Re: [CH] pepper spray
terrabyte@tds.net
Fri, 21 Jan 2005 15:40:59 +0000
> Chilechick19 wrote:
>
> >Hi Pods,
> >
> >It has been ages since I showed myself here so here I am, still alive and
> >kicking.
> >
> >Question: Someone asked me what kind of chile was used in pepperspray. Any
> >ideas?
>
> From: David Gallardo <david@gallardo.org>
>
> According to this link, they use cayenne peppers:
>
> http://www.pepper-spray-store.com/relatedinfo/whatis.shtml
>
> But does it matter what kind of pepper they start with? After all,
> theoretically, they could use anything, since pepper spray is basically
> capsaicin extract in some kind of solvent+propellent. I've tasted pepper
> spray (a cop I knew sprayed some into a paper napkin for me) and it's
> certainly hot but kind of nasty tasting.
I agree. They're using pepper extract, purchased straight from the lab.
One thing I notice is that I'm always misreading the labels on extract hot sauces. I see "Made with 2 million scoville extract" and I jump to the conclusion that the hot sauce IS 2 million scoville units. (As happened last year with CaJohn's "Beyond Z" sauce).
Not true if it's diluted with the normal ingredients. Thus, I had always thought that pepper spray was 2 million - 2.5 million scoville units, but now I see from that article it's only 10% pepper extract. Thus, I assume that the pepper spray rates at 200,000 scoville units?
-Dustin