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

[Beezy]

My biggest question honestly is what would be the estimate on shipping out 11 packages. Seems like it could get expensive. Of course you get good beer in return but I would just hate to be the guy that was to broke to follow through.

 

[usfmikeb]

I'd guess it would easily be $5 per package...

 

[Beezy]

Well 55 dollars is probably doable. Whats the gingerbread recipe like?

 

[KFH]

Sure. I tried to put everyone's name by the beer they claimed:
I have 2 or 3 in mined but I wanted to give others a chance to jump in.
Beers that are still open:
1) Caramel Quadrupel
2) Spiced Cherry Dubbel
3) Spiced Dunkel Weizenbock
4) Juniper Rye Bock
5)Fruitcake Old Ale
9) Crabapple Lambicky Ale
10) Gingerbread Ale
12) Abbey Weizen

Beers that are spoken for and their brewers:
6) Saffron Tripel (Native302)
7) Christmas Gruit (Biochemedic)
8) Honey Ginger IPA (Scruffy1207)
11) Spiced Bourbon Stout (Zamial)

Dibs on the spiced cherry dubbel! I've been waiting for an excuse to try that one out.

 

[scinerd3000]

damn...i have that going as we speak. Whats in the Fruitcake old ale? sounds interesting...

 

[Beezy]

I am just going to go ahead and take the ginger bread. I don't know what its like tho. Trying to find the book tbh.

 

[Spartan1979]

These beers are all in Randy Mosher's book?

 

[KFH]

These beers are all in Randy Mosher's book?

Yep.

 

[Horace]

If someone is willing to post the recipe for Crabapple Lambicky Ale, I'm in. I can brew'er in the next couple of weeks . . .

good idea,

*Edit; after doing some research, most call for a minimum of six months (12 months recommended) of bottle aging - 2012 anyone?

 

[rhoadsrage]

Sorry I didn't check in this weekend. Looks like UsfMikeB had first dibs on the Spiced Cherry Dubble. Sorry to those who call dibs on the 4th page. I wrote this recipe thinking you were the extract brewer but I see Breezy is the extract brewer

Recipe: 2 Spiced Cherry Dubbel (extract + extras)
(All Grain option) Replace Pilsner extract wtih 10.6 lbs continental pilsener malt. Replace Munich extract wtih 1 lbs. Munich Malt. Mash at 149 oF, with the low mash temp, you may need to lengthen the rest time to 90 min. to get full conversion. Also increase pre-boil volume to allow for a 90-min. boil, which will help reduce DMS in beer)

Boil 60 min.
Pre-Boil volume 7 gallons

Pilsener LME 7.8 lbs 68.7%
Munich LME 0.8 lbs 7.0%
pinoncillo or turbinado sugar 1.2lbs 10%

Aromatic (20 oL) 0.5 lbs 4.4%
CaraMunich (60oL) 0.5 lbs 4.4%
Special "B" (120 oL) 0.5 lbs 4.4%

Tettnang 4% AA, 60 min. 1.5 oz.
Ceylon (true) cinnamon 0 min. 1 tsp.
combonation of sweet (black) cherries and sour (Montmorency) cherries 1 lbs/ gal good, 2 lbs/gallon better.

Yeast White Labs WLP530 or Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity

At extract, water and bag of crushed grains to the pot. Heat to 170 degrees and then remove grain bag.
Boil for 60 min. Add cinnamon and chill.
Ferment as close to 65 degrees as possible, then let temp rise to lower 70s after a few days of fermentation.
Transfere to secondary with a combination of sweet (black) cheers and sour (Montmorency) cherries, let rest for a month or so.
Add 1 drop (no more) of almond extract for depth and bottle.

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

 

[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.