Ingredients:
Peppers
40 oz. (1.134 kg) jalapeños, habaneros, and Thai bird’s-eye chiles
Culture
1 fl. oz. (30 mL) Cleveland Classic kraut brine, plus more for post-fermentation blending
Additional Items
1 oz. (28 g) kosher salt (about 2.5% of total pepper weight)
Vinegar, to taste
Honey, sugar, or another sweetener, to taste
Xanthan gum, optional, to prevent separation
Ascorbic acid powder, optional, to preserve color
Specifications:
Yield: 0.380 gallons (about 1.44 L)
Directions:
This recipe was one of the official recipes of Learn to Homebrew Day 2026, brought to you by Grainfather.
Recipe courtesy of Drew Beechum of the Maltose Falcons, Pasadena, California.
Inspired by heaping piles of super-ripe jalapeños in the garden and the need to preserve them, Super Rooster is a slightly amped-up take on everyone’s favorite spicy red sauce.
- Wash and destem all the peppers.
- Remove the seeds from all peppers except the habaneros and Thai bird’s-eye chiles. Pepper seeds can lend a bitter, metallic flavor.
- Coarsely pulse the peppers in a food processor.
- Mix in the salt and let the mash sit for 20 to 30 minutes to begin forming brine, and allow the pepper mash to relax.
- Stir in the kraut brine as extra lactic acid bacteria insurance.
- Transfer to a sanitized vessel and keep the mash submerged. A sanitized zip-top bag filled with water can be used as a weight.
- Ferment for 3 weeks.
- Purée the mash with a small amount of brine. Adjust to the desired thickness, then press through a sieve for an extra smooth texture.
- Add salt, vinegar, and sweetener to taste. The finished sauce should be piquant and flavorful.
- If desired, blend in a small pinch of xanthan gum to prevent separation and ascorbic acid powder to help preserve the color.
- Bottle.
- To preserve the live, gut-healthy lactic acid bacteria, store for up to 4 weeks in the fridge. Otherwise, pasteurize bottle(s) at 180°F (82°C) for 10 minutes.
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