Black Peppercorn 28g

Black Peppercorn 28g

Black peppercorns are unripe berries harvested from the Piper nigrum vine that is then dried and cooked. This process amplifies the spicier characters of the berry while maintaining some of the more volatile citrus and floral characters. Black peppercorns are often coupled with green, white, and red peppercorns in brewing applications but can stand alone and add an amazingly bright, spicy character to saisons or tripels.

Other names: Pimienta Negra, Poivre Noir, Poivre, Pfeffer, Peppar, Pepe, Filfil Aswad, Peper, Hu- Chiao, Kosha & Pyerets.

SUGGESTED USE
Black pepper is a highly versatile spice. It is used in many savoury and sweet recipes. Whole peppercorns can be added to pickling vinegar, brines, marinades, soups and stocks.

Just like a chef can add a pinch of pepper to open up a dish with added spice and complexity, brewers can use the same ingredient to achieve the same result.

Peppercorns are perfect for complementing and enhancing the phenols produced by many Belgian yeast strains. Saisons are most commonly associated with peppercorns, given the natural spicy, peppery character of the yeast, but other styles also lend themselves to using peppercorns. The broad spectrum of peppercorns expands the number of styles in which this unique ingredient can be used.

To maintain the peppercorns’ more subtle flavours, freshly cracked peppercorns should be added no sooner than 10 minutes at the end of the boil. A post-fermentation addition can bring an intriguing bright, spiciness to the beer, but avoid a heavy hand when working with this type of addition. Along with the intense peppery quality derived from the alkaloid piperine, several volatile terpenes can be found in peppercorns. Interestingly, many of these terpenes (caryophyllene, limonene, and pinene) give hops some of their signature aromas.

Regardless of when you add pepper, a little goes a long way, so keep the overall amount to less than 2 teaspoons per 5-gallon batch. Given the potent nature of the peppercorn, it’s worth exploring different varieties and their potential uses.