Deciding on what to do for my Christmas beer

[carnevoodoo]

Every year my mom makes the same cider. It is apple cider cooked on a stove with an orange stuffed with cloves and a cinnamon stick thrown in the pot.

What I'd like to do it get that flavor by boiling a gallon and a half of cider down to about a gallon with all that stuff in there (basically making the cider) and then add it to a beer.

I was considering a scottish ale or a wee heavy. Something that will run about 8-9% and still let the flavors shine through.

Would this be an appropriate style? Would I be better offf doing a belgian strong in this manner?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Beerrific]

Here's what I'm doing:

Making Apfelwein going have that on the stove with those spice (don't know what they are).
Making a dark beer with some hints of winterish spices.

I don't want to mix them. Cider taste in beer is usually considered bad.

 

[Brewpastor]

I am having a hard time imagining the cider and beer combo. The cider will ferment out and thin the beer. I can see having a beer spiced like the cider. Orange zest and cinnamon, a few clovers and anise. Maybe a nice 1.080 gran cru belgian, nice and golden, with one of the tamer belgian yeasts. Maybe add a little lactic character to sour it up a bit.

 

[carnevoodoo]

So you're saying avoid the cider altogether. That was my initial thought with it being beer and all, but I wanted to impart an apple flavor. I'm still thinking about where I want to take it, and I thought about just throwing the orange/cloves/cinnamon in like 30 minutes before the end of boil.

A grand cru would be great. I love the ones I've had, so it is definitely something I could see myself digging.

 

[Brewpastor]

I am trying to pick up on the cider tones idea and so the tang and sour is a target. I will think some more, but I think I would avoid the cider.

 

[Quinnerman123]

Try this, I discovered by accident.
5lbs Pale 2 row
6lbs Wheat Malt
1 lb Crystal 60 (or whatever you may prefer)
Hop it how you like it
1 tbs Clove (5 minutes)
1 tbs Coriander (5min)
1 tbs Orange Peel (5min)

If you want it really spicey leave the spice in the wort while in primary for a week. 2 weeks secondary and bottle condition with 2.2 volumes of CO2 for a 5 gallon batch.
Requires protein rest.
Peace love afro grease, and beer

 

[Yuri_Rage]

.....or you could just make a hard cider, spiced the same way...

 

[Desert_Sky]

.....or you could just make a hard cider, spiced the same way...

....a spiced up apfelwein maybe?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

....a spiced up apfelwein maybe?

I dunno about that - I think apfelwein is a bit dry for the intended purpose. A more traditional cider with a bit more body and sweetness is probably in order.

 

[Desert_Sky]

good point, however you can go with a less attenuative yeast and leave some residual sweetness.