Help me choose a yeast for a Christmas ale!

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Gtrman13

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2010
Messages
234
Reaction score
2
Location
Greenville, SC
Hi there, all. I'm going to brew a spiced christmas ale soon and I'm just working out the recipe. I pretty much have everything planned out except I just have no clue what yeast I'd like to use. I'm considering possibly the Wyeast American Ale II, but I've never used it so I'm basing this off of descriptions alone. If it helps, I typically ferment in the low-mid 70's. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Here's the recipe:

http://hopville.com/recipe/596565/c...alty-spiced-beer-recipes/spiced-christmas-ale
 
If you want to finish around 1.020, make sure your mash temps aren't too low ( producing more fermentable sugar). I'd mash around 154.

I personally think that grain/hops bill is begging for some Belgian yeast...perhaps Wyeast 1762 or White Labs WLP500?
 
I don't see 1272 as being a bad choice for that recipe...

From Wyeast's description:
"Ferment at warmer temperatures to accentuate hop character with an increased fruitiness. Or, ferment cool for a clean, light citrus character."

So adjust your fermentation temps accordingly...

BTW, surferdrew, it's an extract recipe, so mash temps don't apply.

I also think that yeast choice really won't matter on this one since there's a F-load of spices going into the boil. You could opt for something like 1335 which ferments clean, so that you don't get any flavors that really clash (badly)... I would just go with a strain that has at least a medium-high flocculation rating so that it gets very clear. Go with something more neutral within the temperature range you'll be fermenting at too.

When were you planning on starting this one? At an expected ABV of 8.5%, it could need some time to age and get all the spice flavors to mellow to the point where they won't kill you. I would plan to leave it on the yeast for at least a full month. If it's not getting decent at that point, go another 2-4 weeks before thinking about either racking or bottling it. You could even think about aging it for a few months before bottling it up. When aging, the longer it's in batch form, the better. That way, you can tweak it (if needed) all at once and not worry about some bottles not getting what they need. Once it gets to a good point, prime and bottle it up...

BTW, that amount of nutmeg is a bit scary, IMO... That stuff can be POTENT... You might want to look up some more recipes in the database here to see how much is used in a 5 gallon batch... You might find a recipe that's more to your liking than that one.
 
Golddiggie said:
BTW, surferdrew, it's an extract recipe, so mash temps don't apply.
/QUOTE]

Thanks...wasn't paying close enough attention while reading the link off my phone. :)
 
Golddiggie said:
BTW, surferdrew, it's an extract recipe, so mash temps don't apply.

Thanks...wasn't paying close enough attention while reading the link off my phone. :)

Took me a minute to see it on the other page too...

I'm not a fan of spiced beers like that... If that's something you like, go for it. I'd just have a "plan B" in the wings in case it comes out tasting like something you'd rather not drink.
 
Thanks for the replies folks, I'm planning on brewing this one within the next couple of weeks, but not drinking the brew until christmas time. Would the spices have subsided at this point? I've never brewed anything like this before, so I have no idea. But to correct you folks, it's actually going to be a partial mash recipe. I may be swapping some extract for a base malt, but that shouldn't change anything really.
 
Back
Top