Wood Spar Warmer - Critique!

I wanted a winter warmer that's a touch on the dark side with some spruce notes. Here's the recipe link - what do ya think?

http://yuri.rage.googlepages.com/ws_warmer_ag.htm

The base recipe looks fine. Never tried the spruce extract so can't comment on that. I'm think toilet cleaner smell.


How about a little rosemary in it,

I've never used it either, but supposedly Alaskan Winter Ale uses spruce tips (the fresh counterpart to the extract I want to use), and I really like that one.

I considered juniper as well, but I think one "pine" flavored ingredient is probably enough.

Sounds good. Especially if you know you'll like it.

I'd be tempted to add it a kegging or bottling time. I don't think you'd gain anything from adding it during the boil or ferment.

I think I'd me tempted to knock back on the hops.

The instructions say precisely that.

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=504

Thanks for the quick response, orfy!

No problem, I can't sleep. It's 4am here.

orfy said:

...tempted to knock back on the hops.

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Was kinda thinking that myself...it's gonna be really malty, but I'm guessing the spruce will help bitter it up.

What about some kind of piney flavor-hop addition? Like at five minutes? Perhaps using something like Chinook instead of Warrior for bittering, and doing a small addition at the end?

Hmm...interesting idea - I've got Warrior, Simcoe, and Amarillo on hand.

Maybe a little Simcoe love...

EDIT:
1 oz Warrior @ 60 mins
1 oz Simcoe @ 10 mins
26 IBUs

Perhaps?

Simcoe would work. I like the 10 minute addition, too - that should leave the spruce extract predominant on the nose, but you'll have some woodsy, piney hop flavor to help cut through the malt and complement the spruce.

the_bird said:

...the 10 minute addition...

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You read my mind!

EDIT:
Recipe link updated with hops additions as suggested.

I brewed this one last night as posted on my website. I got crap efficiency (probably laziness on my part), but I think it's gonna be a great beer. It's fermenting like crazy, and the sample I pulled tasted AWESOME. If the spruce tastes anything like I'm imagining, it will be a very welcome addition.

Thanks guys for the honest critiques! So far, this has the potential to be my best beer yet!

I feel warm already! mmm.... tree....

How about some fresh mint in the secondary to compliment the pine and make it more festive?

Spyk'd said:

How about some fresh mint in the secondary to compliment the pine and make it more festive?

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Not really sure about that...I don't know if mint is going to be welcome in this one or not. I'll think about including this one in a brew swap to gather some opinions.

But...DRY YEAST KICKS ASS (again...the dry yeast thing). This beer is down to 1.018 after TWO DAYS! That's 8% ABV! It's still working, but slowed significantly. The aroma is distinctly pineapple (Simcoe), raisins, and caramel. I think the spruce is really going to work well with it. This one's gonna need a bit of time, though. The sample was pretty hot. Good thing there's a few months until Christmas (and the Secret Santa brew swap!).

Yuri_Rage said:

The sample was pretty hot. Good thing there's a few months until Christmas (and the Secret Santa brew swap!).

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The mint will "cool" it down. It at least calls for a sample amount!

:cross:

So I dumped the trub after 4 days and added 1 oz of spruce essence. The bottle recommended 1 tsp per gallon of beer or the entire 2 oz bottle for 6-12 gallons of beer. I didn't want to overpower it, so I used just half the bottle as a starting point.

I sampled it today - 1 oz is PLENTY for 10 gallons! I could barely stand to drink the sample - it's quite harsh. From what I've read, spruce beers REALLY benefit from age. It's a high gravity recipe, so I was planning on aging it for a few months anyway. This beer really needs to mellow before I can even think about serving it.

Guess I'll RDWHAHB for now!

After a few months in Canada I'm finally coming to accept beers flavoured with anything that grows. At a visit to a pub brewery recently I drank my first spruce beer. It was surprisingly good. It kind of reminded me of a white wine a friend of mine was into that was aged in pine casks. I guess the only similarity was that while the taste was completely unexpected it was a pleasant surprise.

I read a little about it and spruce extract seems to be the easy way to go compared to fresh ingredients. The beer I drank was made with extract. If you use spruce tips you need to get those in early spring so it's a few months early for that.

I'm interested in trying one so I'm keen to hear some future tasting notes Yuri Rage. By the sound of it maybe 1/2 oz extract might be a safer place to start.

eviljafar said:

I'm interested in trying one so I'm keen to hear some future tasting notes Yuri Rage. By the sound of it maybe 1/2 oz extract might be a safer place to start.

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Well, so far I'd have to agree. The pre-spruce flavor was a little hot with a heavy molasses note and an obvious Simcoe twang. It was definitely on its way to being a decent beer. Now, the spruce is strong and biting, making even a sip of the sample hard to swallow. I think I'm going straight to bottles with this one rather than kegging and force carbing. After a few months of bottle conditioning, perhaps it will mellow. I don't have high hopes, but I'm committed to seeing it through.

I brewed this one two months ago today. I haven't tried it in well over a month. I was going to wait until Christmas to try one...but...should I???

Yuri_Rage said:

I brewed this one two months ago today. I haven't tried it in well over a month. I was going to wait until Christmas to try one...but...should I???

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Heck no, don't wait any more! Try one and see if the spruce has mellowed. And then let us know!

YooperBrew said:

Heck no, don't wait any more! Try one and see if the spruce has mellowed. And then let us know!

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That's all the persuasion I need. Going to chill one down right now.

Ok. It's been 4 minutes. Is it chilled yet?

I'm looking forward to this...


BTW, Yuri, you blamed your poor efficiency on laziness. Do you recall what you did differently?

Sir Humpsalot said:

Ok. It's been 4 minutes. Is it chilled yet?
...
you blamed your poor efficiency on laziness. Do you recall what you did differently?

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It's in 27 degree iced saltwater, so it'll be chilled pretty quickly...

I got sloppy. I didn't use the steam rig which has skyrocketed my efficiency well into the 80's every time I use it. Unfortunately, it takes a bit of time and effort to get it set up, and I figured I'd just go with a single infusion. I also think I found a few dry "dough balls" in the bottom of the mash tun - guess I didn't stir well enough, either. If I'd checked the gravity of the pre-boil wort more carefully, I'd have found that I could've sparged more and boiled off the excess volume.

Yuri_Rage said:

It's in 27 degree iced saltwater, so it'll be chilled pretty quickly...

I got sloppy. I didn't use the steam rig which has skyrocketed my efficiency well into the 80's every time I use it. Unfortunately, it takes a bit of time and effort to get it set up, and I figured I'd just go with a single infusion. I also think I found a few dry "dough balls" in the bottom of the mash tun - guess I didn't stir well enough, either. If I'd checked the gravity of the pre-boil wort more carefully, I'd have found that I could've sparged more and boiled off the excess volume.

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Enough of the chit-chat..... How is the brew?

Ok, here's the verdict:

It pours a clear, deep red, dark mahogany color with zero head. Already I suspect carbonation problems, but the color is gorgeous.

The aroma has settled considerably. It smells of dark molasses, raisins, and caramel with fresh pine dominating the aroma. I'm liking this. Even SWMBO says it smells quite nice.

The flavor is mellowing, but it needs more time. Strong bitterness quickly overcomes the tastebuds, and the pine is rather overwhelming. The hot alcohol notes are completely gone. The aftertaste is surprisingly pleasant, leaving an obvious Christmas tree/holiday note.

Carbonation...zero. I bet the yeast gave up on this one. I'll try adding a few granules from a packet of Nottingham to each bottle and re-capping.

I'm going to have a hard time drinking the entire glass of this, but I really think it could turn into a fine beer. It just needs time. I think, after a year of aging, this will be next year's winter warmer. When I brew this again, I will definitely cut the spruce extract to 1/4 oz to start.

I gave it another year, and it's carbonated now (a little Nottingham in each bottle did the trick). The spruce manifests itself as a strong medicinal note. It's sharp and biting, especially in the finish. I'm managing to get through a pint of it, but the spruce ruins what would otherwise be a tasty beer. I may brew this one again with NO spruce extract, then add it to the secondary until there's just a hint of flavor. The Simcoe flavor hops probably don't help. It'll be Fuggles or EKG next time.

In case anyone was still wondering about this one...I just might be able to stomach a pint of it this year. It's still WAY too spruce heavy, but the base beer is beginning to shine through a little. I still have nearly all 10 gallons stashed away in bottles.

EDIT: I made it through 16 oz! It gets better after a few sips. It's still not good. A word to the wise: easy on the spruce.

In case anyone actually cares, I stumbled upon a case of this nearly 12 year old beer during a recent move. I tried one. It’s almost good! So if you use spruce extract, just wait 12 years and then you might be rewarded with a beer you can be proud to have not dumped maybe.