Christmas Ale Brew Day!

[dhelegda]

Ok so I am attempting my first Christmas Ale, I am going to brew a Amber Ale as my base and will add some cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves the last 5 minutes of the boil. I am going to add some vanilla to the primary and let the yeast do their job. In about 3 weeks I will keg, and condition. Hopefully having a perfect Christmas Ale for the Holidays. What could I do better and what would you not do?

 

[NewJersey]

cinnamon sticks
i have not been able to find the ceylon variety but they are supposed to be superior

 

[dhelegda]

A buddy recommended that I only use about an 1/8 of a tea spoon on the spices. So I was thinking the cinnamon stick would be a little too over powering. Thoughts?

 

[sempf]

This is a good idea. I am going to try this too.

You think whole spices? Maybe split the nutmeg.

What about a sweeter beer base? Or not worry about that, and leave it to the vanilla?

S

 

[N3Bruce]

I added some sweet orange peel, and a partially crushed orange with cloves stuck in the skin like a sea mine during the last 10 minutes of the boil. Also added 2 cinnamon sticks to the final hop bag, along with a couple of dribs of Vanilla Extract, and 2 pounds of honey. Its been in secondary for a week, and still fermenting a little (the honey takes a while), but the gravity is down to 1.012 from 1.055.

I should be bottling it sometime in the next week or so, but I am wondering if it isn't too late to throw a little nutmeg in as well, perhaps making a tea and adding it to the secondary before bottling it?