SWEDISH LIMPA ALE - Winter Warmer

This is a recipe based off of a spent grain bread recipe for traditional Limpa, a Swedish Holiday Bread.

12.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
2.00 lb Rye Malt (4.7 SRM)
0.33 lb Black Barley (Stout) (500.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Black Strap Molasses
3.00 oz Tettnang (Leaf) [4.50 %] (60 min)
1.00 oz Saaz (Pellet) [4.00 %] (15 min)
0.50 oz Anise, Star (Boil 10.0 min)
0.50 oz Cinnamon Stick (Boil 10.0 min)
1.00 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 10.0 min)

Mash in Grains at 152*F - 60 min (Ratio 1.25qt/lbs.Grain)
Single Batch Sparge
Follow Schedule for Hop & Spice Additions
Cool to Pitch Temp and Aerate Well
Pitch 2 Pkg of Belgian Golden Ale WLP570

Ferment for 7-10 Days until steady Gravity Reading is obtained.
Rack to Keg and Carbonate to your liking.

Enjoy!!

I just brewed this last night, minus the molasses and upped the Black Malt to .66lbs. I went back to my old Gott MT and hit 65% Efficiency. I could have sparged twice and extracted more but I was running out of time and the set up was less than optimal to heat water, but we got it done and pitched at 2:00am. (side note: Remember Auto siphons cannot withstand boiling temps).

The beer alone looks like creamy chocolate syrup and the Tettnang and Saaz are a good combo, but what makes this a special beer is the mixture of spices added at the last ten to fifteen minutes. I was unsure if the combo would work but I really like how it contributes in aroma. I adjusted the amounts simply because of how the measuring came out. I used 3/4oz Orange Peel, .5oz Anise Seed, and 3/4oz Cinnamon stick broken into pieces. I purchased a steel tea steeping ball and filled it to the max with these spices. I added it to the last ten minutes of the boil. The scent prior to steeping it was exactly that of Limpa, if you never had it just picture spice gum drops (purple color). When it was added to the brew, it really took on the purple gum drop, but also hints of pumpernickle, chocolate, and toffee.

What I am contimplating now is maybe keg 1/2 and bottle 1/2 with molasses, not sure yet.

I will post more next week when I rack to secondary and/or keg...

Till then... brew on!

WW

I racked this into a keg one week and one day after yeast was pitched. It definately was young and spices were very prevelent and not balanced at that point. I forced carbed using the 30psi and shake method. I cracked it open couple days ago and pulled a sample. It was delicious, still young but very creamy. Pours a hazy brown, cascades into an off white head. Bitter comes forward assertively, not agressive, which allows this "shake-like" brew to wash away with notes of licorice, chocolate, stone fruit (especially prunes), raisins and coffee. Not knowing what just hit you, your hand is found tipping the glass once again into your mouth so you can repeat this experience. At 7.8% this brew packs quite the punch, but no warmth is detectable when sipping making this a very dangerous ale. Not an everyday quaffer, but an awesome HolidALE!!

-WW

This is awesome! I will definitely brew this at some point! What was your og and fg?

OG - 1.072
FG - 1.012

Suprisingly this is a very good beer. One that I enjoyed creating and making. Friends of mine and I get together every tuesday to brew. We have been doing so since August. So far this was our 28th batch together and a colaboration of ideas. When we drained it out into the primary it looked like chocolate syrup and smelled like chocolate and a spice purple gumdrop.

I hope that if you brew this you enjoy it. It really does bring the sense and feel of Yule.

-WW

Sounds amazing

But limpa is not a swedish holiday bread. Limpa is just the swedish word for loaf

You would know right... I'll have to tell my wife. Thanks for the info its good to know.

In her family they only ate "limpa" during Christmas. But I suppose there is a Swedish Holiday Bread?? that uses orange peel? So be it, still amazing.

Is it true that spent grain is normally used too or is that another legend?

-WW

Willie3 said:

You would know right... I'll have to tell my wife. Thanks for the info its good to know.

In her family they only ate "limpa" during Christmas. But I suppose there is a Swedish Holiday Bread?? that uses orange peel? So be it, still amazing.

Is it true that spent grain is normally used too or is that another legend?

-WW

Click to expand...

My mother was telling me a little about this, and she said the grains are put in the bread somehow, not sure if the grains were spent or not though.

Willie3 said:

You would know right... I'll have to tell my wife. Thanks for the info its good to know.

In her family they only ate "limpa" during Christmas. But I suppose there is a Swedish Holiday Bread?? that uses orange peel? So be it, still amazing.

Is it true that spent grain is normally used too or is that another legend?

-WW

Click to expand...

Well, the closest thing I can think of is so called vörtbröd (translation: wort bread), which is a very common Christmas (and easter) bread in Sweden. It's done like a ordinary bread with rye and wheat flour, but you also add wort to get a sweeter taste. It's often spiced with cloves, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and raisins.

It looks something like this. I could translate a recipe if you want to try it.


With that said, Sweden is a country with a rather long history and many traditions. And even if the bread with orange peel and spent grain isn't a national tradition that I have ever heard of, it may have been a traditional bread at some point in time and at some place in the country (or maybe a tradition among the many swedes that emigrated to america during the 19th century)

I think it is the latter. Grandparents on my wifes side emigrated here in the 20's and it has been a tradition in her family for as long as she has been alive (40 yrs but don't tell her I told HBT), so I imagine over the time the tradition of spent grains and orange peel with anise and cinnamon has its roots in her family, if you think of it, during the 20's and 30's the depression has a big influence on acquiring ingredients no doubt.

-WW