Good Christmas Brew

Any suggestions for a PM (or extract) Christmas brew? Besides Apfelwein.

I don't have equipment for lagering so ales would be preferred. I searched through the recipe database and didn't come up with anything that sounded too great.

LykeAFox said:

Any suggestions for a PM (or extract) Christmas brew? Besides Apfelwein.

I don't have equipment for lagering so ales would be preferred. I searched through the recipe database and didn't come up with anything that sounded too great.

Click to expand...

Just because it's Christmas it is not the time to make an unknown taste. Make what you and others like the best and that way everyone is pleased.

I personally like a nice pale or amber ale. Keep the hops medium and it will be great.

I made a Belgian wit-type recipe last year and called it "White Christmas Ale." I spiced it with some cinnamon and nutmeg along with orange and coriander. This year I'm planning the same thing, but I'm going to brew a more traditional wit with only orange and coriander to spice it up.

Here's one that I have aging for Christmas (ten days in primary, three in secondary, and one in the keg so far) and it's AWESOME. Sweet, strong, and great for special occasions, like Christmas.

Brewer: Indian Lake Brewery Email: -
Beer: (This Ain't Your) Mom's IPA Style: India Pale Ale
Type: Partial mash Size: 5.0 gallons
Color:
19 HCU (~11 SRM)
Bitterness: 41 IBU
OG: 1.086 FG: 1.020
Alcohol: 8.5% v/v (6.7% w/w)
Grain: 7.0 lb. British pale (Maris Otter)
5.1 oz. American victory
1.02 oz. American black patent
Mash: 75% efficiency
Boil: minutes SG 1.090 4.8 gallons
6.0 lb. Light malt extract
Hops: 0.5 oz. Yakima Magnum (13.1% AA, 90 min.)
0.5 oz. Yakima Magnum (13.1% AA, 45 min.)
1.0 oz. Kent Goldings (5% AA, 15 min.)
1.0 oz. Kent Goldings (aroma)

Something like this maybe?

6 lb light DME
.5 lb crystal 75
.5 lb. crystal 120
1 oz hallertau 60 min
.75 oz goldings 30 min
2 oz sweet orange peel in last 10 min of boil
flameout:
.5 lb honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 tsp. cloves (crushed)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (or allspice)
2 tsp vanilla (secondary)
Nottinghams

i did this for last christmas, tried to base it off Great lakes christmas ale.

4.7 lbs Dark Malt Extract
3.3 lbs Wheat Malt Extract
1 lbs Pale Malt Extract
1 lbs Clove Honey

steeping grains
1 lb Crystal 15 L
0.25 Caramunich 60L

Hops
1 oz amarillo 60 mins
1 oz Willamette 12 mins

Other things
3 tsp of cinnamon in boil for 12 mins
1 oz of freshly grated ginger for 12 mins

I had an OG of about 1.069 and used White Labs WLP820 Oktoberfest/Marzen Lager Yeast (dont ask why, I was not too experienced when I made this recipe)

Since im just doing all grain now, I am currently working on a all grain recipe that actually fits the Great Lakes Christmas Ale much more closely in-terms or color, IBUs and OG.

Here is my AG version, its in the secondary now and looks, smells, taste amazing

Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.051 SG Expected OG: 1.070 SG
Expected FG: 1.011 SG Apparent Attenuation: 84.0 %
Expected ABV: 7.9 % Expected ABW: 6.2 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 45.0 IBU Expected Color: 11.3 SRM
Mash Efficiency: 67.0 % Approx Color:
Boil Duration: 75.0 mins

Fermentables
Ingredient Amount %
US 2-Row Malt 9.00 lb 60.0 %
UK Wheat Malt 2.00 lb 13.3 %
US Vienna Malt 1.00 lb 6.7 %
German CaraMunich II 0.50 lb 3.3 %
US Caramel 90L Malt 0.50 lb 3.3 %
Canadian Honey Malt (Gambrinus) 0.50 lb 3.3 %
Sugar - Honey 1.00 lb 6.7 % End Of Boil
Sugar - Candi Sugar Pale 0.50 lb 3.3 % End Of Boil

Hops
Variety Alpha Amount Form When
US Amarillo 9.0% 1.0 oz Bagged Whole Hops 60 Min From End
US Simcoe 13.0% 1.0 oz Bagged Whole Hops 10 Min From End
US Willamette 4.5% 1.0 oz Bagged Whole Hops 5 Min From End

others
1 oz fresh grated ginger root and 3 tsp ground cinnamon in boil for 12 mins

Yeast
Wyeast 1056-American Ale

Raise by infusion to 153 degF for 60 Mins

I've done the AG version of this a few times and it's been great:

http://www.homebrew.com/pdfs/recipes/extract-recipes/StNicks%20Holiday%20AleExt.pdf

A couple of things to consider are: use fresh, whole spices and grind them yourself. Brew this early and let it age. I brew mine the first day of summer, tweak it up a bit, to about 1.085 or so, add whole spices and let it age for a few months.

This is my annual Christmas beer. It's supposed to have bourbon and vanilla added but it was so rich and luxurious, I left it out.

I brew this one in mid September, and let it age until the holidays. Unbelievably complex flavors.

http://www.cheyco.org/recipes/Bourbon_Vanilla_Porter.html

Chairman Cheyco said:

This is my annual Christmas beer. It's supposed to have bourbon and vanilla added but it was so rich and luxurious, I left it out.

I brew this one in mid September, and let it age until the holidays. Unbelievably complex flavors.

http://www.cheyco.org/recipes/Bourbon_Vanilla_Porter.html

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Denny Conn does have some good recipies, doesn't he?

I am doing a double decoction Doppelbock for my x-mass brew. I will let it age until the holidays as well should be a very malty 8% beer. This will be my first double decoction brew so I am in for a long brew day...ahhhhh

I was looking for a good winter warmer myself. I found this one over at breworganic.com (actually quite a few cool recipes there for the taking)...I made a change to the yeast and upped the grist from 9.5# to 12# to make it a bit higher octane, and my local LHBS claimed that Hallertaur Tradition hops are very hard to get ahold of so I did make a substitution...but this base recipe looks pretty good.


Organic Celebration Ale

All Grain

A well balanced, spiced amber ale, flavored with organic cinnimon, ginger, orange peel, and cloves

Ingredients for 5 gals:

6 lbs Briess 2-row pale malt
2 lbs Briess organic Munich malt
3/4 lbs Briess organic caramel 60 oL malt
3/4 lbs Briess organic Carapils malt
2 Organic Ceylon cinnimon sticks
1 tsp. Organic whole cloves
2 tsp. Organic ground ginger
2 Tbsp. Organic dried orange peel

3/4 oz. German Hallertaur Tradition pellet hops- bittering (24 IBU)
1/2 oz. German Hallertaur Hersbrucker pellet hops- flavor (8 IBU)
1 oz. German Spalt Select hops- finishing

Ale Yeast: Wyeast # 1056 American Ale or White Labs #001 California Ale

For bottling: 1 1/4 cups (8 oz.) organic Dry Malt Extract*

Optional ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon Irish Moss

International Bittering Units (IBU’s): 32
Original Gravity (O.G.): 1.050- 1.054
Final Gravity (F.G.): 1.010-1.016
Average alcohol content (% by volume): 5.4%