Pondering my Christmas Beer

[ENS]

I have been trying to decide what to brew and I know it is getting to the point where the Christmas beer needs to be in the primary. Some people might say, past time.

I already brewed a pumpkin beer, but that is my fall/halloween/thanksgiving beer. Thoughts for a Christmas beer is an eggnog beer and or a gingerbread cookie beer. I just wonder if they will taste a lot like the pumpkin beer. My wife suggested an Orange Cranberry wit, but I am not sure.

anyone else working on a Christmas beer?

 

[jaycount]

Well I already have my pumpkin beer in the primary, 2 others are a cranberry wit and a Spiced Christmas ale ("Holly" in the HBT specialty beer recipes).

I'm thinking 6-8 weeks for Holly so I'll try to get it brewed the 1st or 2nd weekend of October. and probably just 5-6 weeks for the wit so it'll get started in a few weeks.

I'm thinking I might need another filler to keep my taps from going dry in there somewhere... something light... maybe a vanilla caramel cream ale... hmmmm

 

[ashplub]

I vote Denny's Vanilla Bourbon Porter.

Bourbon Vanilla Imperial Porter ::: 1.079/1.017 (6 Gal)
Grain Bill (70% Efficiency assumed)
13 lb.- 2-Row Pale Malt
2.5 lb. - Munich Malt (15 L)
1.5 lb. - Brown Malt
1 lb. - Crystal Malt (120L)
1/2 lb. - Crystal Malt (40L)
1.25 lb. - Chocolate Malt (edited - Thanks Denny)
Extras :
Kentucky Bourbon (Jim Beam, Knob Creek, etc.)
Real, Whole Vanilla Beans (Extract just won't do)
Oak Chips or Cubes

Hop Schedule (37 IBU)
1 oz - Magnum Hops (60 min)
1/2 oz - E.K. Goldings (10 min)


Yeast
White Labs California Ale Yeast (WLP001) - 1800 ml starter

Mash/Sparge/Boil
Mash at 153° for 60 min.
Sparge as usual
Cool and ferment at about 68° Add Vanilla Beans after primary - rack 7 to 14 days
Add Bourbon at bottling (1 to 1.75 cups - don't overdo this!)
Infuse Bourbon beforehand with Oak Chips/Cubes if you want.

 

[djfriesen]

I just thought to myself that something with some juniper in it might be nice. Maybe secondary an IPA over some berries and see what happens? I don't know. I always thought gin smelled (and tasted?) like a Christmas tree. Festive theory, but I can't speculate on the practicality. I have a tiny batch of IPA brewing right now. Maybe one bottle can be conditioned with a few berries in the bottle and I can compare it to the rest of the stuff. It's my first brew, so I might be overstepping a bit, but from what I've read so far, this would be one approach to getting that flavor, correct? Maybe an additive late in the boil, like an aroma hopping, would have been better? Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[smagee]

If you're thinking something with gingerbread, you might want to check out this thread. I haven't tried it yet, but it's on my short list .