12 Beers of Christmas 2021 Edition

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Yeah, a specialty produce distributor here in Los Angeles sold me 6#, $60. I spent an evening peeling and coring, and I froze them to mush them up a bit.
View attachment 717336
Nice! There is so much variation in crabapples that everyone could brew the exact same base beer and use their local crabapples and the beers would still be wildly different. Here are the ones I was going to use. I’ll probably thaw a pack of them and do a 1 gal batch. I’ll send you a bottle if it turns out alright.
C8B50C4D-A827-4274-92C2-36ACEF5757FB.jpeg
 
So if everyone is fine with combining the 2 groups this is what the current group would look like. This would leave one more opening to be filled. I will take either one that is left.

Let me know what you think and if you have any questions or concerns.

1) Caramel Quadruple @jack13
2) Spiced Cherry Dubbel @j1laskey
3) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock
4) Juniper Rye Bock @yoop89
5) Fruitcake Old Ale
6) Saffron Tripel @rsquared
7) Christmas Gruit @calandryll
8) Honey Ginger IPA @jerbrew
9) Crabapple Lambicky Ale @JAReeves
10) Gingerbread Ale @theothermillion
11) Spiced Bourbon Stout @grampamark
12) Abbey Weizen @Funky Frank

Works for me. Thanks.
 
Just saw this thread so just joined HBT - will plan to make the Fruit Cake Old Ale - would like to join this year's exchange if the group approves - thanks
 
Okay group. We are full! If someone has changed their mind let me know. I’m not in a hurry to get through summer but I am looking forward to late November/early December!

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

1) Caramel Quadruple @jack13
2) Spiced Cherry Dubbel @j1laskey
3) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock @TBC
4) Juniper Rye Bock @yoop89
5) Fruitcake Old Ale @blantonj00
6) Saffron Tripel @rsquared
7) Christmas Gruit @calandryll
8) Honey Ginger IPA @jerbrew
9) Crabapple Lambicky Ale @JAReeves
10) Gingerbread Ale @theothermillion
11) Spiced Bourbon Stout @grampamark
12) Abbey Weizen @Funky Frank
 
Hey hey everyone!

Quick question, I was looking over the recipe that was posted for the spicy cheery dubble from last year's group an the hop additions seem to be missing. I don't own a copy of Mosher's book, but could someone who owns it, or someone who has brewed this beer in the past give a suggestion to a hop schedule that works for this beer?

Cheers!
 
Hey hey everyone!

Quick question, I was looking over the recipe that was posted for the spicy cheery dubble from last year's group an the hop additions seem to be missing. I don't own a copy of Mosher's book, but could someone who owns it, or someone who has brewed this beer in the past give a suggestion to a hop schedule that works for this beer?

Cheers!
The book says 1.25 oz Norther Brewer (7%) at 90 minutes
 
Hey hey everyone!

Quick question, I was looking over the recipe that was posted for the spicy cheery dubble from last year's group an the hop additions seem to be missing. I don't own a copy of Mosher's book, but could someone who owns it, or someone who has brewed this beer in the past give a suggestion to a hop schedule that works for this beer?

Cheers!

Send me a pm. I made this two years ago.
 
Hey hey everyone!

Quick question, I was looking over the recipe that was posted for the spicy cheery dubble from last year's group an the hop additions seem to be missing. I don't own a copy of Mosher's book, but could someone who owns it, or someone who has brewed this beer in the past give a suggestion to a hop schedule that works for this beer?

Cheers!

IBUs should be 29, so if you're using software should be easy to dial in. Here's what I did in 2017. I did two batches. The first, with real cherries, was WAY too tart. I think that was a dumper. Then I made it with cherry juice and it came out much better. Read notes below 17 Jun 2017

1623028005741.png

My notes from make:

Hops:
1.25 oz Northern Brewer (7%AA) 90 Min

[27MAY] 1.095 (before cherry juice added) brewed, but OG not reached. Continued boil next AM.

[06JUN] 1.038. Fat sticky krausen on top. This one might need some help. Hmmm.... Going to bump the temp up a bit. Cherry juice has not been added yet.

[11JUN17] 1.023. Not too sweet, which is good. One more week to see if it can come down a bit more. Alcohol is noticeable. Pretty good flavor. Not cloying, which is a relief!

Could blend with Rev 1 of this beer to 1) reduce body, and 2) get cherry flavor. But probably won't. Will make final decision next week, when I will need to start crashing all the beers in the fridge.

[17JUN17] 1.017. Wow. 10% now. Added 32 oz black cherry juice to bucket (ignore cherries in recipe, used pure sweet (not tart) cherry juice). Nothing to the other one, which wasn't measured.

[20JUN17] 1.019. Either I measured wrong last time, or the cherry juice added two points. Don't know. I think I'll start crash tonight. Cherry juice is just right. I can taste it, but it is not powerful. Beer seems extremely spicy due to, presumably, the high alcohol.

[21JUN17] starting cold crash with gelatin

[22OCT] bottled.
 
Just checking in! How is everyone making out. It will be here before you know it. I’ve acquired everything for my brew. I’m off until next Friday so I plan on brewing a Double NEIPA and the Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock Next week.

if for some reason you can’t commit let me know.

1) Caramel Quadruple @jack13
2) Spiced Cherry Dubbel @j1laskey
3) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock @TBC
4) Juniper Rye Bock @yoop89
5) Fruitcake Old Ale @blantonj00
6) Saffron Tripel @rsquared
7) Christmas Gruit @calandryll
8) Honey Ginger IPA @jerbrew
9) Crabapple Lambicky Ale @JAReeves
10) Gingerbread Ale @theothermillion
11) Spiced Bourbon Stout @grampamark
12) Abbey Weizen @Funky Frank
 
Got mine resting in the cellar. Will be reaching out to @passedpawn and @fourfarthing for their input for cherry additions. Only a few shirt months to go !

Too much cherry is bad. My first batch, I added 15# of sour Montmercy cherries. Don't do that. NOTE: the sweet will ferment and leave only the sour cherry flavor. First batch I made was so much sour cherry that I dumped and re-brewed. Second batch, I just bought cherry juice (see note 17JUN17 below). Note 2: Batch below was a 12g batch, but the cherry juice addition was to just 5g of that batch, for delivering to the group.

Here's my recipe and notes. Good luck.

1628913760205.png



1628913893726.png
 
The Crabapple Lambicky Ale has been in the secondary with the fruit for about 4 months. I didn't see much of a pellicle, but the fruit kind of dominated the surface and there was no mold, so should be fine, just not sure of the acidity yet. I am planning on a taste-test this weekend. If the sour culture hasn't done its job, I will look at blending with another sour wheat beer I have aging.
 
I have the ingredients for mine. I’ll probably brew any day but I’m having a struggle for how fresh I want the abbey weizen to be vs how much time I want to give myself for a redo if it doesn’t turn out. I’m doing the optional spices and I’m not entirely convinced that it’s not going to be like drinking perfume. Based on the chamomile that I got, I’m kinda wondering what exactly the big brand tea has been trying to pass off as chamomile…lol.
 
fruit cake old ale - brewed 5/1/21 - made a ten gallon batch - followed the Mosher recipe for the base - 5 gallons on wlp 028 scottish ale yeast and 5 gallons on wyeast 1450 denny's favorite (also a favorite of mine for brown/dark ales) - added amoretti blood orange and whole cloves to both batches - 028 batch fruited with tart cherries, figs, zante currants, apricots; 1450 batch fruited with raisins, golden berries, tart cherries - plan is to find the right combination of the batches, combine, cold crash - hopefully will be good to go by November
 
Tasted the Crabapple Lambicky Ale today. OG: 1:101, FG:1.014 into secondary on the crabapples with house sour culture (6/5/21). Didn't take a gravity reading today, as the sour isn't there yet, I want it to continue to drop points. The Brett character is muted, mostly coming through as peppery-spicy flavor (could be the crabapples), with a heavy Brett aroma (the good kind, not diapers!). Some of the wheat character is taking a backseat to the apple's soft fruitiness. I am tasting a 70F, non-carbonated sample.


To make this more lambicky, I have options:

I can add more sour cultures from some of my other fermentations (I have three different sour cultures rolling along: House from our Muscat grapes, Worldwide Mishmash, and Russian River), and see what happens between now and Thanksgiving, or

I can blend at bottling time with a finished sour beer, or

I suppose I can do both?

Suggestions?

IMG_1423.JPG
 
Tasted the Crabapple Lambicky Ale today. OG: 1:101, FG:1.014 into secondary on the crabapples with house sour culture (6/5/21). Didn't take a gravity reading today, as the sour isn't there yet, I want it to continue to drop points. The Brett character is muted, mostly coming through as peppery-spicy flavor (could be the crabapples), with a heavy Brett aroma (the good kind, not diapers!). Some of the wheat character is taking a backseat to the apple's soft fruitiness. I am tasting a 70F, non-carbonated sample.


To make this more lambicky, I have options:

I can add more sour cultures from some of my other fermentations (I have three different sour cultures rolling along: House from our Muscat grapes, Worldwide Mishmash, and Russian River), and see what happens between now and Thanksgiving, or

I can blend at bottling time with a finished sour beer, or

I suppose I can do both?

Suggestions?

View attachment 740719
I say let it ride. But it’s your beer and I’ll be very happy to drink it !!!
 
Ill be rebrewing the Juniper Rye Bock this week sometime 😢. Should have plenty of time to mature still.

First batch is going to live its life as a higher proof beverage. Has an odd off-flavor that is a blend between sour and metallic with a weird bite after swallowing. Ill keep it around to see if it changes(not hopeful but also never experienced anything like this) but figured I better get going on another to be safe. Either way ill be ready to ship something in December :rock:
 
Just checking in! How is everyone making out. It will be here before you know it. I’ve acquired everything for my brew. I’m off until next Friday so I plan on brewing a Double NEIPA and the Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock Next week.

if for some reason you can’t commit let me know.

1) Caramel Quadruple @jack13
2) Spiced Cherry Dubbel @j1laskey
3) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock @TBC
4) Juniper Rye Bock @yoop89
5) Fruitcake Old Ale @blantonj00
6) Saffron Tripel @rsquared
7) Christmas Gruit @calandryll
8) Honey Ginger IPA @jerbrew
9) Crabapple Lambicky Ale @JAReeves
10) Gingerbread Ale @theothermillion
11) Spiced Bourbon Stout @grampamark
12) Abbey Weizen @Funky Frank

Bottled the Caramel Quad last night. Talked to calandryll; he's on track for the Gruit.
 
HB Mosaic SMaSH after changing oil in an SUV, repairing a bent tie rod on a tractor, responding to a combine fire, and having really good pizza for supper. I’ll be pouring another glass of something soon.
C69ECD81-0CA8-46F9-BD21-2D3E88831E94.jpeg


Edit: Posted in wrong thread.
The Spiced Bourbon Stout is in secondary and I‘m pleased with how the flavors have come together.
 
Well, I guess I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow-brewing the Spiced Bourbon Stout again.

4F1AA6C1-1853-4C16-8406-298B6E11D2F3.jpeg

First infection in 10+ years and 160+ batches. I racked this to a 5 gallon bucket, that I only use occasionally as a fermenter, to cellar for awhile. Apparently there was something nasty hiding in there. I pulled a sample a couple of weeks ago, before we went to the city house, and it tasted great. I had planned to bottle it after we got back to the farm. I opened the bucket a little while ago and was greeted by a hot, alcohol, smell and the pellicle pictured here. I pulled a sample, which tasted really hot, as well. The flavors of the spices and bourbon were gone. The SG hadn’t dropped; still at .012 which is where it finished after primary.

I’ve got almost two months before shipping, so there will be beer at Christmas. There’s a first time for everything but I would have rather my first infected batch had been just another pipeline filler instead of one intended for a beer exchange.
 
Well, I guess I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow-brewing the Spiced Bourbon Stout again.

View attachment 744953
First infection in 10+ years and 160+ batches. I racked this to a 5 gallon bucket, that I only use occasionally as a fermenter, to cellar for awhile. Apparently there was something nasty hiding in there. I pulled a sample a couple of weeks ago, before we went to the city house, and it tasted great. I had planned to bottle it after we got back to the farm. I opened the bucket a little while ago and was greeted by a hot, alcohol, smell and the pellicle pictured here. I pulled a sample, which tasted really hot, as well. The flavors of the spices and bourbon were gone. The SG hadn’t dropped; still at .012 which is where it finished after primary.

I’ve got almost two months before shipping, so there will be beer at Christmas. There’s a first time for everything but I would have rather my first infected batch had been just another pipeline filler instead of one intended for a beer exchange.

Dude, ouch. It's also been a LONG time for me to have an infected batch. But I had them back when I was getting started. Good luck with the next batch. Maybe go nuclear on that bucket.
 
Well, I guess I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow-brewing the Spiced Bourbon Stout again.

View attachment 744953
First infection in 10+ years and 160+ batches. I racked this to a 5 gallon bucket, that I only use occasionally as a fermenter, to cellar for awhile. Apparently there was something nasty hiding in there. I pulled a sample a couple of weeks ago, before we went to the city house, and it tasted great. I had planned to bottle it after we got back to the farm. I opened the bucket a little while ago and was greeted by a hot, alcohol, smell and the pellicle pictured here. I pulled a sample, which tasted really hot, as well. The flavors of the spices and bourbon were gone. The SG hadn’t dropped; still at .012 which is where it finished after primary.

I’ve got almost two months before shipping, so there will be beer at Christmas. There’s a first time for everything but I would have rather my first infected batch had been just another pipeline filler instead of one intended for a beer exchange.
If it’s not vinegar I’ll be happy to drink it !
 

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