Anniversary Ale

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Melana

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Our first anniversary is coming up on Sunday... and we want to commemorate the event with a batch of ale and are drawing a blank when it comes to style/recipes and are open to suggestions! The only catch is that the beer has to be something that will age well (so we can share a few bottles next year).

Suggestions anyone?:mug:

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
Are you looking to make something together to celebrate the special day? Or, are wanting to make something that you can let age and drink next year?

Either way, what about making a barleywine?
 
the_Roqk said:
Are you looking to make something together to celebrate the special day? Or, are wanting to make something that you can let age and drink next year?

Either way, what about making a barleywine?

We were looking for both... :ban:
 
Melana said:
Our first anniversary is coming up on Sunday... and we want to commemorate the event with a batch of ale and are drawing a blank when it comes to style/recipes and are open to suggestions! The only catch is that the beer has to be something that will age well (so we can share a few bottles next year).

Suggestions anyone?:mug:

Thanks in advance for any help.

Jeez, looking at your sig, you must do a lot of brewing! Or not much drinking!

I did an anniversary ale last year, I think it came out pretty awesome - killed the keg way too quickly but I will brew it again soon. I wouldn't change a thing about the recipe. Here's my recipe and my notes:

LTLT #16 Anniversary strong APA - brewed on 21 April 2007, 6 days before our 16th wedding anniversary.
4 oz American Special Roast
8 oz American Crystal (20L)
8 oz American Crystal (40L)
8 oz British Crystal (65L)
5 lb Amber DME
4 oz German Acid Malt
0.62 lb brown sugar
1 lb corn sugar
0.25 oz Chinook pellets (11.6) (35 minutes)
0.50 oz Cascade leaf hops (6.6AA) (35 minutes)
0.25 oz Chinook pellets (11.6) (20 minutes)
0.50 oz Cascade leaf hops (6.6AA) (20 minutes)
0.25 oz Chinook pellets (11.6) (2 minutes)
0.50 oz Cascade leaf hops (6.6AA) (2 minutes)
0.25 oz Chinook pellets (11.6) (dry hop)
0.50 oz Cascade leaf hops (6.6AA) (dry hop)

See my recipe, pasted above.
Grains were steeped in about 1 ½ gallons of bottled water brought to 170F, temp dropped to about 165F and grains steeped in covered pot in 150F oven for about 20 minutes, were rinsed in 170F water and then rinsed with about ¾ gallon cool bottled water. This wort was brought to a boil.

Notes:
Added 0.5 cascade fresh, 0.25 chinook pellets at three points: once at beginning of boil, once 15 minutes later. After 30 minutes, added the DME, brought to boil, so total time for boil was 35 minutes. First hops got 35 minutes, 2nd addition got 20 minutes, and we added a 3rd addition at flameout. With about 8 minutes to go we added ½ teaspoon of irish moss, and 2 ½ teaspoons of yeast nutrient.
Cooled wort to under 80F in about 12 minutes. Strained wort into sanitized fermentation bucket, catching leaf hops in sanitized strainer. Used bottled spring water to rinse out the boil pot, and rinsed the hops in strainer with 2 gallons of 60F spring water. Overall temp of wort was under 80F and above 60F, so I pitched the Irish Ale (wyeast, harvested from batch of Irish Ale I made a few weeks ago) starter into the wort. Aerated by shaking in fermenter bucket, added additional gallon of spring water, swirled/mixed, took gravity reading. Original Gravity is 1.060 at about 65-68F wort temp. Total in fermenter is close to 6 gallons. I did not add additional water to get gravity to target.
Placed fermenter into fermenting room, typically temp is around 68F, but due to warm day furnace is not running, my hefe in primary is showing 62F, so this wort will ferment at 62F – 68F.

Left bucket until 29 April, actually remained at 62-64F during the seven days since brewing. Racked the beer into 6.5 gallon carboy, on top of 0.5 oz leaf cascade hops and 0.25 oz crushed Chinook pellets. Beer will dry hop in secondary until racking to keg, likely 12 May (two weeks). Placed carboy in fermentation spot where it will likely remain at 62-64F.

This beer actually spent closer to 3 weeks in secondary. Racked to keg, carbonated w/CO2, aged about 1 more week before tapping/serving. This beer was very very tasty. Some of the citrus notes diminished over the approx 3-4 week period that the beer was in keg. Good sweetness with enough bitterness to balance, not overly sweet and not overly bitter. Nice hop flavor and more of a floral hop aroma vs. citrus. Might try a bit more of the fresh leaf hops in the secondary, or at flameout & secondary - to get more of the citrus taste.
 
I ditto the barleywine suggestion... only it'll probably only be ready to drink by your second anniversary!

I'd perhaps consider the season. Throwing together a nice big Scotch Ale might be an idea. Something to warm you up over the chilling months (whenever it decides to chill, that is).
 
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