I feel like the fabled grasshopper...

You know, the one who doesn't prepare for the winter while the ants are working hard.

Winter is here. I have beer, oh yes. But I don't have BIG beer that I am craving. Food. Sustenance. Warmth.

I am going to brew some anyway (I enjoy big beers any seaon really) but I want them now!

I guess really Ihave just been getting back into the swing of things after a lengthy bad brewing streak. That and I have really never brewed any high gravity beers. The highest I guess would have been 1.060, but it was a bad one. Hopefully now I can get on the seasonal swing. Though, really I am not really one to shun a style if it is "out of season". I guess I just need to have some batches of BIG beers always going.

Anyway guess I am just babblin' and wishin'.

Any of you ants have strong ale to spare?

knights of Gambrinus said:

Any of you ants have strong ale to spare?

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I think there's more than a couple being passed around in the member's only Secret Santa swap that we're doing this year....

knights of Gambrinus said:

I am going to brew some anyway (I enjoy big beers any seaon really) but I want them now!

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I'm in the same boat, thus I've been buying commercial winter warmers, barley wines, & celebration ales. Next year will be different though. I'm going to brew some big beers, keg them, age them, then bottle them.

2008 is going to be a busy year for me.

Yeah, that was me last year.


This year I have:

Gruit
Pomegranite-White Grape Wine
Cider
Whitbread Pale Ale

While not exactly all warmers, per se, they will due for the season.

I'm in a similar boat. My last two beers were a Kolsch style and Hefe!

I picked up a 6 of Founders Dirty Bastard, a single of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, a 22 of Sly Fox Christmas ale and I have some Clipper City Imp Stout kicking around in the fridge for when the desire for rich malty goodness hits (at least till my nut brown is ready).

I'm creating a 12 month calendar with the sections per month: "Time to start thinking about brewing..." and "Time to be brewing..." and "It's almost too late to start brewing...." That's followed by a list of which beers need to be brewed that month. For instance, RIS is back in June or so... if not for this little calendar, I really doubt I'd be thinking about brewing an RIS in June... but there you have it.

Spyk'd said:

Yeah, that was me last year.
This year I have:
Gruit
Pomegranite-White Grape Wine
Cider
Whitbread Pale Ale

While not exactly all warmers, per se, they will due for the season.

Click to expand...

So how did the Gruit come out?
And do you want to share the recipe. I am interested in making one myself.

On topic. I was planning ahead well enough to make an RIS in August that really coming into its own. In addition due to a misestimation in AG efficiency (80% vs 65%) I have a hoppy amber ale that is about 8%ABV
I even have a few bottles of my Dubble left.

Should last me a few months until my Stouts are ready and then it will start warming up.

Craig

Since you KNOW you'll want some next year and big beers take a long time to condition, why not make them now? Who knows, maybe it will be a long, long winter this year.