May be a dumb question?

Unknown

Some of the chili recipes have beer in them. I would assume that during the time for simmering it will remove the alcohol. Am I right?

Tim M

Doug Winter,[p]Yes, same with adding any alcohol to food that is cooked.
It leaves all but the evaporated alcohol behind.[p]Tim

Earl

Doug Winter,[p] Tim's correct,after cooking for any length of time all
signs would be removed from the chile. You would never
even notice it, except for in the flaver.[p] Earl

mr toad

doug winter,
when i cook, brunswick stew, or other recipes that call for beer i use a dark beer or a wheat beer - seems to add more flavor

Mike Oelrich

Doug Winter,[p] Alcohol will evaporate during cooking, but just like the simmering process, it takes some time. This occurs because alcohol begins to evaporate at 172F, which is lower than the temp water does. This also means that if you simmer at a low temp, the process will be very slow . . . For a short article on the subject, see:[p]Cooking with Alcohol[p]For a table of cooking times vs. remaining alcohol content to use as a guide, see:[p]Alcohol Remaining in Your Food[p]A couple good rules to apply are:[p]1. Don't use any beer or wine that you wouldn't drink in food.
2. Use a non-alcoholic product if anyone who will be eating the food is allergic to alcohol.[p]MikeO

Mike Oelrich

I should also add that if you simmer the chili with the lid on the pot, the alcohol will not be able to escape very easily. It'll condense on the lid and drip back in just like the water will.[p]MikeO