Do you want to brew one of the 12 beers of Christmas?

[spyder2723]

After researching the recipes a little bit please put my name on the Fruitcake Old Ale.

 

[usfmikeb]

Okay, I'd really wanted to do the Cherry Dubbel since i've already got half the cherries for it, guess I'm out then...

EDIT: Just saw that Rhoadsrage updated his post, so I'm back in! Woohoo!

 

[rhoadsrage]

For Beezy here is the Gingerbread Ale recipe let me know if you have questions.

Recipe: 10 Gingerbread Ale
The base should be a soft brown ale, lightly hopped with no pronounced hop aroma. The gingerbread flavor is 1 tsp (4g) cinnamon, 0.5 tsp (2g) ground ginger, 0.25 tsp (1 g) allspice, 0.25 tsp (1 g) cloves. Just add them at the end of the boil.

(Sothern English Brown Ale Recipe)
OG 1.041
FG 1.013
IBU 26 SRM
Color 19-35 SRM
Alcohol 3.8 % ABV
Boil : 60 min.
pre-boil vol. 7 gallons

Englis Pale Ale LME 5. lbs

Steeping grains
Crystal (80oL) 1.0 lbs
Crystal (120 oL) 10.0 oz.
Special Roast (50o L) 0.5 lbs
Pale Chocolate ( 200oL) 6.0 oz.
Carafa Special II (430oL) 0.25 lbs

Hops
Kent Goldings 5% AA, 60 min. 0.85 oz.

Yeast
White Labs WLP002 English Ale, or Wyeast 1968 London ESB Ale, or Fermentis Safale S-04

Ferment at 68 oF
(This recipe is a blend of recipes from Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher and Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff and John J. Palmer)

 

[rhoadsrage]

Alright Horace here is the crabapple lamibic.

Recipe: 9 Crabapple Lambic Ale
5 gallons
Gravity 1.049
Yeast: American Ale

4 lbs. Pilsener Malt
4 lbs. Wheat Malt
1.0 lbs Munich Malt
1 lbs rice hulls

Hops
0.75 oz. Cascade (6%AA) 60 min.
1.0 oz. US tettang (4.5%AA) 16 min.
Mash low (145oF) and long (two hours). Ferment with all yeast, Belgian yeast or otherwise. Obtain 3-4 lbs. of crabapples (cranberries will work also), wash well and freeze. Thaw and add to secondary with a mixed lambic culture. Allow to age on fruit for 2 months. rack and allow to clear (which may take a month or two). bottle
(recipe taken from Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher)

 

[rhoadsrage]

Welcome aboard Spyder2723.

Recipe: 5 Fruitcake Old Ale

Yield 5 gal
Gravity: 1.075
Alcohol 6.5-7.5 % ABV
Color: Deep reddish amber
Bitterness: 31 IBU
Yeast: Scottish Ale
Maturation 6 -9 months

8.75 lbs Munich Malt
3.0 lbs Amber Malt
1.0 lbs Special B (very dark crystal)
4.0 oz. Carafa II malt

Hops
1.5 oz. Libery (4.5 %AA) 90 min.
0.5 oz. Saaz (3%AA) 15 min.
0.5 oz. Liberty (3.4%AA) 15 min.

Add at end of boil
0.25 tsp (1g) nutmeg, 0.25 tsp (1g) allspice, 2.0 tsp (8g) Ceylon Cinnamon, 1 tsp (4 g) powdered ginger, 1 tsp (4g) vanilla extract

After primary fermentation, assemble 3 lbs of dried fruit, raisins, apricots, cherries, 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 plump up and cool. Mix with beer in secondary. Allow this to ferment for two weeks, then rack off the fruit and bottle.

(recipe taken from Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher)

 

[spyder2723]

Thanks for the recipe. Quick question on the amber malt. I can't seem to find an amber malt base grain, do I need to use 3lbs of extract?

 

[rhoadsrage]

Spyder, I'm not sure I'm following you (I need more coffee) but the extract version says
substitute 6.5 lbs Amber DME for the Munich/Amber matlt and add 1.0 lbs medium crystal malt.

Does that help?

 

[spyder2723]

Well I couldn't find amber malt at Austin homebrew, other then extract. I didn't think my LHBS had it either, as all I could find was amber extract but I just can't read and amber malt grain was there. I wasn't sure if there was a straight amber malt grain, but since there is please ignore me and my bad shopping skills.

Based on the aging needed I will try and get this brewed this weekend. It will still be a little green by Christmas, but hopefully ok.

 

[Beezy]

For Breezy here is the Gingerbread Ale recipe let me know if you have questions.

Recipe: 10 Gingerbread Ale
The base should be a soft brown ale, lightly hopped with no pronounced hop aroma. The gingerbread flavor is 1 tsp (4g) cinnamon, 0.5 tsp (2g) ground ginger, 0.25 tsp (1 g) allspice, 0.25 tsp (1 g) cloves. Just add them at the end of the boil.

(Sothern English Brown Ale Recipe)
OG 1.041
FG 1.013
IBU 26 SRM
Color 19-35 SRM
Alcohol 3.8 % ABV
Boil : 60 min.
pre-boil vol. 7 gallons

Englis Pale Ale LME 5. lbs

Steeping grains
Crystal (80oL) 1.0 lbs
Crystal (120 oL) 10.0 oz.
Special Roast (50o L) 0.5 lbs
Pale Chocolate ( 200oL) 6.0 oz.
Carafa Special II (430oL) 0.25 lbs

Hops
Kent Goldings 5% AA, 60 min. 0.85 oz.

Yeast
White Labs WLP002 English Ale, or Wyeast 1968 London ESB Ale, or Fermentis Safale S-04

Ferment at 68 oF
(This recipe is a blend of recipes from Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher and Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff and John J. Palmer)

It's Beezy no R. Anyway I am not doing extract...

 

[KFH]

Well, damn.

In that case, put me down for the Caramel Quadrupel.

 

[Beezy]

It's Beezy no R. Anyway I am not doing extract...

Sorry can't edit on the phone. Can I do my own brown ale base since its not specified in that section of the book. Or at least that's the impression I get. Also I wouldn't mind "dry hopping" with fresh spices. Too much liberty taken?

 

[rhoadsrage]

Sorry about that Beezy. You are the brewer so I say go with what you feel. Any brown ale base will work and "dry spice" as you see fit.

I get the feeling from the book a lot of these recipes are "theoretical" so you should feel free to improve on them.

 

[Beezy]

Sorry about that Beezy. You are the brewer so I say go with what you feel. Any brown ale base will work and "dry spice" as you see fit.

I get the feeling from the book a lot of these recipes are "theoretical" so you should feel free to improve on them.

Cool I am on it then.

 

[KFH]

Is there a set date for everyone to ship their beers out by?

 

[rhoadsrage]

Open for discussion:
I was thinking there are ~25 days in advent so
-we should ship the week of thanksgiving
-send 2-3? beers per person (under 5 lbs is all the same price) so we will have a beer a day for advent. If we send 3 then we could have one for next year if you like to age things.
-At the beginning of Nov. I will ask for everyone's shipping address through BM, and then I will BM everyone with the entire list.

 

[KFH]

Open for discussion:
I was thinking there are ~25 days in advent so
-we should ship the week of thanksgiving
-send 2-3? beers per person (under 5 lbs is all the same price) so we will have a beer a day for advent. If we send 3 then we could have one for next year if you like to age things.
-At the beginning of Nov. I will ask for everyone's shipping address through BM, and then I will BM everyone with the entire list.

Trying to ship the weeks of Thanksgiving sounds utterly terrifying. I'm sure a lot of people are going to be too busy running around preparing to be able to fit it in. Maybe the week after Thanksgiving?

EDIT: Hurry up and put me down for the caramel quad so I don't lose my spot again.

 

[Spartan1979]

This is a great idea. I'm going to steal it and try to get my homebrew club to do this. I ordered the book yesterday.

 

[Horace]

This is a great idea. I'm going to steal it and try to get my homebrew club to do this. I ordered the book yesterday.

It is a great idea but I fear time is running out on some of these beers. Certainly can be shipped by x-mas but drinkable, dunno.

 

[KFH]

It is a great idea but I fear time is running out on some of these beers. Certainly can be shipped by x-mas but drinkable, dunno.

Well, once the list here gets finalized, we can all get cracking and ensure our beers are ready to ship by the deadline and ready to drink by Christmas.

 

[gclay]

I'd like to do a gingerbread quad if there's time.

 

[rhoadsrage]

gclay, that sounds good. I will switch out the caramel quad for yours.

 

[KFH]

In that case, put my down for the abbey weizen.

 

[Horace]

Well, once the list here gets finalized, we can all get cracking and ensure our beers are ready to ship by the deadline and ready to drink by Christmas.

Placed an order this morning. The problem is with, well, the internet! Too much information . . . . I'm just going to brew the recipe and let the chips fall.


Edit: I should explain, I don't have the book but from everything that I have read a Lambic Ale should sit on fruit for 6-12 months. Ship the first week of December and this will be sitting on fruit for a little over four. Add to that bottle time.

 

[KFH]

Placed an order this morning. The problem is with, well, the internet! Too much information . . . . I'm just going to brew it by the book and let the chips fall.

I'd do the same thing, but I'll be moving soon (I'll finally get to use propane! YAY! I'm free of the shackles of my Godawful apartment stove!) and I'll need to reorganize and expand my brewery a bit. Luckily, that abbey weizen donesn't take a whole lot of time to finish up, so I've got breathing room.

 

[usfmikeb]

Since we're all bottling, we should be able to ship a couple weeks after bottling. Can't we do it in October?

 

[Willum]

So nobody called the "Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock" yet? If not I will do it.

 

[Horace]

I have been thinking about the best way to ship. I'm considering bottling in plastic, any thoughts?

 

[Beezy]

I have been thinking about the best way to ship. I'm considering bottling in plastic, any thoughts?

Eh I might try plastic. Just for the ones sent out tho.

My recipe is shaping up nicely. Going to brew in like September as the brown ale being low in alc and low in hops... Dont want it sitting around forever.

 

[biochemedic]

There is a sticky somewhere (I think), or at least a couple threads on shipping...generally, you should individually wrap the bottles in bubble wrap, and double plastic bag them, then there should be some tight fitting padding material around the bottles inside the box.

I would avoid plastic...Plastic may decrease the breakage issue, but if you package properly, it shouldn't be an issue. Plus, plastic could cause some issues with aging. I plan on aging at least 1 bottle of each.

This sort of flows into the issue of whether or not these beers will be ready for this christmas/holiday period or not...as previously noted, many of these recipes really should have been brewed earlier in the year for optimal timing, but hey, this is what we got... Personally, I'm willing to give it a go, and also willing to redo the experiment next year, but starting in January or Feburary! And at any rate, as I said, I plan to age at least 1 of each.

This then goes to the issue of how many to send -- I vote for 3...48 beers in the 2 cases-ish that you get from a 5 gal batch leave plenty of extras to sample along the way for the brewer of each recipe.

In terms of date to send, I think anytime in October or early November should be fine if people start brewing in the next few weeks (and we really should). For me, I'm going to brew the week after next, so figure about 3-4 weeks in primary, then bottling (I rarely do a secondary). I should be ready to ship by mid September at the latest...the bottle conditioning can continue at your houses as well as it can at mine...

rhodesrage...what's the current tally/list of assignments?

Oh, and if anyone needs one of the recipes, PM me or rhodesrage and we can PM it back to you....

 

[Beezy]

Shipping could get crazy sending 2 cases of beer out. I wouldn't be opposed to 2 tho as like you say some of them need more time. Maybe drink them at christas and then save some for when the timing is more optimal.

 

[spyder2723]

I think if we can do 3 each that would be awesome. I know shipping is gonna be a bit of a hassle but it will still be fun. I am getting my ingredients tomorrow and should have the beer fermenting this weekend. With the Fruitcake Old Ale my plan is to primary it for 3ish weeks, the secondary with the fruit for another 2ish weeks then bottle. So I should be good to send by whenever.

I am also planning on aging at least 1 of each beer for consumption next year. And with three bottles I can still go back for seconds if one is really good, while saving 1.

 

[Zamial]

As for shipping I have 2 concerns.

1) shipping cost. I agreed to this based on a guesstimate of $5 per participant. I would be willing to go over that amount slightly but I feel that someone needs to hammer this out. IE. What will fit into what box for "X" price through FedEX or UPS. I think the limit/target should remain at $5.00. This would be a $55 shipping total + boxes, pack materials, ect. If that means we can ship 2 that is fine, if that means we can ship 4+ that is fine as well as long as we are all on the same page...

2) Time frame. IMO we need to set a date no later than Thanksgiving because of freezing weather conditions here in the North.

 

[Beezy]

As for shipping I have 2 concerns.

1) shipping cost. I agreed to this based on a guesstimate of $5 per participant. I would be willing to go over that amount slightly but I feel that someone needs to hammer this out. IE. What will fit into what box for "X" price through FedEX or UPS. I think the limit/target should remain at $5.00. This would be a $55 shipping total + boxes, pack materials, ect. If that means we can ship 2 that is fine, if that means we can ship 4+ that is fine as well as long as we are all on the same page...

2) Time frame. IMO we need to set a date no later than Thanksgiving because of freezing weather conditions here in the North.

I am with you sir.

 

[Horace]

Shipping the second week in November shouldn't be a problem, it would give the Crabapple Lamibic a solid three months on fruit.

USPS Flat Rate boxes, medium, are $10.95. Don't know how that compares to UPS/Fedex but it can't be too far off. I think we'll be closer to $100 for shipping than $55 . . .

 

[Willum]

Here is what I came up with for mine. I think this style of beer deserves a decoction. I plan on putting it in the primary for 30 days, then secondary in the keg for at least 60 days as per the recipe's guidelines for 3-5 months of aging.

Recipe: Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock
Style: Weizenbock
TYPE: All Grain


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.070 SG
Estimated FG: 1.010 SG
Est ABV 7.9%
Estimated Color: 12.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 28.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5 lbs Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 38.5 %
4 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 30.8 %
2 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 15.4 %
1 lbs Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 7.7 %
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 7 5.4 IBUs
1.50 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 6 22.7 IBUs
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 4 7.7 %
1.0 pkg Abbey Ale (White Labs #WLP530) [35.49 ml Yeast 11 -
0.17 oz Anise, Star (Boil 0.0 mins) Spice 10 -
0.50 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 0.0 mins) Spice 9 -
1.00 tsp Caraway (Boil 0.0 mins) Spice 8 -
2.00 oz Candied Ginger (Primary 14.0 days) Spice 12 -


Mash Schedule: Decoction Mash, Triple
Total Grain Weight: 13 lbs
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Acid Rest Add 26.00 qt of water at 98.2 F 95.0 F 45 min
Protein Rest Decoct 7.23 qt of mash and boil it 122.0 F 60 min
Saccharification Decoct 9.06 qt of mash and boil it 148.0 F 15 min
Saccharification Decoct 3.92 qt of mash and boil it 156.0 F 15 min
Mash Out Decoct 6.72 qt of mash and boil it 168.0 F 10 min


Notes:
------
1lb of wheat malt, toasted 30 mins @350

Converted 1.0 tsp (4.7g) of Star Anise to 0.17 oz

 

[biochemedic]

Shipping the second week in November shouldn't be a problem, it would give the Crabapple Lamibic a solid three months on fruit.

USPS Flat Rate boxes, medium, are $10.95. Don't know how that compares to UPS/Fedex but it can't be too far off. I think we'll be closer to $100 for shipping than $55 . . .

You absolutely can NOT ship beer by USPS...got to use UPS or similar. Pack it well as prev posted and if they ask you're sending yeast samples or marinade

 

[spyder2723]

So just some quick checking on UPS and FedEx, about $15 to go from CO to PA. Assumed a package weight of 5 pounds, and PA seemed to be the furthest. This results in a total shipping cost of $165 for 11 shipments.

 

[Horace]

You absolutely can NOT ship beer by USPS...got to use UPS or similar. Pack it well as prev posted and if they ask you're sending yeast samples or marinade

Sorry, I was using the price for an example because it was easy not the service provider. My Bad.

Edit; After looking at spyder2723 post, it appears it wasn't a very good example. Either way I brew next weekend.

 

[Beezy]

So just some quick checking on UPS and FedEx, about $15 to go from CO to PA. Assumed a package weight of 5 pounds, and PA seemed to be the furthest. This results in a total shipping cost of $165 for 11 shipments.

Honestly I am probably going to have to bow out. I will still make the beer but this time of the year is not typically kind to me. 50 bucks I could probably swing but the wife would kill me spending more than that on shipping.

 

[Willum]

So just some quick checking on UPS and FedEx, about $15 to go from CO to PA. Assumed a package weight of 5 pounds, and PA seemed to be the furthest. This results in a total shipping cost of $165 for 11 shipments.

I got $10.00 for NJ to CHI for example. Maybe luck with have it that some of us are geographically close enough to meet up and exchange?