NB Spiced winter ale suggestions

[Michael357]

Tomorrow, I'm brewing a Northern Brewer's Spiced winter ale. Some of the reviews say that its too heavy on the cloves. Others say they added orange peel. Has anyone brewed this beer, and if so did you make any changes to the recipe? I smelled the mulling spices and it does have a strong clove aroma. I want less cloves and more cinnamon. Any suggestions?

 

[jtratcliff]

Much easier to back off the clove now and add more later. Once it's in, you can't really take it out.

You could maybe toss the kit spices and make your own. When does the recipe call for them to be added?

Or, maybe add half of the kit spices as per the recipe then make your own spice mix for bottling. Make a spice tea to your tastes and add it along with your priming sugar at bottling time.

 

[jtratcliff]

My Christmas ale recipe calls for this, for example:

Ginger Root 1.000 oz 10.000 min
Orange Zest 0.500 oz 10.000 min
Cinnamon Stick 2 sticks 10.000 min
Allspice (whole) 0.500 tsp 0.000 s

Vanilla Beans Secondary 2 beans 5-14 days

subtle spice flavor and aroma. Present but not in your face.

 

[Michael357]

When does the recipe call for them to be added?

Add 0.5 oz Mulling Spices at the end of the boil.

 

[jtratcliff]

That doesn't seem like too much... If it's mostly clove, though, who knows.

Look at some other winter ale recipes here on HBT and see what others are using. Then either use half at flame out and add to taste at bottling or chuck the kit spices and make your own spice mix.

You can always add more if you feel like it's not enough, taking it out after adding too much is ... problematic

Also, the spices will mellow with time in the bottle. My Christmas needs at least a month after carbing to really start to taste right.

 

[apophistoledo]

Brewed this last year and added bitter orange peel at flame out (think it was an ounce but I'm not sure). Didn't find the spice mix over powering or excessively clove-y.

 

[Michael357]

I brewed this Spiced winter ale today (well, yesterday now), with some modifications. The mulling spice pack had way too many cloves for me. I hand picked 27 clove spears out and left 10 spears. Added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg.

Brewed this last year and added bitter orange peel at flame out (think it was an ounce but I'm not sure). Didn't find the spice mix over powering or excessively clove-y.

I also added 1oz. of bitter orange peel. The aroma was Awesome! And it taste even Awesome'er <--- yeah, i know
I'm looking forward to the finished product. Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[astrolic]

Making this today. Following the recipe directly, I will update in about six weeks when I taste the final product. I did not use their spice mix, instead I got a bottle from whole foods (went to the LHBS to get my malts instead of ordering kit). Fingers crossed for a good turn out!

 

[eadavis80]

I take much better notes now than I did when I brewed that kit last year. All my notes say is that I used WYeast 1098 with a starter and had great results. I want to say, though my memory might be wrong, that I used 1/2 of the spice in flameout and half in secondary as I had read reviews that it was too clovey. So, I only used half, but when I went to rack, I felt it wasn't enough, so I added the balance to secondary. All I do know is that I hope NB runs that beer as part of their Columbus Day sale for $14.92 like they did last year 'cause it was good.

 

[phishheadmi]

I know this is an old thread, but with the Holidays coming up, I felt it timely.

I have this fermenting right now. Looks good, I added to the steeping grains a bit, but nothing crazy. Really hoping the spice flavors mellow out in the primary, the gravity sample tasted reeeeaaaaly overly spiced/perfumy...I was afraid of that, and only used about half the spices. We'll see I guess, I'll let it sit for a few weeks, but can't let it go too long as it was a request for family Christmas gathering. It's not quite four days into fermentation, and rocking right along...used S-04, dry pitched and had a krausen forming within 12 hours and good airlock activity in 24.

Thinking to best mellow the spice flavors, just leave it in primary as long as possible?

 

[jtratcliff]

Thinking to best mellow the spice flavors, just leave it in primary as long as possible?

I wouldn't primary any differently than you usually do... It'll condition just fine in the bottle or keg...

 

[steven_mac]

I found a bottle of one these from last year in the back of my beer fridge. Save a 6 pack and let it sit. You'll be glad you did.