Great Lakes Christmas Ale Recipe

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ohiodad

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Anyone have one something close to a clone of this recipe? I've scoured the net and come up with nothing. My sister is absolutely in love with this brew and I'm looking to make one close to it for the holidays. If noone has one does anyone have a very good holiday type ale that they would like to share with me? It is a style of beer that I've not yet tried to brew. I'm an all grain brewer. Thanks!
 
None? I can't believe that noone has ever tried this one

I too enjoy Christmas Ale. Although I don't have a clone recipe, I did formulate a recipe that I'm going to use sometime soon that models the specifics on the Great Lakes website.

"Christmas Ale

A holiday ale brewed with honey and spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon.

ABV: 7.5% ABW: 6.0% IBU: 40"

My recipe: I have not brew this yet!

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.30 gal
Estimated OG: 1.075 SG
Estimated Color: 14.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 39.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
12.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 82.99 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 3.32 %
0.50 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 3.32 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 1.66 %
0.25 lb Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 1.66 %
0.06 lb Roasted Barley (600.0 SRM) Grain 0.41 %
1.00 oz Magnum [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 39.9 IBU
1.00 tsp Ginger (Boil 1.0 min) Misc
2.00 tsp Cinnamon (Boil 1.0 min) Misc
1.00 lb Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 6.64 %
1 Pkgs Nottingham


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 14.06 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 4.36 gal of water at 168.3 F 156.0 F


That might give you some ideas to go off of. Once I brew this I'll let you know how it turns out. I didn't have a christmas ale sitting in front of me when I wrote this, so my recipe might be way off.
 
As a native Clevelander, all the friends have been asking me for a clone when the bars run out of Great Lakes Christmas crack (as we call it). Here's my attempt at a GLBC Christmas clone. In side-by side tasting, it came very close. Overall, it may be slightly more subdued than theirs. They don't use nutmeg or allspice, so leave out if you want, but it didn't overpower with it in there. Also, sub other hops as available. I'm sure they don't use Galena for bittering, but that's what I had at the time.

Christmas Ale (GLBC)

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 11.00 Wort Size (Gal): 11.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 26.75
Anticipated OG: 1.073 Plato: 17.65
Anticipated SRM: 11.4
Anticipated IBU: 37.3
Brewhouse Efficiency: 77 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes

Formulas Used
-------------


Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Tinseth
Tinseth Concentration Factor: 1.19

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
74.8 20.00 lbs. Pale Malt (Munton) England 317.42 3
5.6 1.50 lbs. Wheat Malt America 317.42 2
4.7 1.25 lbs. Crystal 40L America 284.01 40
2.8 0.75 lbs. Crystal 120L America 270.20 120
1.9 0.50 lbs. Vienna Malt (Durst) Germany 309.07 3
2.8 0.75 lbs. Victory Malt (Briess) America 284.01 25
7.5 2.00 lbs. Honey 350.83 0



Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
56.70 g. Galena 10.1 Pellet 10.10 31.6 60 min.
21.26 g. Galena 10.1 Pellet 10.10 4.3 10 min.
21.26 g. Willamette 6.0 Pellet 6.00 1.4 5 min.

Spices at flameout:
2 t - Cinnamon
1/2 t - Ground Ginger
1/2 t - Ground Nutmeg
1/2 t - Ground Allspice


Yeast
-----

WYeast 1007 German Ale
 
If you e-mail GLBC with your attempt at a clone recipe they will help you with the grain bill and yeast. You should e-mail this to them and get some feedback.
 
If you e-mail GLBC with your attempt at a clone recipe they will help you with the grain bill and yeast. You should e-mail this to them and get some feedback.


How do you know this? Have you already emailed them? Do share please.
Thanks!
Scott
 
How do you know this? Have you already emailed them? Do share please.
Thanks!
Scott

I've emailed them for a Burning River clone. I've seen a thread where they helped with their Saison too. They won't give you an exact grain bill and hop schedule. Just give them your proposed clone, and they usually put you on the right track.

On a side note: am I the only one who thinks this beer is repulsive? Then again, I'm not a fan of any spiced "christmas" beers.
 
On a side note: am I the only one who thinks this beer is repulsive? Then again, I'm not a fan of any spiced "christmas" beers.


Secret Santa struck out on that one... :eek:

I still have some in the bottle fridge from the case I bought last Christmas. I don't mind a bit of pumpkin beer in autumn, but not a fan of the christmas beer either.
 
Secret Santa struck out on that one... :eek:

I still have some in the bottle fridge from the case I bought last Christmas. I don't mind a bit of pumpkin beer in autumn, but not a fan of the christmas beer either.

The Goose Island Bourbon County RIS more than made up for it:mug:
 
Did anyone get help from GL on the Christmas Ale? I'd like to brew something in that vein myself.
 
Spices at flameout:
2 t - Cinnamon
1/2 t - Ground Ginger
1/2 t - Ground Nutmeg
1/2 t - Ground Allspice


Stupid question...should those be tablespoons (e.g. capital T) instead of teaspoons I assume. I am looking to make this recipe after I convert it down to 5 gallon and extract.
 
On a side note: am I the only one who thinks this beer is repulsive? Then again, I'm not a fan of any spiced "christmas" beers.

I used to like it back when it was brewed in the original brewery. It's lost a lot of character since then. I still can't drink more than one though. Not a session beer by any means.
 
Quote:
Stupid question...should those be tablespoons (e.g. capital T) instead of teaspoons I assume. I am looking to make this recipe after I convert it down to 5 gallon and extract.

Sorry for the late response... the amounts were correct as teaspoons (t). Keep in mind also that my recipe is for 10gals. Side-by-side, this version was a bit more subdued than GLBC, but that's what I was going for. As per the label on the bottle, they don't use nutmeg or allspice in this beer. As for bierstein's comment above about preferring the beer brewed in the original brewery, head down to the pub and order the Christmas ale. According to the staff, the pub specialty beers (including the Christmas Ale) are still brewed in the original pub brewery.
 
Quote:
As for bierstein's comment above about preferring the beer brewed in the original brewery, head down to the pub and order the Christmas ale. According to the staff, the pub specialty beers (including the Christmas Ale) are still brewed in the original pub brewery.

Agreed the pub only beers are brewed at the pub, however I'd argue that the Christmas Ale is not one of those. They brew that on such a large scale that using the Pub brewery for that would be a waste of their bandwidth.
Here's their list of Pub Exclusives
 
I stumbled upon this thread about two months ago while looking for a Christmas Ale Recipe. Long story short, I split a 10 gal batch of this recipe with Irregularpulse on a brewday in late June. I will probably bottle/keg this week and let it sit until holiday season. While taking a FG reading the aroma reminded me of fresh baked Christmas cookies. The sample tasted pretty close to the GLBC recipe, but it was hard to tell since the sample was from the primary. Once the batch carbs up, I'll post again on the quality of the brew.
 
Hey, I was looking into brewing the 10 gallon version, but I was doing a little research on Great Lake's site and noticed that they post PDFs of generally what goes into their brews. Obviously it's not a clear-cut recipe, but it might help make a better clone...

Here's the link to the Christmas Ale PDF: http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/uploads/Beer/GL09-709 TastingGuideLong_5 7 10 (3) 23.pdf

For simplicity, I'll just copy and past the important info:

MALT
Harrington 2-Row Base Malt: Allows color and flavor from other specialty malts to come through; makes for very clean beer
Wheat: Adds body and head retention
Crystal 45: Contributes to copper color and adds sweet caramel aroma and flavor
Special Roast: Contributes subtle hints of toasty and biscuit flavors
Roasted Barley: Added in small amounts to contribute to overall complexity and color without overwhelming

SPICES
Honey: An adjunct to add strength and fresh floral notes
Cinnamon: Imparts festive aroma and flavor
Fresh Ginger: Adds spicy aroma and flavor

HOPS
Hallertau: U.S. version of classic German noble hop; contributes mild bitterness and fine aromas
Cascade: Used as an aroma hop; citrusy aroma complements beer’s heavy spices


So yeah, any thoughts? I'm tempted to come up with a recipe from scratch, or adapt the previous recipe to match the malts better... but I don't have much all grain brewing experience (only 1 pretty good stout) under my belt, and I'm not sure how it would end up. We'll see though, maybe I'll risk some experimentation...
 
I think Christmas beers are gross, but +1 on email them. Ive contacted them about a couple recepies, and they have been very helpful!
 
Time was they used 1028 for all their non-Belgian ales, so that might be a crucial ingredient, too. It certainly has a unique flavor. I suppose things might have changed in the past few years, so it might be worth asking about, specifically, if you email them. Keep us posted if you hear anything good. I might give this one a try myself.
 
"special roast" is just special B?

Nope, it's a completely different product. It's made by Briess, so it shouldn't be too tough to find. If you really can't find it, I'd sub an equal amount of a British brown malt. It's not the same, but it would be close enough in small quantities.
 
I am also planning on giving this one a shot. I am an extract brewer (for now) my plan is to base my recipe off of the brewers best Imperial Nut Brown kit. I will be changing the hops, adding some wheat, spices and honey.
(I quoted the description of the brew from an earlier post for quicker reference)
ABV = 7.5-8.25% maybe a little higher with the honey
Here is what the kit comes with:
6.6 lb LME - sparkling amber unhopped
2 lb DME - amber
8 oz - crushed victory malt
4 oz - crushed chocolate malt
4 oz - crushed crystal 80L malt
8 oz - Maltodextrin
safale dry ale yeast s-04 packet. should I make a starter for this?

This is what I want to add:
1 lb wheat pre (to add body and head retention) Can this be accoplished by just steeping witht the rest of the grains, or do I need wheat extract?

1 lb honey at flame out, is this enough?

2 tsp cinnamon. When should I add this?

1 tsp fresh ginger. Do I just grate fresh ginger root?

1 tsp clove. When should I add this?

1 oz Hallertau at 60 min
1 oz Hallertau at 15 min
1 oz Cascade at flameout

Let me know what you think, and I someone could shed some light on the questions I have in blue.



Hey, I was looking into brewing the 10 gallon version, but I was doing a little research on Great Lake's site and noticed that they post PDFs of generally what goes into their brews. Obviously it's not a clear-cut recipe, but it might help make a better clone...

Here's the link to the Christmas Ale PDF: http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/uploads/Beer/GL09-709 TastingGuideLong_5 7 10 (3) 23.pdf

For simplicity, I'll just copy and past the important info:

MALT
Harrington 2-Row Base Malt: Allows color and flavor from other specialty malts to come through; makes for very clean beer
Wheat: Adds body and head retention
Crystal 45: Contributes to copper color and adds sweet caramel aroma and flavor
Special Roast: Contributes subtle hints of toasty and biscuit flavors
Roasted Barley: Added in small amounts to contribute to overall complexity and color without overwhelming

SPICES
Honey: An adjunct to add strength and fresh floral notes
Cinnamon: Imparts festive aroma and flavor
Fresh Ginger: Adds spicy aroma and flavor

HOPS
Hallertau: U.S. version of classic German noble hop; contributes mild bitterness and fine aromas
Cascade: Used as an aroma hop; citrusy aroma complements beer’s heavy spices


So yeah, any thoughts? I'm tempted to come up with a recipe from scratch, or adapt the previous recipe to match the malts better... but I don't have much all grain brewing experience (only 1 pretty good stout) under my belt, and I'm not sure how it would end up. We'll see though, maybe I'll risk some experimentation...
 
As a native Clevelander, all the friends have been asking me for a clone when the bars run out of Great Lakes Christmas crack (as we call it). Here's my attempt at a GLBC Christmas clone. In side-by side tasting, it came very close. Overall, it may be slightly more subdued than theirs. They don't use nutmeg or allspice, so leave out if you want, but it didn't overpower with it in there. Also, sub other hops as available. I'm sure they don't use Galena for bittering, but that's what I had at the time.

Christmas Ale (GLBC)

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 11.00 Wort Size (Gal): 11.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 26.75
Anticipated OG: 1.073 Plato: 17.65
Anticipated SRM: 11.4
Anticipated IBU: 37.3
Brewhouse Efficiency: 77 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes

Formulas Used
-------------


Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Tinseth
Tinseth Concentration Factor: 1.19

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
74.8 20.00 lbs. Pale Malt (Munton) England 317.42 3
5.6 1.50 lbs. Wheat Malt America 317.42 2
4.7 1.25 lbs. Crystal 40L America 284.01 40
2.8 0.75 lbs. Crystal 120L America 270.20 120
1.9 0.50 lbs. Vienna Malt (Durst) Germany 309.07 3
2.8 0.75 lbs. Victory Malt (Briess) America 284.01 25
7.5 2.00 lbs. Honey 350.83 0



Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
56.70 g. Galena 10.1 Pellet 10.10 31.6 60 min.
21.26 g. Galena 10.1 Pellet 10.10 4.3 10 min.
21.26 g. Willamette 6.0 Pellet 6.00 1.4 5 min.

Spices at flameout:
2 t - Cinnamon
1/2 t - Ground Ginger
1/2 t - Ground Nutmeg
1/2 t - Ground Allspice


Yeast
-----

WYeast 1007 German Ale

I am finally getting around to posting a pic of the final product on this one. I haven't seen the Great Lakes Christmas Ale at the store yet, so I haven't been able to do a side-by-side comparison. This is a really good recipe even if it doesn't match exactly. The funny thing is that I have never been a really big fan of Christamas Ales. Cinnamon came through nicely on this. This is a definite "brew again next year" recipe.

ChristmasAle.JPG
 
I am also planning on giving this one a shot. I am an extract brewer (for now) my plan is to base my recipe off of the brewers best Imperial Nut Brown kit. I will be changing the hops, adding some wheat, spices and honey.
(I quoted the description of the brew from an earlier post for quicker reference)
ABV = 7.5-8.25% maybe a little higher with the honey
Here is what the kit comes with:
6.6 lb LME - sparkling amber unhopped
2 lb DME - amber
8 oz - crushed victory malt
4 oz - crushed chocolate malt
4 oz - crushed crystal 80L malt
8 oz - Maltodextrin
safale dry ale yeast s-04 packet. should I make a starter for this?

This is what I want to add:
1 lb wheat pre (to add body and head retention) Can this be accoplished by just steeping witht the rest of the grains, or do I need wheat extract?

1 lb honey at flame out, is this enough?

2 tsp cinnamon. When should I add this?

1 tsp fresh ginger. Do I just grate fresh ginger root?

1 tsp clove. When should I add this?

1 oz Hallertau at 60 min
1 oz Hallertau at 15 min
1 oz Cascade at flameout

Let me know what you think, and I someone could shed some light on the questions I have in blue.

1. you can either rehydrate the yeast in warm water or go ahead and make a starter.
2. you need to mash wheat malt or use wheat extract
3. I boil Honey for 5 mins to sterilize but many people add at flameout or during primary fermentation (add directly to the fermenter).
4. All spices are added at flameout
 
Here is a recipe that I created after moving from Cleveland to Columbus and not being able to find it just 120 miles away from its creation. I just brewed it on Nov. 9th so we'll see how it comes out. Let me know what you think and I'll tell you how it turns out.

10 Gallon batch with partial mash

FERMENTABLES

4 lb american 2 row
2 lb wheat
2 lb british crystal 60l
4 oz roasted barley
1 lb special roast
8 lb light dry malt extract
3 lb honey
1 oz black Patent
2 oz chocolate


HOPS & FLAVORINGS

2 oz cascade (60 min)
1.5 oz cascade (30 min)
2.5 oz cascade (15 min)


SPECIAL

2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Ginger


YEAST

Wyeast British Ale 1098


PROCEDURE

Add grains to 3 gallons of water, mash at 130 and hold for 30 min.
Raise to 155 and hold for 30 min, then sparge with 2 gal of water.
Add water to brewpot to bring up to 10 gal.
When boil is reached add dry malt extract, 3 lbs honey, 2 oz cascade (60min).
Then 1.5 oz cascade (30 mins).
Then 2.5 oz cascade, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger (15 min)
 
I brew GL xmas clone every year. Here is my 10 gal all grain recipe.

19 lbs 2-row
4 lbs malted wheat
1 lb crystal 60
1 lb special roast
2 oz. roasted barley
.5 lbs rice hulls


12 aau's Northern Brewer 60 min
1 oz. cascade 15 min
1 oz cascade 2 min

2 lbs honey 2 min
6 tsp. ginger powder 2 min
6 cinnamon sticks 2 min


yeast wyeast 1056

I use medium hard water with some gypsum.

OG 1.070
FG 1.015
ABV 7.5%
IBU's 26
Color SRM 10.5
 
I've brewed this recipe, too. Imo, really close to Great Lakes.

Also, I've had dungeonbeast's version at his home. It's really good.
 
Edcculus said:
On a side note: am I the only one who thinks this beer is repulsive? Then again, I'm not a fan of any spiced "christmas" beers.

I too cannot stand this beer. Really don't see the appeal.
 
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