12 Beers of Christmas - 2023 Edition

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4_Sons_Brewing

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shamelessly copying and pasting @TBC post from last year, but attempting to put together a 2023 thread…
Here's the general concept:
12 different brewers will brew one of the 12 beers of Christmas found in Randy's Mosher's Radical Brewing.
Each brewer sends out three 12oz bottles of their beer to the 11 other brewers (33 bottles sent out in total) and receives 3 bottles of each recipe in return. Maybe you drink one, share one, and age the third!?
Some of these are fairly big beers, and need some time and aging to be optimal, so planning and brewing early can be critical. If you're bottle conditioning, be ready to bottle in time, etc. Also, one of the beers (Juniper Rye Bock) is a lager, so a brewer with a lagering fridge will be needed for that one.

Shipping:
It will cost you some money to send out 11 packages! Getting involved in this project means you'll eventually need to wrap up 11 packages with 3 beers each, and mail them potentially all the way across the country from where you live. You may be looking at about $120 in shipping give or take (but you're getting 33 fancy Christmas beers!).
With this in mind, it has been historically a necessity to require that all brewers will need to be located inside the continental U.S.
If you can accept packages at a business address, that will save your fellow brewers some money. (For some reason, the big shippers charge less to deliver to a business address...)
Speaking of the big shippers, generally if you show up at UPS or FedEx with a well packed, sealed box, they don't ask questions. Legally you aren't allowed to ship alcohol via USPS, but in prior years some participants have shipped using Flat Rate boxes from the post office, and haven't had any issues, but this is by no means an endorsement of such an action.
Shipping will need to occur approximately the week after Thanksgiving.
For reference: In 2012, @biochemedicposted some (admittedly perhaps overkill) instructions for packaging a 12 oz longneck for shipping, and also a post with some common box sizes that work well for shipping 3 wrapped/bagged longnecks.

Please have your beers ready to ship by Thanksgiving 2023! So plan accordingly depending on the beer you end up brewing. Some take much longer than others. This is the 12 beers of Xmas so try to make sure your recipient receives them before the holiday.

Choosing What You Want to Brew:
We'll use the same system as previous years: first come first served (with the noted restrictions below...)
Reply to this thread if you're interested and let us know which beer you want to brew. As beers are claimed, I will update the thread with the brewer's name next to their selection.

How to not be a d*u$hb@g:
As much as it pains me to post this part, the simple fact is that, every single year this project has been run, there has been at least one brewer who has simply up and vanished, and at times has been shipped homebrew in good faith before their disappearance has become apparent.

Based on this, participants will be accepted in order: past participants who fulfilled their commitments from previous years get preferential treatment until 3/31/2023. Then relatively established HBT members (more than a year since joining) *or* be a paid (Supporting or Lifetime) member starting 4/1/2023 and then it will be open to all other members starting 5/1/2023.

Communicate! If for some reason you have to back out, own up to it ASAP, and hopefully allow a replacement brewer to step in. Please do not disappear for a few months and then come back saying 2023 was busy and you can't participate and now it's too late for anyone to take your place. Think AHEAD of time whether you can put in the work to execute this amazing exchange. I will follow up with participants via pm the end of June/ beginning of July and if you don’t respond you will be dropped and I will open your spot up. If you decide to get back to me a month or two after I send you a pm you will be welcomed back as long as your spot hasn’t been chosen. If it was chosen your sheet out of luck.

Here is the list of Beers and the recipes are below in case you don’t have a copy

1) Caramel Quadruple - @4_Sons_Brewing
2) Spiced Cherry Dubbel
3) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock
4) Juniper Rye Bock - @shetc
5) Fruitcake Old Ale - @jerbrew
6) Saffron Tripel
7) Christmas Gruit
8) Honey Ginger IPA
9) Crabapple Lambicky Ale - @JAReeves
10) Gingerbread Ale
11) Spiced Bourbon Stout - @BAF
12) Abbey Weizen



12 BEERS OF CHRISTMAS RECIPES
BY RANDY MOSHER FROM HIS BOOK RADICAL BREWING

1. CARAMEL QUADRUPEL - Start with the tripel recipe on p. 125 (see below), but add 4 pounds of amber malt, and use the following toffee sugar recipe instead of the sugar in the original recipe. Sugar and malt caramalized together will impart a lingering toffee-like quality.
Mix a pound of each of light malt extract and white sugar in a heavy saucepan. Heat until it melts; stir only enough to mix together, and continue until it starts to darken. Use your judgement about when to stop. Once it starts to brown, things happen quickly, but it can get fairly dark before it will make the beer taste burnt. When done, remove from the stove and scrape it directly into your brew kettle or cool it by lowering the pan into a larger pan of water. Once cooled, add brewing water and reheat to dissolve the caramel, then add to your brew in progress. Gravity: 1.100 (24*P). Color: deep reddish-brown.

THREE NIGHT TRIPEL
Yield: 5 gallons
Gravity: 1.080 (19*P)
ABV: 7.6 - 8.6%
Color: Pale Gold
IBUs: 43
Yeast: Belgian abbey
Maturation: 3 to 4 months

Recipe:
10 lb Pilsner Malt (72%)
2 lb Munich Malt (14%)
2 lb Jaggery or Demerara Sugar

Hops:
2 oz Styrian Goldings (7%AA) 60 Min
1.5 oz Saaz (3%AA) 15 Min


2. SPICED CHERRY DUBBEL - Start with a good rich dubbel (p. 124 - see below), toss in an additional pound of piloncillo or turbinado sugar, and use a combination of sweet (black) and sour (Montmorency) cherries, which should ferment in the beer for a month or so. A pound per gallon is a minimum. Two is better. One teaspoon of ceylon (true) cinnamon added at the end of the boil will enhance the natural spiciness of the sour cherries. Add one drop (no more!) of almond extract for added depth. Gravity: 1.070 to 1.078 (17 to 18.5*P). Color: deep ruby-amber

TWO BITS ABBEY DUBBEL
Yield: 5 gallons
Gravity: 1.063 (15*P)
ABV: 5.5 - 6.4%
Color: Deep amber
IBUs: 29
Yeast: Belgian abbey
Maturation: 8 to 10 weeks

Recipe:
6 lb Pale Ale Malt (63.5%)
3 lb Munich Malt (23%)
1 lb Special B (9%)
0.5 lb Aromatic Malt (4.5%)
1 lb Piloncillo or other partially-refined sugar (9%)

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


3. SPICED DUNKEL WEIZENBOCK
Yield: 5 gallons
Gravity: 1.083 (19.5*P)
ABV: 6.7 - 7.7%
Color: Deep amber
IBUs: 28
Yeast: Altbier or Belgian abbey
Maturation: 3 to 5 months

Recipe:
5 lb Wheat Malt (38%)
4 lb Munich Malt (31%)
2 lb Pilsner Malt (15%)
1 lb Wheat Malt, toasted 30 min @ 350*F (8%)
1 lb Medium Crystal Malt (40 to 60L) (8%)

Hops:
1.75 oz Tettnang (4.5%AA) 90 Min
0.5 oz Tettnang (4.5%AA) 30 Min

Spices:
1 tsp allspice (added at end of the boil)
1 tsp star anise (added at end of the boil)
1 tsp caraway (added at end of the boil)
0.5oz orange peel (added at end of the boil)
2oz candied ginger (may be chopped coarsely and tossed into secondary)


4. JUNIPER RYE BOCK
Yield: 5 gallons
Gravity: 1.080 (19*P)
ABV: 6.4 - 7.2%
Color: Deep amber
IBUs: 24
Yeast: Danish Lager
Maturation: 4 to 6 months

Recipe:
9.5 lb Munich Malt (62%)
3 lb Pilsner Malt (19%)
2 lb Malted Rye (13%)
1 lb Rice Hulls
4 oz Juniper Berries, crushed (added in the mash)

Hops & Spices:
2 oz Hallertau (3.5%AA) 90 Min
2 oz Juniper Berries, crushed 90 Min
2 oz Juniper Berries, crushed 0 Min


5. FRUIT CAKE OLD ALE
Yield: 5 gallons
Gravity: 1.075 (18*P)
ABV: 6.5 - 7.5%
Color: Deep reddish amber
IBUs: 31
Yeast: Scottish Ale
Maturation: 6 to 9 months

Recipe:
8.75 lb Munich Malt (62%)
3 lb Amber Malt (22%)
1 lb Special B (13%)
4 oz Carafa II Malt (6%)

Hops:
1.5 oz Liberty (4.5%AA) 90 Min
0.5 oz Saaz (3%AA) 15 Min
0.5 oz Liberty (4.5%AA) 15 Min

Spices:
0.25 tsp nutmeg (added at end of the boil)
0.25 tsp allspice (added at end of the boil)
2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon (added at end of the boil)
1 tsp powdered ginger (added at end of the boil)
1 tsp vanilla extract (added at end of the boil)

After primary fermentation, assemble 3 lb of dried fruit: raisins, apricots, cherries, blueberries, whatever, plus the zest of two oranges and two whole cloves. Pour boiling water over it to rehydrate; allow to stand for an hour or two to cool and plump, then mix with the beer which has been racked into a vessel with some headspace. Allow this to ferment for two weeks, then rack off the fruit into another carboy, allow to settle, then bottle as usual. This beer will benefit from several months aging.


6. SAFFRON TRIPEL - Pick you favorite Belgian tripel recipe as a start. If there's no sugar in it, substitute 20 percent of the base malt for some unrefined sugar - turbinado or piloncillo, for example.
Jaggery (Indian palm sugar) is also lovely. Add the zest of one orange at the end of the boil, along with a pinch of crushed grains of paradise or black pepper. Ferment with Belgian ale yeast, and add a half-teaspoon of saffron threads after transferring to the secondary. Gravity: 1.090 (21.5*P). Color: orange-gold.


7. CHRISTMAS GRUIT - This is a throwback to the days before hopped beers were the norm. I have included some hops here, largely for their persevative value. Note that the "gruit" component of this is only partially authentic (bog myrtle), as yarrow and wild rosemary can't in good conscience be recommended for internal consumption. The rosemary and California bay laurel provide a safe approximation. Start with the dunkel weizenbock recipe (Number 4) but substitute he following spices, which may be added at the end of the boil: 4 oz juniper, crushed; 1 tsp ceylon cinnamon; 0.5 tsp bog myrtle/sweet gale; 0.25 tsp rosemary; 0.12 tsp mace; two California bay laurel leaves. Add one pound of heather or dark wildflower honey to the secondary and allow it to ferment out before bottling. Saison of other characterful Belgian yeast is recommended. As an option, a package of mixed lambic culture, added after the primary, will add wild aromas and a bit of sourness after a few months. Substituting a bit of smoked malt will impart a
suitably medieval funkiness. Gravity: 1.091 (22*P). Color: hazy amber.


8. HONEY GINGER IPA - Ginger was a popular ingredient in British beers prior to 1850, and here we're pairing it with a dab of honey. Start with an IPA, and brew and ferment as normal. Once transferred to the secondary, add 2 pounds of honey, plus 2 ounces of candied ginger, coarsely chopped. This is a higher-quality ginger than the stuff in the produce section, less pungent and less earthy. I would use
British East Kent Goldings hops exclusively. Gravity: 1.065 (15.5*P). Color: pale amber.


9. CRANAPPLE LAMBICKY ALE - Crabapples add not only a festive touch, but tannins and acidity as well, which makes it easier to get that tart, champagny character without extended aging. Brew a simple pale wheat ale like the Amazing Daze (see below). If mashing, go low (145*F) and long (two hours). Ferment with ale yeast, Belgian or otherwise. Obtain 3 to 4 pounds of crabapples (cranberries work also), wash well, then freeze. Thaw and add to the beer when it is transferred to the secondary, along with a package of mized lambic culture. Allow to age on the fruit for two months, then rack, allow to clear (which may take a month or two), and bottle. Lambic character will continue to increase with time. Gravity: 1.050
(12*P). Color: pale pink.

AMAZING DAZE AMERICAN WHEAT ALE
Yield: 5 gallons
Gravity: 1.049 (12*P)
ABV: 4.1 - 4.7%
Color: Pale Gold
IBUs: 23
Yeast: American Ale
Maturation: 4 to 6 weeks

Recipe:
4 lb Pilsner Ale (44.5%)
4 lb Wheat Malt (44.5%)
1 lb Munich Malt (11%)
1 lb Rice Hulls

Hops:
0.75 oz Cascade (6%AA) 60 Min
1 oz US Tettnang (4.5%AA) 15 Min


10. GINGERBREAD ALE - Liquid cake! One of our Chicago Beer Society homebrewers hit me with this one a few years ago, and the flavor was quite striking. The base brew should be a soft brown ale, lightly hopped, with no pronounced hop aroma. The gingerbread flavor depends on a specific balance of spices used in the common dessert: 1 tsp cinnamon; 0.5 tsp ground giner; 0.25 tsp allspice; 0.25 tsp cloves. Just add them at the end of the boil. Gravity: 1.055 (13*P). color: pale brown.


11. SPICED BOURBON STOUT - Take your favorite stout recipe and dose it with spices. Into 6 oz of Vodka and 2 oz of bourbon (more if you wish), add: 0.5 tsp vanilla extract; 0.25 tsp allspice; 0.5 tsp cinnamon; 0.25 oz crushed corianger; 1 whole star anise (or 0.25 tsp ground); 0.5 oz crushed juniper; pinch of black pepper. Gravity: 1.050 (12*P). Color: India ink.


12. ABBEY WEIZEN - This one's easy. Take a classic Bavarian Weizen recipe and ferment it with a Belgian abbey yeast. For a little more zip, add a little citris peel-try a tangelo or a handful of kumquats for a fairly close approximation of the Seville/curacao orange. Coriander and chamomile (0.25 oz of each) added at the end of the voil provide even more depth. You could brew this same recipe at much higher gravities if desired. Gravity: 1.045 (11*P). Color: hazy deep gold.
 
Last edited:
@passedpawn - you’ve got it.

Still 6 more slots available.

1) Caramel Quadruple - @4_Sons_Brewing
2) Spiced Cherry Dubbel
3) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock
4) Juniper Rye Bock - @shetc
5) Fruitcake Old Ale - @jerbrew
6) Saffron Tripel
7) Christmas Gruit - @passedpawn
8) Honey Ginger IPA
9) Crabapple Lambicky Ale - @JAReeves
10) Gingerbread Ale
11) Spiced Bourbon Stout - @BAF
12) Abbey Weizen
 
Never participated in any thing like this so it's kinda intimidating to have my beer tried by so many highly experienced homebrewers but I'm drawn to give a try. I'll take the Gingerbread Ale if that's okay. I'll have plenty of time to work on it before sending it out!🍻
 
Never participated in any thing like this so it's kinda intimidating to have my beer tried by so many highly experienced homebrewers but I'm drawn to give a try. I'll take the Gingerbread Ale if that's okay. I'll have plenty of time to work on it before sending it out!🍻
No worries. I made questionable beers for this before, sent it to all, and I was not stoned at the end. It's quite gentlemanly in this exchange. [edit] Or gentlewomanly, don't want to disparage the brewsters.
 
Never participated in any thing like this so it's kinda intimidating to have my beer tried by so many highly experienced homebrewers but I'm drawn to give a try. I'll take the Gingerbread Ale if that's okay. I'll have plenty of time to work on it before sending it out!🍻

Wel,this is what happens when you procrastinate. I was looking at the gingerbread ale, but didn't jump in there. Early enough. Can't wait to try it.

This would be the first time I've done something like this as well. That said, if you're all willing to risk taking in a newer brewer, I'd be happy to take on the Honey Ginger IPA.
 
Here is where we stand -

1) Caramel Quadruple - @4_Sons_Brewing
2) Spiced Cherry Dubbel
3) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock
4) Juniper Rye Bock - @shetc
5) Fruitcake Old Ale - @jerbrew
6) Saffron Tripel
7) Christmas Gruit - @passedpawn
8) Honey Ginger IPA - @thetick
9) Crabapple Lambicky Ale - @JAReeves
10) Gingerbread Ale - @Rish
11) Spiced Bourbon Stout - @BAF
12) Abbey Weizen
 
For anybody who cares, here's the previous years of this event. If you're wondering about your recipe, you can look back on past years and maybe send a message to someone who brewed it before. I've done that in the past.


2011
2012
2013
2014 (didn't happen)
2015 (didn't happen)
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
 
I've got my gruit recipe worked out. It's in the queue, prolly make it in 2 weeks. Making these big beers early allows me to 1) rebrew if necessary, and 2) lots of time to ferment out completely before bottling. I haven't brewed with most of those spices, so v1 might be a disaster haha.

1683894523983.png
 
Making these big beers early allows me to 1) rebrew if necessary, and 2) lots of time to ferment out completely before bottling. I haven't brewed with most of those spices, so v1 might be a disaster haha.
That's what would scare me about this. I have never brewed anything with spices in it, and the very few beers I have made with external flavorings, I would be ashamed to send to someone as a Christmas Exchange. Even to exchange the beers I've made with cherry extract or other fruit flavors, I could only join this thing if the other 11 were forum members I really didn't like. Lol
 
That's what would scare me about this. I have never brewed anything with spices in it, and the very few beers I have made with external flavorings, I would be ashamed to send to someone as a Christmas Exchange. Even to exchange the beers I've made with cherry extract or other fruit flavors, I could only join this thing if the other 11 were forum members I really didn't like. Lol
cmon, it's just beer. do it.
 
I appreciate the welcoming disposition guys, but while I was a little tongue in cheek with the humor there, it wasn't humor when I say I don't believe I could make one of these beers. Maybe another year if you guys do it again. It'll be interesting to follow how everybody makes out here. But I'm not a very good candidate for this.
 
Getting ready for the boil. Gruit: not your normal boil additions. Orange peel, star anise, chamomile, bay leaves, rosemary, juniper berries, allspice.
Not sure how this thing is going to end up :oops: If it's an abomination, I'll just rebrew.

View attachment 821550
Well, the hydrometer sample tasted and smelled awesome. Bunch of stuff going on there, but the star anise (black licorice) allspice (cinnamon/clove) and orange peel stood out. I was worried the rosemary would be too much, but no problem. When the hydro sample is tolerable, I know the beer won't be a dumper. Inoculating with an abbey yeast.

Beer is expected to be 8% +

Hope you all are having equal successes.
 
Well, the hydrometer sample tasted and smelled awesome. Bunch of stuff going on there, but the star anise (black licorice) allspice (cinnamon/clove) and orange peel stood out. I was worried the rosemary would be too much, but no problem. When the hydro sample is tolerable, I know the beer won't be a dumper. Inoculating with an abbey
That sounds awesome!
 
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