12 Beers of Christmas 2018 Edition

[November]

Hope you are all having a good thanksgiving. I'm smoking a turkey and working on labels for the gruit.

 

[Zimm9]

I spent part of the evening labeling. Some are peeling off. I used whole milk; not sure if it's technique or what. Unfortunately, I didn't think to have the year or 12 BoC put on them. I guess they taste OK. My dad asked for "more of number 27" and he doesn't usually put in requests.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

A full keg of lambic force-carbing, 4 Belgian 750s for me, and a bunch of gear getting ready to for a couple of days in a sanitizer bath. Sours are fun.

 

[November]

I got half of them boxed and I ran out of tape. I might be going overboard on packaging.

 

[TwistedGray]

Lol, wrong thread

Meh

 

[Scturo]

Lol, wrong thread

Meh
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View attachment 599213

Since you’re here, you might as well start next year’s Thread. [emoji12]

 

[TwistedGray]

Since you’re here, you might as well start next year’s Thread. [emoji12]

Ha, no!

 

[btbnl]

Well, that failure might be been per my poor guidance to you in this matter. As I mentioned before, my first batch of this had 15# of tart cherries in 5g and that was far too much. I see you used 6# of cherry puree. Seems like a far better amount, but I wonder how fresh cherries and puree compare? I.e., how much of that puree you used is syrup and how much is cherries?

No matter now, but perhaps these notes will help someone in the future (12BoC 2019?)

Oh yea, I'll take one of those telescopes. I'm on a personal SETI mission.

The advice was to use 10-15% less of the puree than fresh cherries, so I estimated I was at about 7lb fruit-equivalent. Other tasters have liked the subtlety of the flavor though, so I'll just see what you guys think.

As for the telescope ... we're looking at 20+ of them, all at microwave frequencies (20-270GHz) where water vapor is a challenge, so split between the South Pole and Atacama Desert. Not sure how useful they'd be for SETI but we will be able to detect Planet 9!

 

[btbnl]

Blessed are those who pass their bottles on clean and boxed!

My disjoint bottling-prep and kegging days have merged into a beautifully synchronized - though entirely unplanned - whole. And this despite the last-minute addition of holiday variety gifts packs to the 12BX bottling plan, adding a Russian Imperial Stout and a faux bourbon barrel aged barley wine that have been sitting ready and quietly aging in a basement corner since the spring.

• Sterilize 60+ clean bottles in a utility sink full of hot Star San (saving that sink from the kitchen remodel and plumbing it in outside was a game-changer for my brewing).
• Keg the 10G of hoppy pale that has been cold-crashing for the holidays.
• Box and transfer the bottles to the ready-chilled and just-emptied fermentation chamber, along with the pale, stout and barley wine kegs all on CO2.
• Use the now-available Star San to clean the fermentors and kegging paraphernalia.

 

[TBC]

Well group #1. The labels finally arrived!!! I had the wife put them on in case any of them aren’t perfect. I’m hoping to box everything up tomorrow and ship a day this upcoming week when it won’t be raining.

 

[biochemedic]

Getting excited to get bottled and shipped this week! I've never been one to fuss with labels, but decided to go all out this year! The beer is carbing up well...it's a tad sweeter than I was going for, but I think I got the ginger just right....

 

[TwistedGray]

blah blah blah ... Atacama Desert ... blah blah blah

I was down there last year for work, beautiful country.

 

[btbnl]

I was down there last year for work, beautiful country.

Indeed - one of our telescope sites is higher than Everest base camp, and the view would be breathtaking if I had any breath left at that altitude.

Where were you working? We're based in San Pedro.

 

[MapleGroveAleworks]

Glad I can still play! I will do my best to find some quality local stuff, hopefully a Holiday style is available... Hoping you guys haven't had much from Carton or Six-Point, I am betting no one has heard of Flagship. I will stay away from Brooklyn Brewery stuff, don't worry.

Hey can you PM @jerbrew your address? We are sending 6 bottles to you correct? 3 for both you and your brother?

This is the only address we don't have for group 1.

 

[TwistedGray]

Indeed - one of our telescope sites is higher than Everest base camp, and the view would be breathtaking if I had any breath left at that altitude.

Where were you working? We're based in San Pedro.

We have an office in Valparaiso, but we we're in La Serena for a conference.

 

[btbnl]

We have an office in Valparaiso, but we we're in La Serena for a conference.

What are you working on, if I can ask?

 

[passedpawn]

As for the telescope ... we're looking at 20+ of them, all at microwave frequencies (20-270GHz) where water vapor is a challenge, so split between the South Pole and Atacama Desert. Not sure how useful they'd be for SETI but we will be able to detect Planet 9!

ALMA for NRAO? If so, we might know some of the same people.

 

[TwistedGray]

What are you working on, if I can ask?

Tracking fishing vessels primarily in Chile but also wildlife, too.

 

[btbnl]

ALMA for NRAO? If so, we might know some of the same people.

We're up above ALMA - POLARBEAR and ACT now, Simons Observatory imminently, and CMB-S4 in the longer term.

 

[btbnl]

Tracking fishing vessels primarily in Chile but also wildlife, too.

Cool - makes sense with the Monterey Bay location too.

 

[TwistedGray]

Cool - makes sense with the Monterey Bay location too.

French company, of all things. We have 25+ offices around the world. Fortunately, I am the only one that works from home else I'd lose my mind.

 

[biochemedic]

"#teaser" or something.... I can't help myself....another preview of coming attractions!

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

Since you’re here, you might as well start next year’s Thread. [emoji12]

While I'm eager to sign up for next years 12 BoC I don't think I'm ready to take on orchestrating it! I am curious when it usually gets started though just so I don't miss out on it.

it's a tad sweeter than I was going for, but I think I got the ginger just right....

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I love the label! Best beer art I've seen in a long time. How much ginger did you end up using?

 

[TwistedGray]

There should be a cider in this, just sayin...

 

[biochemedic]

While I'm eager to sign up for next years 12 BoC I don't think I'm ready to take on orchestrating it! I am curious when it usually gets started though just so I don't miss out on it.

I love the label! Best beer art I've seen in a long time. How much ginger did you end up using?

Thanks, it was fun making it...I used to do some design stuff when I was in college and worked on the school paper...

Generally someone just decides they will coordinate things, and starts a thread sometime in January...

I used candied ginger...Ultimately I didn't get much from the 3 oz I put in late primary with the dry hops, so I added 3 more in the keg. Still didn't feel like I was getting enough, so I had made a vodka extraction with 3 more oz. and added that vodka to the keg...I finally felt like I was getting a little ginger bite on the finish.

 

[passedpawn]

I used candied ginger...Ultimately I didn't get much from the 3 oz I put in late primary with the dry hops, so I added 3 more in the keg. Still didn't feel like I was getting enough, so I had made a vodka extraction with 3 more oz. and added that vodka to the keg...I finally felt like I was getting a little ginger bite on the finish.

I made a ginger saison with candied ginger. Ended up a ginger BOMB. Almost undrinkable. So you can add too much - be careful. I think I carelessly dumped a whole bag into the fermentor.

 

[biochemedic]

I made a ginger saison with candied ginger. Ended up a ginger BOMB. Almost undrinkable. So you can add too much - be careful. I think I carelessly dumped a whole bag into the fermentor.

Yeah, I went stepwise purposefully, as I didn't want to overdo it. I had made a ginger mead once that was *way* over the top! Ultimately, I think the ginger in the fermenter was almost a waste of time...if I make this recipe again, I think I will stick with a vodka extraction, and dose the beer incrementally with that...

 

[TBC]

The Saffron Belgian Tripel for group one has been sent to everybody over the last 2 days. I’ll send tracking numbers.

 

[MapleGroveAleworks]

BTW I'll be glad to run the 2019 edition if we don't have any other volunteers. I'll certainly give the awesome @jerbrew and @mirthfuldragon first dibs as they did a great job getting everything organized back up this fall for each group.

@TBC
@biochemedic

Both your bottles look fantastic!

 

[TwistedGray]

I absolutely am not volunteering ... I am, however, harassing you guys to add in a cider; however, I may try to snipe the stout next year