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Cry for Help: Preparing for Super-Hot Wing Marathon

Cry for Help: Preparing for Super-Hot Wing Marathon
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  • Post #31 - September 26th, 2016, 2:28 pm
    Post #31 - September 26th, 2016, 2:28 pm Post #31 - September 26th, 2016, 2:28 pm
    David Hammond wrote:
    Puckjam wrote:Remember that part of the "contest" is to entertain the crowd. Watery eyes, and running noses with a few yelps will do it.


    Having tried, to my dismay, the Carolina Reaper chili peppers at the LTH picnic yesterday, I don't think the runny nose will be a problem. In fact, seconds after ingesting a small piece of that tiny red pepper, I felt incredible mucous build-up in my nose, as though my body was saying "Attention stupid: you have apparently ingested a toxin which now we must generate enough mucous to protect you from."

    I ate a pretty small piece (and followed it immediately with some creamy food).
    I didn't find that it was all that painful, but it was a very intense feeling, some lightheadedness, and not so much a desire to drink as to walk around and do anything to distract my mind from the feelings in my mouth.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #32 - September 26th, 2016, 2:31 pm
    Post #32 - September 26th, 2016, 2:31 pm Post #32 - September 26th, 2016, 2:31 pm
    JoelF wrote:I didn't find that it was all that painful, but it was a very intense feeling, some lightheadedness, and not so much a desire to drink as to walk around and do anything to distract my mind from the feelings in my mouth.


    Either you got a weak one or you are a strong one or both.

    I brought two of the Carolina Reapers home with me for further experimentation.
    "Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins
  • Post #33 - September 26th, 2016, 4:50 pm
    Post #33 - September 26th, 2016, 4:50 pm Post #33 - September 26th, 2016, 4:50 pm
    David Hammond wrote:I brought two of the Carolina Reapers home with me for further experimentation.

    I’ll suggest a couple experiments in case you’re interested.

    It’s often repeated that dairy products quench a pepper’s burn because the casein protein in milk interacts with the hydrophobic (oil-like) end of capsaicin and lets it dissolve in one’s saliva. In other words, casein is acting like a detergent. Though not unreasonable, it strikes me as a bit of an ad hoc explanation (and I can’t find any published scientific papers on the topic, though I didn’t try hard). Why is casein any more effective than most other proteins? Leaving that question aside to ask another, why not use a more effective detergent? Most toothpaste contains sodium laurel sulfate or sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, either one much more effective than proteins at solubilizing oily compounds. Maybe swish some toothpaste around your mouth, or even try scrubbing your burning tongue with a toothbrush. Harold McGee recommends rough textures to distract from capsaicin’s burn, so maybe a vigorous brushing is the way to go.

    Another common bit of pepper lore is that the classic ma-la combination in Szechuan cuisine evolved to numb the tongue to allow eaters to consume more hot peppers. I’m not sure I buy that explanation, but you could see how it works on your own tongue. Just chew some Szechuan peppercorns (hua jiao) before munching on a Reaper.
  • Post #34 - September 26th, 2016, 5:27 pm
    Post #34 - September 26th, 2016, 5:27 pm Post #34 - September 26th, 2016, 5:27 pm
    Peter, I'm glad I brought home those peppers as I do intend to experiment over the next few days. I'm going to try eating a very small quantity every day. Tonight, I'm going to try the milk "antidote," and I'm intrigued by the toothpaste option.

    The actual temperature of the antidote may influence its effectiveness: cold milk could be more effective than warm milk (though perhaps more psychologically than physiologically; the temperature would likely not affect the action of the casein).
    "Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins
  • Post #35 - September 26th, 2016, 5:39 pm
    Post #35 - September 26th, 2016, 5:39 pm Post #35 - September 26th, 2016, 5:39 pm
    If you buy into the Harold McGee rough surface theory, you might want to try a Dr. Tung's Tongue scraper. https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Tungs-Tongue- ... 4JGBO?th=1. In fact, after reading this review, I don't see how you wouldn't buy one.

    In terms of milk temperature, I'd agree with the cold milk over hot milk theory. Even though there's no actual heat in the hot pepper burn, it does seem to affect the same heat sensors on your tongue that warm/hot milk would. I think the warm milk would add to the burn/irritation while the cooling effect of the cold milk would relieve it.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #36 - September 26th, 2016, 6:13 pm
    Post #36 - September 26th, 2016, 6:13 pm Post #36 - September 26th, 2016, 6:13 pm
    David Hammond wrote:The actual temperature of the antidote may influence its effectiveness: cold milk could be more effective than warm milk (though perhaps more psychologically than physiologically; the temperature would likely not affect the action of the casein).

    I think in this case it might be physiology over psychology, at least to a degree. TRPV1 (also known as the capsaicin receptor) responds to heat; it’s activated by temperatures over 43C (109F) as well as capsaicin. So when someone says, “That pepper is hot,” it doesn’t mean only that it’s reminiscent of warmth; capsaicin activates exactly the same receptor molecules and neural pathways that are activated by high temperatures. Now TRPV1 doesn’t sense cold; that’s mostly done by another member of the Transient Receptor Potential family of receptors—TRPM8. I don’t know enough neurobiology to say how the brain integrates the signals when both TRPV1 and TRPM8 are tickled, but it’s not unreasonable to guess that there might be some degree of cancelling out the conflicting “hot” and “cold” sensations. I feel more confident saying you probably don’t want to drink a cup of hot tea after searing your tongue with chilies. Activating your TRPV1 with both capsaicin and heat is going to be doubly painful. (I see Steve made the same point while I was writing this.)
  • Post #37 - September 26th, 2016, 8:52 pm
    Post #37 - September 26th, 2016, 8:52 pm Post #37 - September 26th, 2016, 8:52 pm
    Or maybe instead of milk, chocolate ice cream. Ronnie seemed to think that sugar might help, too.

    On a side note, I ate some Carolina Reeper tonight and it didn't knock me out as much as the hunk I had yesterday. Tomorrow, a bigger hunk. (I realize, of course, that I don't have much time to build up a tolerance, and it's highly unlikely that I built up any tolerance at all over the past 24 hours...but every little bit helps, I'm thinking).
    "Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins
  • Post #38 - September 27th, 2016, 7:35 am
    Post #38 - September 27th, 2016, 7:35 am Post #38 - September 27th, 2016, 7:35 am
    Here's some inspiration:

    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #39 - September 27th, 2016, 9:30 am
    Post #39 - September 27th, 2016, 9:30 am Post #39 - September 27th, 2016, 9:30 am
    Rene G wrote:Another common bit of pepper lore is that the classic ma-la combination in Szechuan cuisine evolved to numb the tongue to allow eaters to consume more hot peppers. I’m not sure I buy that explanation, but you could see how it works on your own tongue. Just chew some Szechuan peppercorns (hua jiao) before munching on a Reaper.


    Or, screw it, just break out the Orajel or Anbusol or sore throat sprays. (I do not recommend this, of course, as the tricky part is not so much the heat in your mouth but the effects in your stomach and beyond.) That said, I do find Sichuan peppercorns do help in offsetting the heat of chiles with their numbing properties.
  • Post #40 - September 28th, 2016, 3:42 am
    Post #40 - September 28th, 2016, 3:42 am Post #40 - September 28th, 2016, 3:42 am
    Binko wrote:Or, screw it, just break out the Orajel or Anbusol or sore throat sprays. (I do not recommend this, of course, as the tricky part is not so much the heat in your mouth but the effects in your stomach and beyond.)


    That is key. If I could take a throat-numbing drug, I might be able to eat more XXX wings, but the long-term consequences would be much more dire as I would have consumed more than would be wise for a guy my weight and size. I'm thinking I should probably take some stomach- and throat-protective measures (perhaps just the simple chocolate milk shake) and plan to eat no more than 3-4 wings (way down from my original hope of eating 20, which is an absurd impossibility).

    Until then, I'm eating a small hunk of Carolina Reaper twice every day.
    "Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins
  • Post #41 - September 28th, 2016, 3:18 pm
    Post #41 - September 28th, 2016, 3:18 pm Post #41 - September 28th, 2016, 3:18 pm
    I was in the car today and heard Seth Zurer on the radio being interviewed about Baconfest and Dumpling Fest. The conversation then turned to the upcoming XXX wing challenge. I heard that some people had tried the XXX wings on a live radio program last week and one of them was described as having---and this is just what I heard said---"nearly died." Hyperbole maybe, but I stick with my earlier advice.
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #42 - September 28th, 2016, 5:15 pm
    Post #42 - September 28th, 2016, 5:15 pm Post #42 - September 28th, 2016, 5:15 pm
    Katie wrote:I was in the car today and heard Seth Zurer on the radio being interviewed about Baconfest and Dumpling Fest. The conversation then turned to the upcoming XXX wing challenge. I heard that some people had tried the XXX wings on a live radio program last week and one of them was described as having---and this is just what I heard said---"nearly died." Hyperbole maybe, but I stick with my earlier advice.


    Funny. That was me and Dane Neal on WGN last week trying some XXX wings. They were hot...but not Carolina Reaper hot.
    "Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins
  • Post #43 - September 29th, 2016, 3:53 pm
    Post #43 - September 29th, 2016, 3:53 pm Post #43 - September 29th, 2016, 3:53 pm
    David Hammond wrote:
    Binko wrote:Or, screw it, just break out the Orajel or Anbusol or sore throat sprays. (I do not recommend this, of course, as the tricky part is not so much the heat in your mouth but the effects in your stomach and beyond.)


    That is key. If I could take a throat-numbing drug, I might be able to eat more XXX wings, but the long-term consequences would be much more dire as I would have consumed more than would be wise for a guy my weight and size. I'm thinking I should probably take some stomach- and throat-protective measures (perhaps just the simple chocolate milk shake) and plan to eat no more than 3-4 wings (way down from my original hope of eating 20, which is an absurd impossibility).

    Until then, I'm eating a small hunk of Carolina Reaper twice every day.


    I think that's a pretty good strategy. I definitely notice if I go away from spicy food for awhile, my tolerance drops a bit, but builds up again with repeated exposure.

    I might also down a bit of pre-game Pepto, as well, as part of your stomach-protecting measures. Like I said previously, that's what did me in with my Trinidad scorpion experience. I've since had whole scorpions, but not without something in my tummy first to help dissipate and absorb (or slow down the absorption is probably more accurate) the capsaicin.
  • Post #44 - October 4th, 2016, 9:13 am
    Post #44 - October 4th, 2016, 9:13 am Post #44 - October 4th, 2016, 9:13 am
    After a disappointing Milwaukee Wingfest this weekend, my thoughts instantly turned to this thread. What were the results?
    "And if you don't know, now you know." -BIG
  • Post #45 - October 4th, 2016, 9:39 am
    Post #45 - October 4th, 2016, 9:39 am Post #45 - October 4th, 2016, 9:39 am
    Event/Aftermath

    Going into the XXX wing eating contest at Jake Melnick’s last night, I was aiming to eat three (I’d sampled one on the WGN broadcast with Dane Neal a week or so ago, and it was so hot I figured I couldn’t do more than three).

    Starting last week, I ate a small piece of Carolina Reaper twice per day to build up a tolerance (to whatever extent that’d be possible in the time I had). Right before the event, I ate about 2 cups of buttered rice, a banana and a shot of Mylanta. I sprinkled the rice with ghost pepper powder, on Gary Wiviott’s suggestion that such might prepare the body for further capsaicin intake (I believe it did that).

    I got off the Red Line at Chicago, stopped at McDonald’s and got a large chocolate milk shake and took it with me to Jake Melnick’s. Before we started, the host told us “No dairy during the contest,” so I drank about half the milk shake before we began.

    I brought Latex gloves Ronnie Kaplan gave me, and Melnick’s also provided gloves, which was very decent and thoughtful of them.

    We were told we’d have five minutes to eat as many wings as we could. A basket of 10 was put before each us.

    Taking the meat off the bone before eating made a huge difference, I think. For one, it made it easier to slam back the meat without pausing. For two, taking the meat off the bone gave the meat a little while to cool off, which helped me eat it faster and minimized the overall burning sensation in the mouth.

    I removed the meat from three wings, then ate all that meat quickly (maybe 6 oz or so). I felt I could go for more, so I removed the meat from two more wings and ate that quickly. I still had a minute to go, so I stripped the meat off one more wing…but then decided I should stop at 5. Hell is for heroes.

    Time was called. Others had upper lips and chins covered with hot sauce, which I’m guessing caused some irritation. My meat-removal strategy helped me avoid any of that, too.

    I felt fine. I slammed back the rest of the milk shake and Melnick’s provided milk (as well as orange slices, ice cream and bread). I drank maybe 2 cups of milk.

    Big guy next to me ate 9 wings; two younger guys at the table ate 4; some others ate 5 or 6. I felt okay. As the oldest wing-eater at the table, I felt no need to push it: I’d done my part…and it was kind of fun.

    I brought a toothbrush and toothpaste (on Peter Engler’s suggestion that such might have a neutralizing effect), but I didn’t feel tooth brushing was necessary. My face and mouth were not burning at all; I was most concerned about my gut, but I think the milk shake lagoon in my belly absorbed most of the chili shock.

    I had a beer. I went home.

    This morning, I still feel fine…but I probably could have pushed to six wings. Next time. No regrets.
    "Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins
  • Post #46 - October 4th, 2016, 9:58 am
    Post #46 - October 4th, 2016, 9:58 am Post #46 - October 4th, 2016, 9:58 am
    Outstanding - you're as cool as the other side of the pillow - well done!

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #47 - October 4th, 2016, 10:45 am
    Post #47 - October 4th, 2016, 10:45 am Post #47 - October 4th, 2016, 10:45 am
    Well done! So how was it on the hotness scale compared to the peppers themselves? Sounds like the wings were actually tolerable.
  • Post #48 - October 4th, 2016, 11:04 am
    Post #48 - October 4th, 2016, 11:04 am Post #48 - October 4th, 2016, 11:04 am
    David-

    This has been a great thread to follow. Congratulations on your success!
    -Mary
  • Post #49 - October 4th, 2016, 11:14 am
    Post #49 - October 4th, 2016, 11:14 am Post #49 - October 4th, 2016, 11:14 am
    Binko wrote:Well done! So how was it on the hotness scale compared to the peppers themselves? Sounds like the wings were actually tolerable.


    They may have gone easy on us, which kind of makes sense as Jake Melnick's probably doesn't want people passing out or requiring medical attention because of their food.

    I don't think anything I've ever eaten was as hot as the little piece of Carolina Reaper I had at the LTH picnic.
    "Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins
  • Post #50 - October 4th, 2016, 3:53 pm
    Post #50 - October 4th, 2016, 3:53 pm Post #50 - October 4th, 2016, 3:53 pm
    Dear Mr. Hammond,

    Not that there was ever a doubt, but you are a man among men!

    Count me a Hammond Fan!

    G Wiv
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #51 - October 5th, 2016, 5:03 pm
    Post #51 - October 5th, 2016, 5:03 pm Post #51 - October 5th, 2016, 5:03 pm
    Sincerest Congratulations, Hammond! Not only did you take one for the team, you showed us up great! Bien fait!

    LTH Rules!!

    Ever Onward!

    Geo
    Sooo, you like wine and are looking for something good to read? Maybe *this* will do the trick! :)
  • Post #52 - October 5th, 2016, 6:40 pm
    Post #52 - October 5th, 2016, 6:40 pm Post #52 - October 5th, 2016, 6:40 pm
    David Hammond wrote:
    Binko wrote:Well done! So how was it on the hotness scale compared to the peppers themselves? Sounds like the wings were actually tolerable.


    They may have gone easy on us, which kind of makes sense as Jake Melnick's probably doesn't want people passing out or requiring medical attention because of their food.

    I don't think anything I've ever eaten was as hot as the little piece of Carolina Reaper I had at the LTH picnic.


    Well, if you're ready for round 2, Burger Antics in Brookfield this week has a scorching hot burger with ghost pepper cheese, Trinidad Scorpion Sauce, and Carolina Reaper relish. Oh, and they set it on fire at the table. A bit pricey at $17.95, but pretty damned delicious. And it's not one of these "wave a Carolina reaper in the vicinity of the burger" type of thing where they're using the pepper names purely for marketing purposes, but the thing isn't hot. It's pretty damned toasty, and the Carolina reapers are finely diced up raw in the relish and you can taste them. I thoroughly enjoyed it; it was the hottest burger I've ever had, but the flavor was also spot-on. I'm craving another one already.
  • Post #53 - October 6th, 2016, 11:11 am
    Post #53 - October 6th, 2016, 11:11 am Post #53 - October 6th, 2016, 11:11 am
    Timely article on First We Feast website offering tips on pre and post spicy food eating...

    http://firstwefeast.com/features/2016/1 ... picy-foods
  • Post #54 - October 18th, 2016, 12:09 pm
    Post #54 - October 18th, 2016, 12:09 pm Post #54 - October 18th, 2016, 12:09 pm
    Hammond, not everyone gets off so lightly!

    Ghost pepper puts hole in man's esophagus
    Daniel Kay, Newser Staff

    (NEWSER) – The ghost pepper is one of the world's hottest peppers, with a Scoville rating of more than a million. So it might follow that you shouldn't ingest it in more than tiny quantities. And yet, the Journal of Emergency Medicine reports on the unusual case of a man who tore a hole in his esophagus after eating an incredibly hot ghost pepper. The 47-year-old American ate a burger topped with a "ghost pepper puree" as part of an eating contest. YouTube is rife with video of people eating these things, so you can probably guess how this one went: The man started vomiting, profusely. He threw up so much, in fact, that he caused a tear to form in his esophagus—a rare condition known as Boerhaave syndrome. The condition has a high mortality rate, notes stuff.co.nz.

    Geo
    Sooo, you like wine and are looking for something good to read? Maybe *this* will do the trick! :)
  • Post #55 - April 4th, 2017, 7:46 am
    Post #55 - April 4th, 2017, 7:46 am Post #55 - April 4th, 2017, 7:46 am
    David Hammond wrote:Cry for Help: Preparing for Super-Hot Wing Marathon

    Melnick.jpg


    Here’s the deal: I’m going to be participating in the XXX Wings Challenge at Jake Melnick’s on October 3, starting at 6:30pm.

    [i]If you’re willing to take on the challenge, we’ll donate $50 for every wing you eat to the charity of your choice, and you’ll earn your place Jake’s “Wall of Flame.”

    It’s a 10-minute challenge

    So I figure I can generate some dollars for my grandson’s non-profit school in Oakland, California.

    1. Night before: a tummy stretcher. I slam back about 6-8 cans of lager (a super session beer: Miller’s or something like that) to extend my stomach cavity to maximum capacity.

    4. Immediately pre-eating: neutralizing agent. I drink a quick pint of chocolate milk. Milk is probably the best way to counter the effects of capsaicin, and I plan to bring a carton with me to the event. Why not just plain milk? I like chocolate.
    5. Eat fast. I’m going to go for broke in the first seven minutes, slamming down as many as I can (I figure I can do one every 20 seconds or so).
    I’m hoping to generate a grand. Fast math: that’s 20 wings.

    Open to suggestion.


    David, you are super f-'in hilarious! Having read this from the start, the notion of getting an email that would turn into a relatively low hassle $1,000 had me dying of laughter!

    I see you tried 1 (it sounded like the exact same Melnick's XXX), while doing a radio promo or something, beforehand, but that always seemed like the most super obvious training activity. Instead I read 29 posts regarding Vaseline, emulsification & towel bitches (how the hell could wiping the XXX sauce off possibly be allowed?!).

    The chronology of expectations: blustery talk of 20, then realization cratering down to 3, then reasonable performance of 5 exceeding that low bar; reminds me of 2016's other big personality! Not to mention your charity of choice would've benefited your own grandson. This was a totally epic & condensed thread. Thanks!
  • Post #56 - May 9th, 2017, 8:35 pm
    Post #56 - May 9th, 2017, 8:35 pm Post #56 - May 9th, 2017, 8:35 pm
    I recently had opportunity to try Jake Melnick's Super Hot and XXX. Super Hot made me sweat and XXX made my eyes water and nose run. Frankly I had assumed given Melnick's was part of the Levy restaurant group, located downtown, catered to tourists and families that their hot would not be my hot. I was wrong. :)

    I said it upthread, I'll say it again, Mr. Hammond is a man among men, 5XXX wings is a boatload of heat.

    David Hammond, Count me a Fan!
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #57 - February 17th, 2021, 4:00 am
    Post #57 - February 17th, 2021, 4:00 am Post #57 - February 17th, 2021, 4:00 am
    How This Guy Made the World's Hottest Peppers

    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #58 - October 18th, 2023, 6:17 am
    Post #58 - October 18th, 2023, 6:17 am Post #58 - October 18th, 2023, 6:17 am
    The Guinness World Records has crowned Pepper X as the hottest chili pepper in the world, dethroning the Carolina Reaper chili pepper after 10 years.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canad ... c_team=crm
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard

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