What is your winter tap list?

[dawn_kiebawls]

I'm (re)building my keezer and am looking for a little help/inspiration with what I should brew and have on tap to inaugurate it. I currently have 3 faucets, but might get a 4th by the time the build is finished. Pretty much all styles are welcome but I'm currently unable to Lager, as much as I would love to have a Doppelbock on tap this winter...

I would eventually like to have a brett/sour faucet but I don't have the budget to dedicate a faucet, lines, and keg to that just yet. Not to mention it would take me a week to kick 5 gallons of a sour that I managed to keep my hands off of for a year!

I'm thinking:

Tap 1: NEIPA
Tap 2: Vanilla/rum Milk Stout
Tap 3: Caramel Amber


What do you guys like to serve during the winter months?

 

[Brooothru]

I'm (re)building my keezer and am looking for a little help/inspiration with what I should brew and have on tap to inaugurate it. I currently have 3 faucets, but might get a 4th by the time the build is finished. Pretty much all styles are welcome but I'm currently unable to Lager, as much as I would love to have a Doppelbock on tap this winter...

I would eventually like to have a brett/sour faucet but I don't have the budget to dedicate a faucet, lines, and keg to that just yet. Not to mention it would take me a week to kick 5 gallons of a sour that I managed to keep my hands off of for a year!

I'm thinking:

Tap 1: NEIPA
Tap 2: Vanilla/rum Milk Stout
Tap 3: Caramel Amber


What do you guys like to serve during the winter months?

You've GOT to do a winter warmer. Did my 'interpretation' of Sierra Nevada "Celebration" ale a year ago as a competition entry in the fall. It was a medalist and was still quite good for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, etc., three months later. Real twofer.

Brooo Brother

 

[Ralphie0523]

The holiday beer this year is the Carmel Amber Ale mostly because the only people drinking it really like it. In the past I have done a Maple Brown, a Dubbel, and a Winterfest inspired concoction.

Other brews on my three taps will likely be a Brüt IPA, an ESB, some German Lagers (maybe some Kolsch in your case?).

 

[day_trippr]

I confess the whole neipa thing pretty much croaked my previous "seasonal" brewing efforts for the last few years.
Prior, I'd always have an ESB/"warmer" (same thing imo) on tap by Thanksgiving, and perhaps a small Porter for when it's too early in the evening for the imperial stout.

Never anything "pumpkin" though - that's right out

I'll be interested in seeing others' plans on this topic, maybe steal an idea or two.

Cheers!

 

[bobeer]

I always do a snow shoveling beer; but I bottle it. Something like a strong ale, barley wine, or Russian imperial Stout. Has to be barrel aged, haha. A half batch, 2.5 gallons, is all I need of this beer.

I like west coast ipa so id do a nice pale hoppy 6.5% ipa. I do a turkey day ipa with pale malt and crystal 60 that's pretty good.

Some sort of holiday beer like your caramel amber

Then a lighter sessionable beer like a cream ale, blonde ale, or kolsch. You could put a spin on it and add a dash of de-bittered black malt or rye , or both, if you want to "winterize" a summer easy drinking classic style.

 

[Elric]

My favorite non-standard “winter” beer was a spiced wheat beer from dieu du ciel in Montreal. lots of peppercorn and coriander, basically tasted like montreal smoked meat in beer form. May have to put it into my rotation this winter.

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

Never anything "pumpkin" though - that's right out

I agree. The only thing Pumpkin I like is pie, and even then I could do without. I don't have a 'sweet tooth', so I think the Vanilla Milk Stout is off the list!

revised Winter tap list:
1) NEIPA
2) Something Belgian.. Maybe a second attempt at my Bourbon Cherry Quad, or a fruited/festive dark Saison?
3) Caramel Amber

I had planned to have a cider on tap but my latest attempt is full of H2S and is destined for the drain

I'm at a bit of a disadvantage though, since my 'new' (rebuilt) keezer is my current ferm chamber. I need to somehow convince my wife to get me a fridge for my birthday..I really want a doppelbock on tap

 

[Punx Clever]

I've got 4 taps that I rotate through 8 kegs doing 11 gallon batches... what that means to me is that what is on tap stays on tap for a while!

To me, winter warmers are bottle beers. It's a one-a-night thing. To that end, I've got a selection of barrel aged beers (great plug for your local homebrew club)... Barrel Maple Barley Wine, Barrel Wheat Wine, Barrel Imperial Porter, Barrel Wee Heavy, Wine Barrel Dark Saison... you get the idea.

My suggestion is to have quaffable beers on tap, with long-agers in bottles.

 

[burntchef]

Leaves are starting to turn here, so the EF clone is getting brewed next weekend.
Eric

 

[wepeeler]

Always an Imperial Stout and a Scottish ale. Other taps aren't usually season specific. Almost always have a NEIPA on tap. Then something to round it out. Getting into lagers much more lately. Helles up next!

 

[enkamania]

I do a winter ale and my homage to Celebration.

 

[rmr9]

Why not brew a sticke alt? Cut the hops a little and it might scratch your doppelbock itch.

 

[TechFanMD]

I have trouble burning through some of the winter beers.....especially bourbon/rum/vanilla type beers. I love them to death but it takes me a while to go through a keg of it.

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

I have trouble burning through some of the winter beers.....especially bourbon/rum/vanilla type beers. I love them to death but it takes me a while to go through a keg of it.

Thats a really good point. I was wanting to put the vanilla rum milk stout on for the wife but she drinks 3 a year and the rest is on me. I definitely do not like them that much, so thats out.

 

[passedpawn]

Porters. I've got a peanut butter cup porter and a choco-coconut one. I've got a pretty sweet fire pit behind the house under the oaks trees, if it gets any colder here in balmy FL those beers are going into rotation.

 

[NGD]

Jessica
Amber
Holly

 

[passedpawn]

Jessica
Amber
Holly

Hmmm...

 

[bracconiere]

i just hope their cold!

 

[OldDogBrewing]

I don't keg yet so it's more of a bottle list

By the end of the month my LHBS will receive some Brett and maybe lacto so I will brew a 100% Brett IS, an autumn saison (with seasonal ingredients, I will go to the farmers market the week before and see whats available) with brett too, then my Tripel recipe with more Brett and last but not least, a winter saison, probably darker so it's a warming beer and with seasonal ingredients and brett, again, I still need to see whats on season here but probably I will add some home grown sage

I'm thinking about brewing a oatmeal stout with loads of oats, plus I have already a 14'4% Christmas Belgian Quad and a second runnings Dubbel which as you can imagine from it's big sister, it's pretty big too, it clocked at 1.091 SG

 

[BrewMan13]

I don't have specific winter recipes I brew every year, but this year is heavy on the dark and strong stuff: Baltic porter, imperial oatmeal "gruit" stout, wheat wine, adambier, and imperial stout are shaping up to be my winter drinking line-up.

 

[Chuckbergman]

I usually brew some type of brown ale for the fall. Last year was a smoked brown ale - quite yummy. This year, just brewed a slightly hoppy red ale - still fermenting. Last few year's brewed a chipotle smoked porter - very popular at my homebrew club. But this year going with a coffee stout.