Brewers Best Bold Series Holiday Ale

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mikej77

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First time posting here. Yesterday I brewed my first beer, the Brewers Best Bold Series Holiday Ale. According to the BB instructions, it mentions 3 to 7 days in a primary and then to bottle. Could anyone provide insight into a secondary on this kit. Specifically when to use and for how long? Thanks.
 
I've made about 1/2 of the BB kits, but not this one. I leave most brews in primary for two weeks. It lets the yeast clean up after themselves and meld flavors. I then use a secondary for most of my brews for bulk aging, clearing and/or dry hopping. Would you post the recipe, please? I'd like to take a look at it.
 
Taken directly from the Instructions.


Brewer’s Best Bold Series
Recipe for
HOLIDAY ALE
Yield: 5 gallons
Starting Gravity: 1.070 - 1.078
Final Gravity: 1.010 - 1.016
Alcohol by Volume: 8.0% - 9.0%
Hop IBUs: 68 - 74

INGREDIENTS (INCLUDED):
6.6 lbs. Plain Light Malt Extract Stainless Steel or Enamel Pot (at least 12
2 lbs. Plain Light Dry Malt Extract quart capacity)
1 lb. 8 oz. Crushed Crystal Malt 80L 6.5 Gallon Fermenter with grommeted lid
4 oz. Crushed Chocolate Airlock
4 oz. Crushed Black Patent Siphon Package (5 feet of siphon tube, bottle
1 each Spice Pack * filler, racking tube with tip, and bucket clip)
2 each Grain Steeping Bags Hydrometer
1 1/2 oz. Nugget Hops (Bittering) Bottle Brush
1 oz. Willamette Hops (Finishing Flavoring) Last 15 min. Crown Caps
* Add Spice Pack at last 15 minutes of boil Bottling Bucket with Spigot

PROCEDURES
A. Pour two gallons of clean water into a 4 gallon or larger pot. If included in your recipe, pour crushed grains into the cloth bag and tie the end into a knot to close it. If crushed grains are not included, go to Step C. Place the grainfilled bag into the brewpot water and heat to approximately 160° - 170°and steep 20 minutes. DO NOT BOIL THE GRAINS. Carefully remove the grain bag and allow it to drain into the brewpot without squeezing. Discard the
grain-filled bag.

B. Heat the brewpot water to boiling. Add malt extract syrup and/or dry malt extract. Stir constantly until it returns to
a boil. If your recipe includes Malto Dextrin or Rice Syrup Solids, add at this time. Add bittering hops. Be careful not to let the pot boil over. Boil for 55 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add finishing flavoring hops 15 minutes
prior to end of boil. Add finishing aroma hops 5 minutes prior to end of boil (total boiling time is 60 minutes).

C. Cool the wort rapidly to 70.

D. Pour or siphon brewpot contents into a sanitized 6.5 gallon food grade plastic fermenter, leaving sediment (trub) behind. Add 3 gallons 70° or lukewarm water until the level reaches the 5 gallon mark on the bucket.

E. Sanitize a hydrometer and take the Original Gravity (O.G.) reading. Write down this number for future reference. Sprinkle the contents of the yeast packet on top of the wort and stir well. Secure the lid on the fermenter with the airlock in place (approximately half filled with clean water).

F. Place the fermenter in a warm area to maintain a temperature of 68 - 72. You should notice bubbling in the airlock within 24 hours. Bubbling will slow down significantly and then stop completely after 3 to 7 days. When bubbling has stopped, remove the lid, sanitize a hydrometer and take the Final Gravity (F.G.) reading. Write down this number for future reference. If this reading
matches the F.G. reading specified for your recipe, go to Step G. If the reading is higher than the reading specified in your recipe, place the lid back onto the fermenter and allow fermentation to continue for another few days.
OPTIONAL - a process called secondary (or two-stage) fermentation may be used at this point to improve beer
clarity. Consult your homebrew retailer for advice regarding secondary fermentation.
 
WOW! You really should keep this in primary 2-4 weeks and secondary the same. After bottling it will need to condition at least a month, not that you can't drink it sooner but this will take some time to "cool off" - for the flavors and alcohol to meld. This will be best after 4+ months aging but tasty by Christmas. Do you have anything already planned for after this comes out of primary? The BB kits are what I started with and they remain a part of my brewing ops.
 
Nothing planned yet for when it comes out of the primary but based on your advice I will definitely put it in the secondary. Unless you have some ideas I should try.
 
:rockin:I just bottled this same kit. I left it in the Primary for 1 month. It was very clear. I will let it sit in the bottles longer then the direction. I did 2 other BB kits and I did the 1 month in the primary only and they both turned out great.

Good luck!
 
Does extra time in primary really make a difference? I have my 2nd BBest kit and the guy at the LHBS said one week is fine since it's done fermenting and nothing else is happening in there. I plan to go to 2ndary for 2 weeks after primary.
i've done the hopnogg and the IPA is coming up. The hopnogg tasted good.

:mug:
 
Out of curiosity, I tried the "quick" fermentation method on one of their recipes on my last batch and bypassed the secondary fermentation all together. I went straight to the keg. The beer was not as clear as I would have liked, but the flavor was good from the start. Not much difference in flavor from the first pour through to the end of the keg. Get one of their less expensive kits and give it a try yourself.
 
Who knows the spicy pack ingredient for Brewer's Best Holiday Ale in oz
I stipulate it has
1 tsp sweet orange peel,
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2(1/4) nutmeg

What else ?
 
Who knows the spicy pack ingredient for Brewer's Best Holiday Ale in oz
I stipulate it has
1 tsp sweet orange peel,
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2(1/4) nutmeg

What else ?

I believe it was coriander, but not sure of the amount. I have this in bottles now. Sat in primary for a month. So far three weeks in bottles.
 
Does extra time in primary really make a difference? I have my 2nd BBest kit and the guy at the LHBS said one week is fine since it's done fermenting and nothing else is happening in there. I plan to go to 2ndary for 2 weeks after primary.
i've done the hopnogg and the IPA is coming up. The hopnogg tasted good.

:mug:

I'd find a different LHBS or at least quit listening to the advice. The yeast are still working even if you can't see it. Also, you shouldn't move (ever in my opinion) to secondary until you have reached final gravity. There are few good reasons to move to secondary as many of us have found. Beer doesn't develop off flavors from sitting on the yeast for longer than a week, not even in a month.

Here's a short article about the life cycle of the yeast and while the info is good, I find that my brews take longer than what is mentioned in the article. I typically leave most of my beers in the primary for 3 to 4 weeks and get really good beer for that. http://www.brewgeeks.com/the-life-cycle-of-yeast.html
 
spicy holiday ale pack has as follows:

1 oz sweet orange peel
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger
 
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