I don’t think you should use alcohol. That typically does not subdue the heat. Milk products are what typically kill the heat. Maybe drink some whole milk or keifer before eating the pepper to coat everything up to your stomach. But then after your stomach, it might not help.
I don’t think you should do this at all. It sounds like you’re not accustomed to eating very hot foods, so this is going to be very shocking to your system. I don’t think you can just have it pass through without effect. Before you even attempt this, you should work up through a few of the lower peppers to see how you tolerate them. Try your techniques on them to see what works best. Jalapenos would probably be okay to start with. If you can get up to habanero peppers, then maybe you have a chance. But whatever you do, don’t just start with the Reaper. If you can’t handle the weaker peppers, then the Reaper could have health risks.
You shop at entirely different stores than I do!
I don’t have tolerance for much more than jalapeños so I have to ask you if you really, really think hours of agony is worth the payoff? If you really, really do, then I wish you louch and look forward to hearing your results.
You shop at entirely different stores than I do!
I don’t have tolerance for much more than jalapeños so I have to ask you if you really, really think hours of agony is worth the payoff? If you really, really do, then I wish you louch and look forward to hearing your results.
Only suggestion I can think of is lots of milk and sour cream to help neutralize it. But again, as the others have said, even if it getting past your mouth isn’t so tough, it’s going to hurt really bad as it progresses throughout your whole digestive system.
That friend better be offering you a LOT of money, and you get that contract in writing.
OP has not mentioned anything about his general health, but possible health consequences shouldn’t be taken lightly if he has high blood pressure or heart issues, for example. It’s not doing the direct damage it feels like its doing, but the stress response is real. Not to get too hyperbolic, but expertly conducted waterboarding does no direct physiological damage either!
Capsaicin plus alcohol multiplies the mouth pain severalfold. There’s a reason beer instead of wine is recommended for accompanying spicy Mexican and Indian dishes. Yogurt, butter, and whole milk are the best antidotes.
If you get a walloping dose past your mouth very quickly, prepare for your stomach to unleash hiccups of doom within a minute or two.
Make sure you research the health risks carefully. Yes, the capsaicin itself won’t damange you, but your body’s reaction to it might. The capsaicin ‘hacks’ your nerves into thinking they are experiencing heat. Your body will react as if the heat was real. At a minimum, you will start to sweat and your heartrate will go up. With very hot peppers your body may react as if the capsaicin is actually burning the nerves. It may cause excessive inflammation in the area, which could have permanent effects. Think about what would happen if your throat swelled up, for example.
If you try the weaker peppers first, you will be able to gauge your body’s reaction and also make your body accustomed to the sensation. That may make it less likely to overreact dramatically with the extremely hot peppers. If you get all the way up to a Reaper, try a tiny bit first to see if you can handle it.
One other thing about being around hot peppers: The oil in them will stick to your skin. You may feel a mild sensation in your fingertips, but those nerves are very hearty. If you rub your capsaicin-tainted fingers on a more sensitive area, that area may feel a lot of pain. The capsaicin is typically concentrated around the seeds, so be extra cautious when handling those. Wear gloves and be very careful. If you accidentally touch your eyes or nose, you may experience a lot of tearing, mucus production, coughing, and sneezing.
ETA: One reason people like peppers is because of a side effect of the pain–endorphins. Since the body thinks it’s burning up, it releases endorphins to manage the pain.
They’re beautiful. I’ve grown peppers I’d never eat, even on a bet. I use mono fishing line and a big sewing needle and thread them through the stem. Then hang them to display and dry.
Filmore has a good point; get a Reaper yourself first and sample a tiny bit of it to see if you’re up to the challenge first before doing the whole bet.
Or rooms filled with explosive gas and flammable treasure.
Speaking as a GM, giving a character an unlimited-use gimmick means you need to be prepared to tailor challenges to that gimmick, whether by thwarting it or thinking of creative applications for it. It means extra effort, but the other alternative is letting the character become a boring one-trick pony. Basically, whether or not the payoff for this bet makes the character more fun to play depends on the DM putting in extra creative effort. The likeliest outcome is that you just won’t get to use it often for anything other than lighting campfires.
Also, since the damage doesn’t scale, you’re looking at rolling an average of 14 points of damage, with an easy save for half damage, to a single target. Practically speaking, you’re likely to do an average of less than 10 points of damage per use. You can get 3 shots of it for “free” (since you breathe the fire as a bonus action 3 times per potion), but by 5th or 6th level, spending an action to drink another will usually be a waste, and your extra ~27 damage on a single target over the course of a combat usually won’t amount to much.
Basically, if the OP takes the bet, they should know that they’re doing it for bragging rights and a roleplaying gimmick, not a major gameplay advantage. If they’re cool with enduring substantial pain for that, so be it.
Having eaten 1/2 a Reaper I can say that it wasn’t nearly as bad an experience as the first time I tried what was called 99% at Calido Chile Traders in Dallas. That was bad. All they had to ease the pain was water, which just spread the heat evenly like a well tempered blowtorch.
As noted, if you can handle habanero levels of heat (I can now.) you can handle a Reaper…BUT… I would have a generous portion of plain yogurt or sour cream near by to take the sting out somewhat and not eat on an empty stomach. There’s a reason good Indian places serve their vindaloos with yogurt on the side…
Well, not to make too many assumptions about gender stereotypes, but I’m guessing mostly men, who tend to have more of a proclivity for comparing things to see which is “best”, even if all such things are completely useless.
Thanks for finding that! Got something to share at the bar next time. Malort shots for everyone!
For fun here is a three minute, fan made (read fake) ad for Malort: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7s16ewP1RU (I think it is funny but then I have tried Malort…more than once.)
If you want to game your way out of this, are there in loopholes in what he said? He wants you to eat one of his peppers, but he didn’t say which one. Pick the smallest one. Capsaicin accumulates as the pepper ripens, so pick a young one. He didn’t give a timeframe. Eat tiny bits over several days mixed in yogurt. Wrap small pieces in an undigestible wax or something that will allow it to pass through undigested.
The reason milk helps with the heat is that the casein in milk binds to the capsaicin from the pepper so it doesn’t stick to the nerve. So then, I wonder if you could mix the pepper with straight casein to greatly neutralize it. You should be able to get it at health food stores. Try it with some of the common peppers and see how it goes. If it works, you could actually make it part of the game. You could sprinkle some of the magic powder on the pepper before you eat it.