Winter Seasonal Beer Santa Baby - Spiced Holiday Ale

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Moody_Copperpot

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2010
Messages
420
Reaction score
5
Location
Bay Village, OH
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
Safale US-05
Yeast Starter
No
Batch Size (Gallons)
5.5
Original Gravity
1.072
Final Gravity
1.019
Boiling Time (Minutes)
60
IBU
9.7
Color
24 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
14
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
14
Additional Fermentation
Bottle or Keg Condition 7-14 days
Tasting Notes
Very, very tasty
Recipe/Process Specifications
--------------------------
Mash at 154 for 60 Minutes with about 4.5 gallons
Single batch sparge - added water at 194 to bring grain bed to 170 for sparge
Batch Size: 5.5 gal
Boil Size: 7.25
Brewhouse Efficiency: 69.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
I will be mashing for 90 min and doing a double batch sparge the next time I brew this to hopefully increase the efficiency

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
Mash
10.00 lb American Pale Malt (2 Row) US Grain 74.00 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L Grain 7.00 %
1.00 lb Honey Malt Grain 7.00 %
1.00 lb Wheat Malt Grain 7.00 %
.50 lb Dehusked Carafa 4.00% (the second time I brewed I used .25lb Special B and .25lb roasted barley instead,but haven't tasted that version yet)

Boil
1.00 oz Hallertau Hops[3.1 AA] (60 min)
.50 oz Cascade Hops [5.0AA] (20 min)
1 tsp Irish Moss (hyrdated) (15 min)
2 tsp ground cinnamon (Flame out - 0 min) Misc
2 tsp All Spice (Flame out - 0 min) Misc
1 tsp Nutmeg (Flame out - 0 min) Misc

Safale US-05 Dry Yeast.
I didn't rehydrate the yeast the first time I brewed this and it came out perfectly. The second time I brewed this, I did rehydrate the yeast. Either way should do the trick.

Fermentation
14 Days Primary
14 Days Secondary
I added 1.5 tsp cinnamon and 1.5 tsp all spice for 5 days in the secondary, but it really didn't need it like I thought it did when I tasted it with the beer thief.

According to Hopville the IBU is only 9.7, I don't know if that's totally accurate. I know there are a lot of grains and only 1.5 oz hops, but still. Either way, the IBUs are pretty low, another .5oz of cascade probably couldn't hurt, but as much I love my hops, this isn't an IPA; you don't want this to have any real major hop flavor shining through.
This is a nice beer to sip on while you're watching A Christmas Story as the snow falls :mug:
 
*IBU's are 20, I had a setting that was wrong in Hopville.
I've brewed my third batch of it using a few differnt things here and there.
The .25lb of Specail B and .25 or roasted barley in lieu of the dehusked carafa is decidedly a better choice.
 
I've also had great success adding a tbsp vanilla extract (or less,you can always add more later in the secondary) at flame out with the other spices.
I put all the spices in a cup with about 4-6oz water and stir them up really well.
A vanilla bean or two in the secondary is an option too.
 
Moody,

How would you feel about using a mix of Vienna and Pale Malt as your base?

I would be curious, based on you being familiar with the style, and of course the combination of these ingredients how the following recipe sounds?

5 lb 6 oz - Weyermann Pale Ale
5 lb 6 oz - Weyermann Vienna
1 lb 8 oz - Weyermann Munich Type II
12 oz - Gambrinus Honey Malt
8 oz - Weyerman CaraMunich III
7 oz - Weyermann Chocolate Wheat

1.00 Oz Horizon 60 Min
.500 Oz French Strisselspalt 15 Min

OG 1.060
FG 1.014
SRM 21.4
IBU 25
ABV 6%

I've also considered a small dose of cranberry extract at some point in the process.
 
Moody_Copperpot said:
Those tweaks to the recipe sound great! I may have give that version a spin next time I make it!

What I'd really love to do is create a ginger snap beer. I read your recipe and it seems in the same neighborhood as what I've been working on. If I can get that toasty/bready, dark, malty backbone to serve as the "cookie" and nail the spicing just right...

[email protected]
 
A Ginger snap beer would be great. I'd probably still use cinnamon and all spice, but maybe toss is a touch of ginger as well.

Maybe toss in some of the spices with 3-5 min left in the boil, then add the rest at flame out.
 
Moody, I just bottled my version:

40.6% Pale
40.6% Vienna
9.6% Munich
3.9% Crystal 120
2.9% Chocolate Wheat
1.9% Honey Malt
0.5% Carafa I

1 oz Horizon 60 mins
1 oz French Strisselspalt 10 mins
1/4 C dark molasses 5 mins
1.5 tsp ginger 1 min
1.5 tsp cinnamon 1 min

East Coast Yeast - Old Newark Ale strain

[email protected]
 
Looks good! Let me know how it turns out. I changed a few things up when I brewed this last week. I too used ginger, and I also gave full cinnamon sticks a shot. I used Safale S-04 as my yeast this time too.
 
Moody_Copperpot said:
Looks good! Let me know how it turns out. I changed a few things up when I brewed this last week. I too used ginger, and I also gave full cinnamon sticks a shot. I used Safale S-04 as my yeast this time too.

This is only the second spiced beer I've made so I have trouble estimating final flavors. For example, my Pumpkin Bock had barely any spice flavors at bottling but now that it's carbed, it's rather obviously but not overly spiced. The same should go for this beer...I think. I could barely taste those spices when I bottled it yesterday, thus, I'm expecting the carbonation to drive it out upon pouring. My limited experience with spiced beers tells me that a noticeable, pre-carbonation spice character will likely be too much?

[email protected]
 
I made this beer and it came out great. The wife loves it. I will be doing this again next winter. Thanks Moody.
 
Glad you like it!!! I made a few changes to the recipe this year, including the yeast. I used safale s-04. I am going to amend the original recipe posting, as I feel it was more successful with the s-04, though i do love it with the us-05 too!
Glad this beer was a hit for you either way!
 
This is what I'd consider to be the definitive recipe, since I can't edit my original post:

10lb American Two-row Pale
1lb Crystal 60
1lb Honey Malt
1lb Wheat Malt
8oz Brown Sugar (final 10 min of boil)
4oz Special B Malt
2oz Roasted Barley


60 mins 1oz Vanguard
20 mins .5oz Cascade
10 mins .5oz Cascade

15min 1 tsp Irish Moss
5 min 4 Cinnamon sticks
5 min .5 tsp Ginger Powder
5 min .5 tsp Nutmeg
2 min 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
I boiled 6oz water and put it in a teacup with all the spices listed above (except the vanilla) and let it sit for at least 30min. I then dumped all of it into the boil at 5 min.

Yeast Safale S-04

OG- 1.062 - 1.070.
FG- 1.016 - 1.010
@ 80% efficiency i got 1.062 and 1.016. @86% efficiency I 1.070 and 1.010 out of the same ingredients by varying my sparge, but 1.062 is a good number to shoot for.

A few cinnamon sticks could be added to the secondary, but that's up to you. It really doesnt need it.
 
How many volumes of Co2 do you think would be good for this brew? The second time around did you use the cinnamon/allspice in secondary?
 
Planning to brew a 3-gal BIAB batch of this tomorrow! Going to mash on the high side, and add about 1/2 lb of maltodextrin to try to really up the mouthfeel. I want this to be chewy, spicy, and warming.

for co2, I think i'll aim for around 1.8 - 1.9 volumes.
 
Let me know how it turns out! And to answer the question above, I have brewed this where I added a tincture of vodka with .5tsp cinnamon and a dash of allspice, added to the secondary (or right to the primary or even the keg) but I dont think it needs it. It's really easy to over-spice a beer, so definitely tread lightly on the spices because once you carbonate it, you get more of the spice than you did when you tasted the beer out of the fermentor.
 
What's your thought process behind using flavor and aroma hop additions in this? I ask because I'm considering using a bittering addition only. Did you feel like the citra brings something to the table in this recipe?
 
It's just a very, very slight flavor that is achieved with those additions, but it's there. And the other thing is that you get those other few IBUs out of those additions, but the bitterness imparted there is more gentle and subtle than if all IBUs come from the 60min, in my experience with beers like this.
 
I ended up using Citra as flavor and aroma additions, since I was worried it would be unbalanced if I did the bittering addition only. I smelled the wort afterwards, and I was picking up a heavenly maltiness from the RB and Special B, and the spices smelled fantastic too. I subbed Mt Hood for the Vanguard, went with the S-04, and used fresh ginger because my market had lots of it. The aroma did smell pretty strongly of citra however, so I'm wondering how that will come through. Orange peel is a common ingredient in 21B, and I get that from Citra if it's been allowed to condition a bit, so guess I'll have to wait and see! Thanks again for the recipe.
 
I just now saw that you responded to this thread :)
How'd it turn out for you once you drank it?
Citra would be good in this for sure, I'd like to try that.
 
Unfortunately the bottles overcarbed. After letting my glass vent for a bit, it's not bad but something about the spices is offputting, maybe some spent too long in the boil, maybe I just got the balance wrong. I think I may try to drink them hot like a tea, with a cinnamon stick in them, see if that's any better. I think I'll need to try another one, to see what exactly what I'm tasting.
 
The overcarbbing is probably making the spices more prevalent or something? This beer does have spice to it, but it's very subtle compared to any of the commercial Christmas beers out there. Make sure you do half tsp and not half tbsp too. I'm not suggesting that you used the wrong amounts, but it's more as a note to anyone planning to brew this to pay attention and use the small amounts of spice listed.
 
Moody,

I just brewed this recipe as amended on page 2 of this thread. I used some left over NZ Super Alpha as my main bittering hops with some low AA Willamette thrown in for spice/flavor help. I did this BIAB with a 75 minute mash at 155 and a standard 1-hour boil. I hit the OG pretty dang close at 1.065, and I used S-04 in the fermentors. Within 6 hours, I had a healthy head of krausen, and it smells amazing in my fermentation closet! I am super excited to see how this batch goes.

I've never done secondary fermentation before, and if I do for this batch, I'll have to get another carboy. Is it really necessary? I plan on kegging this batch, if that makes any difference. If I need to add any spice or just cinnamon, could I add a stick or two to the keg instead of secondary?
 
Awesome! As for the secondary, nah I'd say skip it. I honestly almost never do a secondary anymore.
If you do take the lid off to spice it further, I'd recommend shooting some co2 into that bucket before putting the lid back on just to purge all the oxygen :)
Any extra spices can be added right to the primary or the keg. Another word of advice if this is your first spiced beer, the spices will be more prominent once the beer is carbonated than they are when you take your sample of the uncarbonated stuff. You can always add more, but you can't take spices away once they are there.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Update: This has been the best beer I've ever brewed. FG Came out about 1.018, the spice was present but not overpowering, and I landed about 6.5% ABV. This is exactly the type of beer I imagine in a winter warmer. It has a good deal of residual sweetness to it, but the spice complements it well. Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with this recipe.

I ended up just letting the batch ride as-is rather than adding more cinnamon. This will definitely be added to my yearly rotation. Thank you! :mug:
 
Awesome! That's great to hear; I'm glad that you dig the recipe and that your brew turned out so well.

The original incarnation of this beer had it at about 8.5% abv with way more spice. I fine tuned the spices over the years and decided that I wanted a more mid-range abv beer. There are a number of heavy hitters out there in the abv range for holiday beers, but not nearly enough where you can have several and not be sloshed haha.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Time to revive this old thread! I scoured the site for a few hours looking for a recipe that I liked and this one seems to be exactly what I am looking for. I am being forced to brew this later than I want to, but I think as long as I get it brewed during October, it should be fine in mid/late December.

I'll let you know how it goes! I will be brewing with WLP007 - is this a proper substitute?
 
Hi all,

I am going to be brewing this on Sunday and I have a question about the cinnamon sticks. After making the tea with the spices, did you add the whole cinnamon sticks to the fermenter or filter them out? Thanks!

- Jason
 
Hi all,

I am going to be brewing this on Sunday and I have a question about the cinnamon sticks. After making the tea with the spices, did you add the whole cinnamon sticks to the fermenter or filter them out? Thanks!

- Jason

Hi Jason! I pour the beer through a wire mesh strainer (using a pitcher at first since who wants to pour six gallons of beer?) into the fermentor, so all the trub and the cinnamon sticks get filtered out.
Quick note that if you didn't see it, there is a definitive recipe for this on page 2 of the thread. Let me know how this turns out!
 
Hi Jason! I pour the beer through a wire mesh strainer (using a pitcher at first since who wants to pour six gallons of beer?) into the fermentor, so all the trub and the cinnamon sticks get filtered out.
Quick note that if you didn't see it, there is a definitive recipe for this on page 2 of the thread. Let me know how this turns out!

Thanks! I saw the recipe on page 2 and intend to brew it just like that! I love Winter Warmer and am excited to try this during the frigid winters of San Diego!! I'll let you know how it turns out...

- Jason
 
This is what I'd consider to be the definitive recipe, since I can't edit my original post:

10lb American Two-row Pale
1lb Crystal 60
1lb Honey Malt
1lb Wheat Malt
8oz Brown Sugar (final 10 min of boil)
4oz Special B Malt
2oz Roasted Barley


60 mins 1oz Vanguard
20 mins .5oz Cascade
10 mins .5oz Cascade

15min 1 tsp Irish Moss
5 min 4 Cinnamon sticks
5 min .5 tsp Ginger Powder
5 min .5 tsp Nutmeg
2 min 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
I boiled 6oz water and put it in a teacup with all the spices listed above (except the vanilla) and let it sit for at least 30min. I then dumped all of it into the boil at 5 min.

Yeast Safale S-04

OG- 1.062 - 1.070.
FG- 1.016 - 1.010
@ 80% efficiency i got 1.062 and 1.016. @86% efficiency I 1.070 and 1.010 out of the same ingredients by varying my sparge, but 1.062 is a good number to shoot for.

A few cinnamon sticks could be added to the secondary, but that's up to you. It really doesnt need it.

Brewed this today. I followed the above recipe except I did .25 oz. Cascade and .25 oz Citra at 20 minutes, also .25 oz. Cascade and .25 oz. Citra at 10 minutes. Instead all cascade. Figured I'd give it an extra bit of fruit to the spice. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Oh and I also used wlp001.
 
Brewing this Monday!! Got the ingredients yesterday. Didn't have some of the exact grains but should turn out a bit darker and still tasty I hope!

Subbed;

Crystal 77 for Crystal 60

Crystal 120 for Special B

Can't wait!!
 
Ill be taking some advice off of this recipe when I brew my winter warmer tomorrow. Especially the spice amounts.
Thanks
 
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