Winter Seasonal Beer Christmas Ale (Great Lakes Clone)

[Shinglejohn]

60 min.

 

[fredbeard]

When will you add the honey? I've read some places tend to add it at flame out, others at the 30 minute mark.

 

[gatorbrew]

If brewing this with extract and specialty grain, which extract should be used? Also, what is the fermenting time and temperature?

 

[Shinglejohn]

I add the honey at flameout. Some recomend doing it in secondary because much of the honey aroma and flavor is driven off in c02. Its been well balanced for me at flameout though.

Gator. You can pretty much always sub 2row with light extract

 

[evilhomer]

I converted this to a partial mash and did a couple of other slight adjustments. Bottled it yesterday and it tasted great at bottling. I could drink it out of my primary all night. Pretty excited about how this one will be after it's been bottled a few weeks.

 

[LakeEffect]

Maxam,
I wanted to follow up and thank you for this recipe. I brewed this beer over Thanksgiving and it turned out great, very close to Great Lakes. I used your basic grain bill although I used 40L crystal malt rather than 45L. I also upped the bitterness to about 30 IBU:
1 oz Hallertau (4%) 60 min
1 oz Cascade (5%) 30 min
0.5 oz Cascade (5%) 10 min
0.5 oz Cascade (5%) 5 min
I added the honey at flameout and did not add any ginger or cinnamon to the secondary.
Although I was pleased, I may increase the hops a bit more next time to balance the cinnamon a little better. Overall very happy, thanks again for sharing!

 

[ralphie]

Well I missed christmas on this one but its done. Kind of.. and I need some tips. I just cracked open my first 2 bottles the other day, no carbonation and no head. This is only my 4th batch so I'm still learning. Any tips on what I can do to? I had it fermenting at about a 68. Bottle storage has been the same. After all the weeks in the fermenters could the yeast have settled and not worked on the priming sugar? Should I add more yeast and recap? It smelled so good at bottling...

 

[Shinglejohn]

How long was it in bottles/ What yeast did you use?

 

[ralphie]

How long was it in bottles/ What yeast did you use?

I used the 1028 london ale yeast as the recipe called for. I tried the first 2 just after 2 weeks of being bottled.

 

[Shinglejohn]

2 weeks is not a suffient bottling period. Although i have had trouble this year with the 1028 carbing as well. Never in the past before. Give it at least 2 more weeks and try gently rousing the sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

 

[ralphie]

Thanks for your input Shinglejohn. I will definitely give it more time. The first tasting was more of a trial, but I thought that there would at least be a little fizz, although not strong. I was wrong so back to the waiting game. If after 2 more weeks it is still like it is now, what would you recommend?

 

[Shinglejohn]

Yeast are mysterous and stubborn. sometimes they just need time. two weeks is really a short amount of time, if after two weeks, there is no change you could add a few little grains of dry yeast and recap.

but that is a last resort.

I recomend just waiting.

 

[two_hearted]

Maxam,
I wanted to follow up and thank you for this recipe. I brewed this beer over Thanksgiving and it turned out great, very close to Great Lakes. I used your basic grain bill although I used 40L crystal malt rather than 45L. I also upped the bitterness to about 30 IBU:
1 oz Hallertau (4%) 60 min
1 oz Cascade (5%) 30 min
0.5 oz Cascade (5%) 10 min
0.5 oz Cascade (5%) 5 min
I added the honey at flameout and did not add any ginger or cinnamon to the secondary.
Although I was pleased, I may increase the hops a bit more next time to balance the cinnamon a little better. Overall very happy, thanks again for sharing!

Awesome! Glad to hear the results. How is it aging? Is there any left?

 

[LakeEffect]

Awesome! Glad to hear the results. How is it aging? Is there any left?

It's aging well. There's still a few left, stop over and we'll have a couple I'm impressed with the head, I used corn sugar to prime which doesn't always produce a nice creamy head but this batch is very smooth and creamy. Like I said, I'm going to up the bitterness next year and I think it's a winner. Thanks again for sharing!

~~
LE

 

[rudu81]

I definitely need to try this. My first ever attempt was a holiday ale, and while it turned out to the liking of SWMBO and her friends, it just wasn't GLBC's.

My plan is to go with maxam's recipe and LakeEffect's hop schedule. I'm curious how this turned out!

 

[FireBrew63]

Want to get this rolling soon so it will be ready for Christmas 2011. Do you just use fresh ginger root grated or sliced?

 

[usfmikeb]

I might be trying this as well - subscribed

 

[Shinglejohn]

Want to get this rolling soon so it will be ready for Christmas 2011. Do you just use fresh ginger root grated or sliced?

I use fresh ginger. I've tried it a few different ways. I think this year I'm just going to cut it up and chuck it in the boil. I don't recomed grated, I did that the first time I made this and it was messy.

 

[FalkyBrew]

if you boil honey, it becomes sugar, so its a waste, if your gonna boil it just use table sugar. Add honey after primary fermentation is done (or winding down)

If you add it during boil will it result in a higher abv? If so could you add it during boil and in the secondary?

 

[WazzuBrew]

If you add it during boil will it result in a higher abv? If so could you add it during boil and in the secondary?

You add honey about 10-15 towards the end of the boil. This pasteurizes it yet you maintain the aroma of the honey.

 

[ap0345]

Does the Cinnamon Stick in Ginger Root produce enough flavor by only leaving it in the secondary for 5 minutes?

 

[two_hearted]

Does the Cinnamon Stick in Ginger Root produce enough flavor by only leaving it in the secondary for 5 minutes?

I put the cinnamon sticks and ginger in at flame out. You can add more after fermentation is complete if you taste a sample and it needs more.

 

[Diesel48]

Brewed this on Saturday with my father in law. Hit all the numbers, fermentation smells great!

 

[agentEhrman]

I'm thinking this is next on the list! Thanks for sharing the recipes!

 

[FireBrew63]

Brewed 10g. of this last Thursday. Used Irish Ale yeast with a big starter and it's smelling awesome! I lightened up the grain bill and spices just a bit and will adjust the spices as necessary at secondary.

 

[sorefingers23]

Could this beer be ready to drink in about 5 weeks

 

[bmock79]

Brewed 10g. of this last Thursday. Used Irish Ale yeast with a big starter and it's smelling awesome! I lightened up the grain bill and spices just a bit and will adjust the spices as necessary at secondary.

when did you add your honey?

 

[bmock79]

I put the cinnamon sticks and ginger in at flame out. You can add more after fermentation is complete if you taste a sample and it needs more.

So do you dump those sticks and ginger in to your primary fermenter?

 

[two_hearted]

So do you dump those sticks and ginger in to your primary fermenter?

I do not unless any sneaks through the autosiphon. If it needs more I'll add it at secondary.

 

[FireBrew63]

when did you add your honey?

I skipped the honey because I forgot to pick some up. Normally when I do use honey, I put it in at either flame out or secondary. Seems like the honey flavors remain more distinct when I put it in at secondary.