First ever Christmas recipe - How's it look?

[smp501]

So, this will be my fourth brew ever and my first Christmas ale. I'm aiming for a Belgian-style with a good "Christmas" feel to it. Here's what I've come up with:

6.625# Extra-light DME
1# Orange blossom honey (locally made)
.375# (6 oz) Crystal 120L
.625# (10 oz) Crystal 40L
.25# (4 oz) Roasted Barley

1.0 oz Hallertaur (3.2%) - 60 min
0.5 oz East Kent Golding (7.2%) - 45 min
1.0 oz Saaz (3.5%) - 15 min

Wyeast 1214 Belgian Abbey, 2 quart starter with 6 oz DME (never done a starter before, either.)

Estimated OG: 1.065
IBU: 27
SRM: 17

Also add Irish moss at 15 min and 1.0 oz Sweet orange peel at flameout.
Primary for 2 weeks, Secondary for 2 weeks, both at 68F (best I can do).
Steep the specialty grains at 155F for 30 minutes, add DME at 15 min. and honey at flameout.

I have the crystal malt, roasted barley, and EKG hops left over from an Irish red, but I haven't ordered the rest yet. I LOVE Saaz-hopped beers, and apparently it works with Belgian beers, but I have never brewed with it before. Does this look like it will turn out alright?

 

[Hello]

Looks yummy but why the secondary?

 

[smp501]

I was going to add a pack of gelatin (dissolved in hot water) when racking to secondary to clear it up a bit. Does 2 weeks sound like too much?

 

[Hello]

2 weeks in secondary can work. I would see if anyone else weighs in on 2 weeks in secondary just for gelatin. You're adding irish moss so I'm not sure you need the gelatin. It's not a super pale ale and looks lighter than an amber. I would skip the secondary and leave in primary for a few weeks, bottle condition, and go from there. As for the whole recipe, still, it looks delicious. Looks like it can be slightly sweet but that could really help the honey. Just a guess. Report back after you've brewed and gotten a sample.

The honey will ferment out so do you know how this particular honey will taste without the sweetness? When the sugars are gone you have the notes of the honey which can be good or bad. I would certainly try it, I was just curious if you have used it before.

 

[smp501]

Thanks! There will be a lot of "firsts" for me with this brew (honey, yeast starter, all the spices), but I'm really excited to try it.

 

[JasonDawson]

Looks more than drinkable, I would definitely buy if it was on the store, I like the Belgian aim.