christmas beer question

[christopherrburns]

Thinking of making this for christmas
14 lbs of 2 row
1 lb chocolate malt
1.6 lb flaked oats
12 oz roasted barly
7 oz caramel
1 lb milk sugar
1 oz dried orange (sweet) 15 min
2 oz cocoa nibs 15 min
4 oz dark cocoa powder 15 min
4 oz cocoa nibs secondary
.5 oz nugget 60 min
.5 oz mt hood 30 min
.5 oz mt hood flameout
Not 100% sold on the idea yet
Any thoughts?
Not sure about using 04 yeast and am unsure if more hops are needed (18 IBU's seems low) or if that's too much cocoa or if a chocolate orange beer is really a "christmas beer". Thanks

 

[Jayhem]

5 gallon batch? 1 lb of chocolate malt and 12 oz of roasted barley is going to make this thing super roasty. I use 8 oz chocolate malt and 8 oz roasted barley in my stouts!

I'm going to brew a ChristmasFest beer soon which uses an Octoberfest ale as a basis and adds Allspice at flame out for a spice kick. I've always heard that cocoa powder doesn't really give you much chocolate taste in the finished product.

 

[RM-MN]

I hope you are planning ahead for next year's Christmas because I don't think this beer will be ready for this Christmas. It looks at first glance like a high alcohol very dark beer and those take time to mature. It might be really good by Easter or maybe a little later. JMHO

 

[Jayhem]

I hope you are planning ahead for next year's Christmas because I don't think this beer will be ready for this Christmas. It looks at first glance like a high alcohol very dark beer and those take time to mature. It might be really good by Easter or maybe a little later. JMHO

If he brewed it this week that is over 2.5 months till Christmas. I'm starting a Christmas Ale soon as well... only going to be around 1.055 OG though.
3 weeks to ferment out, 6 weeks to bottle condition...plenty of time for medium OG Ales.

 

[RM-MN]

My rough calculation (OK, just off the top of my head, no calculating involved) I think this beer will be pretty high alcohol and very dark if the initial recipe is followed. Christmas of next year it would be wonderful, this year, a little harsh.

 

[Rickochet]

Add 3oz. of peppermint or red hots and you will have an awesome Christmas brew!!

 

[christopherrburns]

RM-MN, what changes would you recommend? Pretty sure I will hit my FG in time, but is what your saying that the alcohol would be fusial tasting by december?

 

[RM-MN]

Not so much fusel alcohol if you control the fermentation temperature but the higher alcohol plus the dark grains take much longer for the beer to mature, for the flavors to come together. It will probably be drinkable but it almost certainly won't be at its prime by this Christmas. The robust porter I last made seemed thin and watery and I thought I had made a mistake in the process but given more time it became thick and robust. It seemed to change from one week to the next even. I think that took 8 to 10 weeks in the bottle and its alcohol content was about 5% where I expect yours to end closer to 9%. I'm making a porter today that only has 7 1/2 pounds of 2 row while yours lists 14. My porter will be getting close by Christmas.

 

[christopherrburns]

so perhaps a chocolate orange porter is in order then. Thanks. Hey that rhymes, fancy.

 

[RM-MN]

I think an average gravity porter (1.40 to 1.060) will make it in time for this Cristmas but if it is nearer the high end of that range it might not hit its peak until mid January. Something with less dark grains would make it for sure. The pale ale I made on Wednesday will pretty certainly be ready before Christmas while the porter I made yesterday may or may not.