?

What I can say is that my little hand sprayer smelks of neem oil, chili and garlic! I use it for insect control....

I used sliced, fresh jalapenos in my pilot batch (seeds and all) and got a good pepper flavor but didn't get as much heat as desired so would leave it in longer (than 3 days) or maybe try habaneros in the future for a subtle sting.
 
Jalapeno's in my experience don't throw much heat into the beer. I can't say with certainty about the flavour leeching but I don't think it would be a big risk.
 
And no problems with the peppers "staining" the PET? The reason I ask is there's a great jalapeno cream ale by a local brewery that bars and restaurants won't put on tap because I've heard you can never get that smell and taste out of the lines afterwards. I'm assuming PET carboys are a lot less permeable than tubing though.
Nope. No issues. PET is pretty much impermeable. I wouldn't make root beer in one I intended to use for beer but the peppers weren't a problem.
 
HDPE I wouldn't but PET I would from what I smell after I've cleaned my PET fermentor doesn't smell like beer afterwards and no staining like you get on HDPE which is a good indicator how impervious it is.
 
That reminds me, I should try making root beer.
 
I have used jalapenos in white plastic bucket fermenters. Never had a problem in subsequent brews. I might be *slightly* more concerned if playing with ghost peppers or something insane like that, but even then... I'll bet with good cleaning it won't be a problem at all.
 

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