Could I get some help / constructive criticism on a recipe?
I want to make a spiced holiday ale for our annual Christmas party. Most of the spiced holiday ales I've had are either too rich (i.e boozy) or have too strong a spice character for my palette.
I started with a basic brown ale, and added some of the spices from the gingerbread cookies that SWMBO makes each year, in roughly the same porportions.
Here is what I've got so far:
For an OG of 1052 on my system, I've got:
8.25 lbs 2-row
12 oz CaraMunich
6 oz Chocolate Malt
1 oz Northern Brewer (8%) 60 minutes
1 cup brown sugar (10 minutes - just enough time to dissolve)
At 1 minute, followed by a 10-15 minute steep prior to cooling:
0.5 tsp ground Allspice,
0.5 tsp ground Cinnamon,
0.5 tsp ground Nutmeg
0.5 tsp ground Cloves
0.75 tsp ground ginger
Ferment with either Nottingham Dry or WLP008 East Coast Ale
I figure I'll get some roasty chocolate notes, some carameliness, and a similar spice flavor profile to the ginger bread cookies (minus the molasses).
I have never brewed with spices, with the exception of coriander in WitBier, so I am not certain how much to use here. I'm not looking for overwhelming, but I do want it to be noticeable.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I want to make a spiced holiday ale for our annual Christmas party. Most of the spiced holiday ales I've had are either too rich (i.e boozy) or have too strong a spice character for my palette.
I started with a basic brown ale, and added some of the spices from the gingerbread cookies that SWMBO makes each year, in roughly the same porportions.
Here is what I've got so far:
For an OG of 1052 on my system, I've got:
8.25 lbs 2-row
12 oz CaraMunich
6 oz Chocolate Malt
1 oz Northern Brewer (8%) 60 minutes
1 cup brown sugar (10 minutes - just enough time to dissolve)
At 1 minute, followed by a 10-15 minute steep prior to cooling:
0.5 tsp ground Allspice,
0.5 tsp ground Cinnamon,
0.5 tsp ground Nutmeg
0.5 tsp ground Cloves
0.75 tsp ground ginger
Ferment with either Nottingham Dry or WLP008 East Coast Ale
I figure I'll get some roasty chocolate notes, some carameliness, and a similar spice flavor profile to the ginger bread cookies (minus the molasses).
I have never brewed with spices, with the exception of coriander in WitBier, so I am not certain how much to use here. I'm not looking for overwhelming, but I do want it to be noticeable.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.