"Christmas Ale 2013" recipe missing something?

[Zokfend]

I brewed a "Christmas Ale 2013" all-grain recipe of HighGravity's (Tulsa, OK), and it's at the end of its fermentation after 5 weeks and at 8.25% ABV. Here's the recipe:

13.5lbs Maris Otter
8oz Torrified Wheat
12oz Crystal 60
4oz Crystal 120
3oz Chocolate Malt

1oz Northern Brewer hops (60m)
.5oz Fuggle hops (15m)
.25oz Fuggle hops (flameout)

8oz Cane sugar (10m)
5oz Invert sugar (10m)
3oz Molassis (10m)

Wyeast 1028

After tasting my latest sample, it just seems as if it's missing something. Looking at other christmas ale recipes i've found online, i see spices like ginger, all-spice, nutmeg, etc. I'm seriously considering racking this to a secondary and adding some of these spices and letting it sit for another month.

What do you all think? What would you all recommend for additional spices and amounts?

Thanks!

 

[Vlint]

I would boil them in a little water and add it all to the fermenter. I wouldn't add more than a half oz chunk of ginger and a tablespoon of all spice

 

[RonPopeil]

check out austin homebrew's site. they have a spice pack for holiday beers.

 

[Callacave]

When I think Chritmas/Holiday Ale or Winter Warmer I always like it to be a spiced ale.

I've got a Winter Warmer finishing up where I added cinnamon, orange peel, cardamom seeds and grains of paradise.

For amounts, I used 0.15 oz of Saigon cinnamon chips. That stuff is strong. Used 0.50 oz of actual orange peel, 1/4 tsp of cardamom seeds, 2 grams of grains of paradise.

I say go for it, and make up a tincture of whatever spices you think would go well in the beer and add it to taste.

 

[Zokfend]

i was thinking about Palmer's spices he used in his pumpkin ale and christmas ale recipe:

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice

i made his pumpkin ale last year, and i must admit that even those little amounts of spice was maybe a tad too much, so i'll probably mix those and pitch half of it and let it sit for a month in the secondary and give it a taste test. opinions?

I would boil them in a little water and add it all to the fermenter. I wouldn't add more than a half oz chunk of ginger and a tablespoon of all spice

the beer already being 8.25pct abv, do you think it's still necessary to boil any spices before pitching it?

 

[RonPopeil]

i was thinking about Palmer's spices he used in his pumpkin ale and christmas ale recipe:

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice

i made his pumpkin ale last year, and i must admit that even those little amounts of spice was maybe a tad too much, so i'll probably mix those and pitch half of it and let it sit for a month in the secondary and give it a taste test. opinions?


the beer already being 8.25pct abv, do you think it's still necessary to boil any spices before pitching it?

yeah i would. the boil is just to sanitize it. you could make a tea with it and throw the whole lot in or soak it in spirit and chuck it in.