I was researching Horehound Beer recipes on (the old newspaper website) Trove. I found the name of an ingredient – perhaps a herb, that I did not know: "Capaicine".
As best as I can read, this recipe is:
HOREHOUND BEER
Ingredients are: 4-lb. horehound herb,
18-lb. sugar, 1½-lb. licorice extract, 1½-lb.
treacle, 4-oz. quassia chips, 10-oz. crushed
ginger, 2-oz. coriander seeds, 2-oz. capaicine,
4-oz. caramel, 2-oz. tartaric acid,
¼-pint brewer's yeast. Suspend the horehound,
ginger, coriander and quassia in
a muslin bag in a copper and boil in
about 15 gallons of water for half-an-hour,
Add sugar and than other ingredients.
Strain off into fermenting vat,
Strain sufficient water through herbs to
bring up to 24-gallons. When at 80-deg. F.
break up yeast in a basin of brew and
stir into the bulk. Allow to ferment for
about 24 hours, skim off top and filter.
Fine down with one pint ale finings.
NOTE: Australia used imperial measurements until 1966.
As stated, I am unable to identify the ingredient "capaicine". I don't think it's misspelling of "capsaicin". I wondered for a while if it was maybe a misspelling of "cinnamonmum", but have since given up on this idea.
I could of course, be reading the old newsprint incorrectly.
NOTE: This particular beverage must be delicious, since it is to be made in ~100 litre batches.
Bonus question: Is the "caramel" referred to, a browned sugar-syrup (perhaps made from condensed milk) or a colourant? A lot of recipes add "burnt sugar" for colour.
Best Answer
I suspect that the word intended was "capsicum". 2 ounces of chili pepper would be reasonable given the amounts of other spices. 2 ounces of capsaicin would be difficult to source and would make the beer essentially inedible.