All-Grain - Santa Baby - Spiced Holiday Ale

Moody_Copperpot · 12-14-2010, 11:55 PM

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Safale US-05
Yeast Starter: No
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5
Original Gravity: 1.072
Final Gravity: 1.019
IBU: 9.7
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 24 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14
Additional Fermentation: Bottle or Keg Condition 7-14 days
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14
Tasting Notes: Very, very tasty

Recipe/Process Specifications
--------------------------
Mash at 154 for 60 Minutes with about 4.5 gallons
Single batch sparge - added water at 194 to bring grain bed to 170 for sparge
Batch Size: 5.5 gal
Boil Size: 7.25
Brewhouse Efficiency: 69.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
I will be mashing for 90 min and doing a double batch sparge the next time I brew this to hopefully increase the efficiency

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
Mash
10.00 lb American Pale Malt (2 Row) US Grain 74.00 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L Grain 7.00 %
1.00 lb Honey Malt Grain 7.00 %
1.00 lb Wheat Malt Grain 7.00 %
.50 lb Dehusked Carafa 4.00% (the second time I brewed I used .25lb Special B and .25lb roasted barley instead,but haven't tasted that version yet)

Boil
1.00 oz Hallertau Hops[3.1 AA] (60 min)
.50 oz Cascade Hops [5.0AA] (20 min)
1 tsp Irish Moss (hyrdated) (15 min)
2 tsp ground cinnamon (Flame out - 0 min) Misc
2 tsp All Spice (Flame out - 0 min) Misc
1 tsp Nutmeg (Flame out - 0 min) Misc

Safale US-05 Dry Yeast.
I didn't rehydrate the yeast the first time I brewed this and it came out perfectly. The second time I brewed this, I did rehydrate the yeast. Either way should do the trick.

Fermentation
14 Days Primary
14 Days Secondary
I added 1.5 tsp cinnamon and 1.5 tsp all spice for 5 days in the secondary, but it really didn't need it like I thought it did when I tasted it with the beer thief.

According to Hopville the IBU is only 9.7, I don't know if that's totally accurate. I know there are a lot of grains and only 1.5 oz hops, but still. Either way, the IBUs are pretty low, another .5oz of cascade probably couldn't hurt, but as much I love my hops, this isn't an IPA; you don't want this to have any real major hop flavor shining through.
This is a nice beer to sip on while you're watching A Christmas Story as the snow falls

Moody_Copperpot · 02-13-2011, 06:26 PM

*IBU's are 20, I had a setting that was wrong in Hopville.
I've brewed my third batch of it using a few differnt things here and there.
The .25lb of Specail B and .25 or roasted barley in lieu of the dehusked carafa is decidedly a better choice.

wittmania · 09-14-2011, 04:34 AM

How did this beer turn out? I'm looking for a spiced ale recipe.

Moody_Copperpot · 09-14-2011, 12:23 PM

It's fantastic. I prefer the version using special B over the dehusked carafa.

Moody_Copperpot · 09-14-2011, 12:27 PM

I've also had great success adding a tbsp vanilla extract (or less,you can always add more later in the secondary) at flame out with the other spices.
I put all the spices in a cup with about 4-6oz water and stir them up really well.
A vanilla bean or two in the secondary is an option too.

mhenry41h · 09-14-2011, 08:48 PM

Moody,

How would you feel about using a mix of Vienna and Pale Malt as your base?

I would be curious, based on you being familiar with the style, and of course the combination of these ingredients how the following recipe sounds?

5 lb 6 oz - Weyermann Pale Ale
5 lb 6 oz - Weyermann Vienna
1 lb 8 oz - Weyermann Munich Type II
12 oz - Gambrinus Honey Malt
8 oz - Weyerman CaraMunich III
7 oz - Weyermann Chocolate Wheat

1.00 Oz Horizon 60 Min
.500 Oz French Strisselspalt 15 Min

OG 1.060
FG 1.014
SRM 21.4
IBU 25
ABV 6%

I've also considered a small dose of cranberry extract at some point in the process.

Moody_Copperpot · 09-15-2011, 02:37 PM

Those tweaks to the recipe sound great! I may have give that version a spin next time I make it!

mhenry41h · 09-15-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moody_Copperpot

Those tweaks to the recipe sound great! I may have give that version a spin next time I make it!

What I'd really love to do is create a ginger snap beer. I read your recipe and it seems in the same neighborhood as what I've been working on. If I can get that toasty/bready, dark, malty backbone to serve as the "cookie" and nail the spicing just right...

www.draconianlibations@blogspot.com

Moody_Copperpot · 09-16-2011, 11:20 AM

A Ginger snap beer would be great. I'd probably still use cinnamon and all spice, but maybe toss is a touch of ginger as well.

Maybe toss in some of the spices with 3-5 min left in the boil, then add the rest at flame out.

mhenry41h · 11-18-2011, 05:05 PM

Moody, I just bottled my version:

40.6% Pale
40.6% Vienna
9.6% Munich
3.9% Crystal 120
2.9% Chocolate Wheat
1.9% Honey Malt
0.5% Carafa I

1 oz Horizon 60 mins
1 oz French Strisselspalt 10 mins
1/4 C dark molasses 5 mins
1.5 tsp ginger 1 min
1.5 tsp cinnamon 1 min

East Coast Yeast - Old Newark Ale strain

www.draconianlibations@blogspot.com