Looking for ideas for a Christmas brew...

I want to use a little bit of nutmeg and cinnamon. Right now I'm just brewing with extract kits and I'm leaning towards doing a pale ale. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what style would be best for using nutmeg and cinnamon?

I would go with a lightly hopped brown ale. Randy Mosher has a recipe for a Gingerbread ale where he adds cinnamon, ginger, all spice, and clove.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/randy-moshers-gingerbread-ale-recipe-191657/

definately need some crystal and a good amount of residual sweetness to balance the spice. I don't think a pale ale grain bill would be a good fit for a cinnamon and nutmeg beer.

You need the sweetness to balance the spice. Taste some ground cinnamon by itself for an idea as to how it would taste in a dry beer like a pale ale.

I believe this is why most spice beers are on the darker side and have a decent O.G. but could be wrong.

I am NOT a chief recipe maker but I CAN help you brainstorm a little.

I read you were leaning to a pale but you may want to conciser a wheat beer with your spices and maybe a fruit flavor like orange zest or cranberries.

There is also a pumpkin spice beer, that is popular this time of year. May be a bit "off" for x-mas time though.

A spiced pale would be interesting but it may be more odd than anything else. I would pick a low AA REALLY clean hops to use like Glacier or a small amount of Warrior. So you do not have an odd hop vs. spice war going on but that is me. On this note I see LOTS of threads on "Winter warmers" these are high gravity and high ABV brews. Some are spiced. These may be able to be done as a pale.

Well, I am out for now. when you have more ideas post back. Also, if you do decide to make an experimental batch post it and how it turns out!

GL.

If the gravity is a bit high, I would probably brew this soon and make sure you keep the temps a little low. Otherwise, this might not be all that drinkable by Christmas.

Judging by what people have responded with I should do a higher gravity brown ale. I'm not opposed to this by any means and actually prefer brown ales to pale ales.

Does anyone see a problem with a higher ABV brown ale with cinnamon and nutmeg?

Have you thought about taking that oatmeal stout in your sig there and maybe de-hopping it a bit and using that? Like a spiced porter. Too many hops will quickly cover up and/or clash with spices. If not, a sweet-ish amber or brown would be the way to go.

SkinnyShamrock said:

Have you thought about taking that oatmeal stout in your sig there and maybe de-hopping it a bit and using that? Like a spiced porter. Too many hops will quickly cover up and/or clash with spices. If not, a sweet-ish amber or brown would be the way to go.

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I haven't, but that's not a bad idea. I'd prefer brewing something I haven't previously done though.

I do a Baltic Porter. I have it fermenting now. I spice it with ginger, clove and cinnamon. It's 9%. I call it "The Gingerbread Man Cometh"

I am a Barley Wine for XMas guy.

But for you I think the moderately strong Brown will go well with your spices. Maybe 1.060-1.070.

Tons of options on a christmas beer. You can spice almost any style of beer just be careful spicing something light like a pale. SMALL amounts will really show through. A darker style lends itself better to spice. It doesn't have to be a huge alcoholic beer but often times they are. Not sure it will taste ideal by christmas if you brewed a huge beer now. If I were you I would spice a medium-high grav brown and use noble hops to add some spice character from the hops as well. 1.060ish starting grav. Again go small on the spice and add more to secondary if you need more flavor. It is really easy to get too much and make this beer not drinkable till next Christmas

Im making a mint chocolate stout! I agree on a pumpkin ale if your wanting to make something with cinnamon and nutmeg. May I suggest Thunderstruck Pumpkin Ale? I just bottled this and it smells awesome!



https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/thunderstruck-pumpkin-ale-ag-extract-versions-26699/

JasonToews said:

Im making a mint chocolate stout! I agree on a pumpkin ale if your wanting to make something with cinnamon and nutmeg. May I suggest Thunderstruck Pumpkin Ale? I just bottled this and it smells awesome!



https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/thunderstruck-pumpkin-ale-ag-extract-versions-26699/

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The mint chocolate stout sounds amazing. Do you plan on taking a winter vacation to Arizona?

I've decided I'm going to go with a brown ale that's going to end up right around 5% ABV. As I first stated I want to use cinnamon and nutmeg. I'm pondering Clove as well.

I plan on adding everything at flame out and letting it steep for 5 minutes before cooling. The amount I'm thinking of using is 2 tsp of ground cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg and I'm not sure how much cloves to add. Any suggestions?

I'd say half a tsp for 5 gallons

I just brewed a amber ale for my holiday brew at the end of the boil last 15 min when adding finishing hops I added 4 apple cinnamon tea baggs the aroma they put in the brew was just what I was looking for suttle but there...not sure how it will turn out but the smell and tast at time of pitch was great.