I haven’t seen a thread go up this year, so I hereby volunteer to organize this year’s 12 Beers of Christmas.
Some years this thread resumes in December of the previous, sometimes even later in the calendary year than this one, but the list includes some big beers that might require starting early and aging. Christmas is less than 9 months away.
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: Not just brewing, bottling, packaging.
Shipping has become expensive. It will cost you no small sum to send out 11 packages! Your participation in this project means you agree to eventually wrap up 11 packages with 3 beers each, and mail them potentially all the way across the country from where you live. You will incur both the shipping plus packaging costs, (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.
Please have your beers ready to ship by Thanksgiving 2025!
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.
For reference: In 2012, @biochemedic posted 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.
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, nearly every 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 6/30/2025. Then relatively established HBT members (more than a year since joining ) *or* be a paid (Supporting or Lifetime ) members get next picks, and then it will fall to all other members.
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 2025 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 in 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 you’re sheet out of luck.
Here is the list of Beers and the recipes (read as guidelines) are included below.
1 ) Caramel Quadruple - All_readings_nominal
2 ) Spiced Cherry Dubbel -
3 ) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock -
4 ) Juniper Rye Bock - bailey mountain brewer
5 ) Fruitcake Old Ale -
6 ) Saffron Tripel
7 ) Christmas Gruit - @passedpawn
8 ) Honey Ginger IPA -
9 ) Crabapple Lambicky Ale -
10 ) Gingerbread Ale - kurds_2408
11 ) Spiced Bourbon Stout - @jerbrew
12 ) Abbey Weizen -
(Name assignments may change as more people sign up.)
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 caramelized 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 judgment 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 (one is also included here - 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 (Note: requires lagering )
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 preservative 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. CRABAPPLE 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 mixed 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 coriander; 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 citrus 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 boil 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.
Prior Years Archive:
2011
2012
2013
2014 (didn't happen)
2015 (didn't happen)
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024 (didn't happen)
Here are some HBT brewers who have participated previously, and the beer that they brewed:
1) Caramel Quadruple (2023 @4_Sons_Brewing ) (2022 @j1laskey) (2021 jack13 ) (2020 @passedpawn) (2020 @jerbrew) (2019 HopHeavy) (2019 @gromitdj ) (2018 Scturo ) (2018 BigCrazyAl) (2017 @Easycreeper ) (2016 binabik ) (2013 NuclearRich)
2) Spiced Cherry Dubbel (2023 @kwilson16) (2022 @jerbrew) (2021 @j1laskey) (2020 CaddyWampus ) (2019 @fourfarthing) (2019 @Yeroc) (2018 HawleyFarms) (2018 btbnl ) (2017 @passedpawn) (2016 mike_23us) (2013 gavball6)
3) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock (2023 @mjdonnelly68) (2022 @BAF) (2021 @TBC) (2020 imasickboy) (2020 @grampamark) (2019 @Hoppy2bmerry) (2018 @MapleGroveAleworks) (2018 Blackdirt_cowboy) (2016 @GilSwillBasementBrews) (2013 bobdozer)
4) Juniper Rye Bock (2023 @shetc ) (2022 @CaddyWampus ) (2021 yoop89) (2020 jack13 ) (2019 @dryboroughbrewing ) (2019 Jmarsh544) (2018 HopHeavy’s brother ) (2018 @cmac62) (2017 @jerbrew) (2016 @tochsner) (2013 @watersr)
5) Fruitcake Old Ale (2023 @jerbrew) (2022 @GoodTimeCharlie ) (2021 @blantonj00 ) (2020 @Hoppy2bmerry) (2020 Yeroc ) (2019 BradleyBrew ) (2019 @anotherbeerplease ) (2018 JDXX1971) (2018 Auger) (2017 @JDXX1971 ) (2016 biochemedic) (2013 jgourd)
6) Saffron Tripel (2022 wetmk) (2021 rsquared) (2020 HopHeavy ) (2020 PianoMan ) (2019 cegan09) (2018 @TBC ) (2018 Yeroc ) (2017 @dryboroughbrewing ) (2016 jesseny04 ) (2013 pheboglobi)
7) Christmas Gruit (2023 @passedpawn ) (2022 GoodTruble) (2021 @calandryll ) (2020 j1laskey ) (2020 yoop89 ) (2019 Scturo ) (2018 BradleyBrew ) (2018 @November ) (2017 Auger ) (2013 stblindtiger)
8) Honey Ginger IPA (2023 @thetick ) (2022 @TBC ) (2021 jerbrew ) (2020 CarLock Brewing) (2019 HopHeavy ) brother Pete (2019 dawn_kiebawls ) (2018 biochemedic )(2018 @Brewfessor ) (2017 bobeer) (2016 treacharoustexan ) (2013 FermentedTed)
9) Crabapple Lambicky Ale (2023 @JAReeves ) (2022 Funky Frank) (2021 @JAReeves ) (2020 @TBC ) (2019 MapleGroveAleworks ) (2019 @tochsner ) (2018 @dryboroughbrewing ) (2017 HawleyFarms ) (2013 obscurebrewing)
10) Gingerbread Ale (2023 @Rish ) (2022 @4_Sons_Brewing ) (2021 theothermillion) (2020 @satph ) (2019 Jtk78) (2018 jerbrew ) (2018 badgerfan79) (2017 @TBC ) (2016 Teromous ) (2013 jjefrey)
11) Spiced Bourbon Stout (2023 @BAF ) (2022 @JAReeves ) (2021 @grampamark ) (2020 wstbrewing) (2020 @gunhaus ) (2019 @TBC ) (2019 @TwistedGray ) (2018 @gromitdj ) (2018 @anotherbeerplease ) (2017 HopHeavy ) (2016 Auger) (2013 DanBrewTan )
12) Abbey Weizen (2023 @Beekeeper ) (2022 @Hoppy2bmerry ) (2021 Funky Frank ) (2020 @fourfarthing) (2020 @TwistedGray ) (2019 wstbrewing ) (2019 @grampamark) (2018 HopHeavy ) (2018 Zimm9) (2017 @b-boy ) (2016 erick0619) (2013 Stovetop535)
Other Notes:
You will need to bottle most of your batch to get the 33 bottles that you need to send out.
You should bottle in late October at the latest.
The bigger beers will benefit from getting bottled earlier so that they have time to bottle condition.
Looking forward to Christmas 2025.
Some years this thread resumes in December of the previous, sometimes even later in the calendary year than this one, but the list includes some big beers that might require starting early and aging. Christmas is less than 9 months away.
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: Not just brewing, bottling, packaging.
Shipping has become expensive. It will cost you no small sum to send out 11 packages! Your participation in this project means you agree to eventually wrap up 11 packages with 3 beers each, and mail them potentially all the way across the country from where you live. You will incur both the shipping plus packaging costs, (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.
Please have your beers ready to ship by Thanksgiving 2025!
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.
For reference: In 2012, @biochemedic posted 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.
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, nearly every 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 6/30/2025. Then relatively established HBT members (more than a year since joining ) *or* be a paid (Supporting or Lifetime ) members get next picks, and then it will fall to all other members.
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 2025 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 in 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 you’re sheet out of luck.
Here is the list of Beers and the recipes (read as guidelines) are included below.
1 ) Caramel Quadruple - All_readings_nominal
2 ) Spiced Cherry Dubbel -
3 ) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock -
4 ) Juniper Rye Bock - bailey mountain brewer
5 ) Fruitcake Old Ale -
6 ) Saffron Tripel
7 ) Christmas Gruit - @passedpawn
8 ) Honey Ginger IPA -
9 ) Crabapple Lambicky Ale -
10 ) Gingerbread Ale - kurds_2408
11 ) Spiced Bourbon Stout - @jerbrew
12 ) Abbey Weizen -
(Name assignments may change as more people sign up.)
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 caramelized 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 judgment 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 (one is also included here - 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 (Note: requires lagering )
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 preservative 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. CRABAPPLE 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 mixed 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 coriander; 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 citrus 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 boil 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.
Prior Years Archive:
2011
2012
2013
2014 (didn't happen)
2015 (didn't happen)
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024 (didn't happen)
Here are some HBT brewers who have participated previously, and the beer that they brewed:
1) Caramel Quadruple (2023 @4_Sons_Brewing ) (2022 @j1laskey) (2021 jack13 ) (2020 @passedpawn) (2020 @jerbrew) (2019 HopHeavy) (2019 @gromitdj ) (2018 Scturo ) (2018 BigCrazyAl) (2017 @Easycreeper ) (2016 binabik ) (2013 NuclearRich)
2) Spiced Cherry Dubbel (2023 @kwilson16) (2022 @jerbrew) (2021 @j1laskey) (2020 CaddyWampus ) (2019 @fourfarthing) (2019 @Yeroc) (2018 HawleyFarms) (2018 btbnl ) (2017 @passedpawn) (2016 mike_23us) (2013 gavball6)
3) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock (2023 @mjdonnelly68) (2022 @BAF) (2021 @TBC) (2020 imasickboy) (2020 @grampamark) (2019 @Hoppy2bmerry) (2018 @MapleGroveAleworks) (2018 Blackdirt_cowboy) (2016 @GilSwillBasementBrews) (2013 bobdozer)
4) Juniper Rye Bock (2023 @shetc ) (2022 @CaddyWampus ) (2021 yoop89) (2020 jack13 ) (2019 @dryboroughbrewing ) (2019 Jmarsh544) (2018 HopHeavy’s brother ) (2018 @cmac62) (2017 @jerbrew) (2016 @tochsner) (2013 @watersr)
5) Fruitcake Old Ale (2023 @jerbrew) (2022 @GoodTimeCharlie ) (2021 @blantonj00 ) (2020 @Hoppy2bmerry) (2020 Yeroc ) (2019 BradleyBrew ) (2019 @anotherbeerplease ) (2018 JDXX1971) (2018 Auger) (2017 @JDXX1971 ) (2016 biochemedic) (2013 jgourd)
6) Saffron Tripel (2022 wetmk) (2021 rsquared) (2020 HopHeavy ) (2020 PianoMan ) (2019 cegan09) (2018 @TBC ) (2018 Yeroc ) (2017 @dryboroughbrewing ) (2016 jesseny04 ) (2013 pheboglobi)
7) Christmas Gruit (2023 @passedpawn ) (2022 GoodTruble) (2021 @calandryll ) (2020 j1laskey ) (2020 yoop89 ) (2019 Scturo ) (2018 BradleyBrew ) (2018 @November ) (2017 Auger ) (2013 stblindtiger)
8) Honey Ginger IPA (2023 @thetick ) (2022 @TBC ) (2021 jerbrew ) (2020 CarLock Brewing) (2019 HopHeavy ) brother Pete (2019 dawn_kiebawls ) (2018 biochemedic )(2018 @Brewfessor ) (2017 bobeer) (2016 treacharoustexan ) (2013 FermentedTed)
9) Crabapple Lambicky Ale (2023 @JAReeves ) (2022 Funky Frank) (2021 @JAReeves ) (2020 @TBC ) (2019 MapleGroveAleworks ) (2019 @tochsner ) (2018 @dryboroughbrewing ) (2017 HawleyFarms ) (2013 obscurebrewing)
10) Gingerbread Ale (2023 @Rish ) (2022 @4_Sons_Brewing ) (2021 theothermillion) (2020 @satph ) (2019 Jtk78) (2018 jerbrew ) (2018 badgerfan79) (2017 @TBC ) (2016 Teromous ) (2013 jjefrey)
11) Spiced Bourbon Stout (2023 @BAF ) (2022 @JAReeves ) (2021 @grampamark ) (2020 wstbrewing) (2020 @gunhaus ) (2019 @TBC ) (2019 @TwistedGray ) (2018 @gromitdj ) (2018 @anotherbeerplease ) (2017 HopHeavy ) (2016 Auger) (2013 DanBrewTan )
12) Abbey Weizen (2023 @Beekeeper ) (2022 @Hoppy2bmerry ) (2021 Funky Frank ) (2020 @fourfarthing) (2020 @TwistedGray ) (2019 wstbrewing ) (2019 @grampamark) (2018 HopHeavy ) (2018 Zimm9) (2017 @b-boy ) (2016 erick0619) (2013 Stovetop535)
Other Notes:
You will need to bottle most of your batch to get the 33 bottles that you need to send out.
You should bottle in late October at the latest.
The bigger beers will benefit from getting bottled earlier so that they have time to bottle condition.
Looking forward to Christmas 2025.
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