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

[spyder2723]

So the fruit cake beer is fermenting away. I hope it is OK cause about 5 minutes left in the cool down it started to rain pretty good. I kept everything covered the best I could but I know some rain got in there. At least the beer will have a true taste of the rockies, or something like that. Pitched the yeast ~5 hours ago and I have some bubbles in the airlock so we will see what happens.

 

[Xcorpia]

Guys: I see that Beezy's out. He was going to brew the ginger bread ale. I've been following this thread for a while and would love to participate despite the shipping costs. I'm splitting them with a fellow brewer provided we're sending 3 beers each (2 for me and 1 for him).

So I've got a question: Does it HAVE to be a ginger BREAD ale? Can it be a ginger SNAP ale? I'm going to brew a Gingersnap Ale this weekend using Revvy's recipe from here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/ginger-snap-brown-ale-212313/. It has a brown ale base just as the posted recipe calls for. If you prefer the Radical Brewing recipeI can brew that as well.

 

[Xcorpia]

So...what do you think? Am I in?

 

[Zamial]

I hate to be "that guy" but I simply can not afford to spend over a hundred dollars on shipping. I can not see anyway around this so I will also have to step out. I wish you all the best of luck and will still keep tabs on this thread because it is a fantastic idea and I love the spirit of it!

 

[Scruffy1207]

I'm in, it's going to blow to spend that much, but I'm in for it, I think it will be fun. So are we sending two bottles each?

 

[Xcorpia]

I vote for 3. 1 for this year, another for sharing and a 3rd for aging. Shipping isn't that much of a difference between 2 bottles or 3.

 

[Scruffy1207]

I vote for 3. 1 for this year, another for sharing and a 3rd for aging. Shipping isn't that much of a difference between 2 bottles or 3.

The IPA age well though, I guess 3 isn't bad I'd like that.

 

[Beezy]

I hate to be "that guy" but I simply can not afford to spend over a hundred dollars on shipping. I can not see anyway around this so I will also have to step out. I wish you all the best of luck and will still keep tabs on this thread because it is a fantastic idea and I love the spirit of it!

Same here. I am still making mine as well. I haven't joined a club yet but this would be really sweet to do locally. Next year though. Some of these beers need more time.

 

[rhoadsrage]

Sorry, I have been out for a while, but Xcorpia if you are up to brew a gingersnap brew. do it.

 

[Horace]

I'll be brewing the Crabapple Lambicky Ale this weekend. I have spent the last week talking to a brew buddy who happens to have brewed several batches of the Crabapple Lambicky. Here's my take; It's very possible that the Lambic won't clear in time to ship. I agree it can age at your place or mine but I don't want to be held to a ship date and then knowingly ship a crappy product. FWIW, his last batch took 6.5 months to get into bottles.

If some of you are interested in a "floating" ship date that would be great. Otherwise, I'll step aside and let someone else participate.

 

[Scruffy1207]

I think as long as it gets to us by 2 days before drink day it's cool.

 

[Xcorpia]

Sorry, I have been out for a while, but Xcorpia if you are up to brew a gingersnap brew. do it.

Okey dokey!

 

[rhoadsrage]

Three kings day isn't till 1/6/12 and even later is fine with me. no one else will be able to do it faster so I would say go for it and when the beer is ready then ship it.

 

[Xcorpia]

Three kings day isn't till 1/6/12 and even later is fine with me. no one else will be able to do it faster so I would say go for it and when the beer is ready then ship it.

Agreed! I celebrate 3 Kings day so fine with me

 

[Scruffy1207]

So whats the plan, brews need to be delivered by 01.01.12?

 

[Horace]

So whats the plan, brews need to be delivered by 01.01.12?

I like this idea much better than the previously discussed early November.

 

[gclay]

what is 3 kings day?

 

[Xcorpia]

what is 3 kings day?

Three Kings Day is celebrated on January 6th, twelve days after Christmas. It is often viewed as the last day of the Christmas season (the end of the 12 days of Christmas). It's called 3 Kings Day because it's a celebration of when the 3 kings (or wise men/magi): Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar arrived to Bethlehem and presented Baby Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh after following the bright star that appeared when Jesus Christ was born.

I'm from Puerto Rico and hispanics celebrate this holiday beginning the day before when children gather hay and place it in a shoebox under their beds with a bowl of water to feed the 3 Kings camels when they visit you at night to leave presents under the bed (kind of like leaving milk and cookies for Santa which leaves presents under the tree). There's lots of partying and feasting the night before and during the holiday itself. Basically it's like a second Christmas for me!

 

[usfmikeb]

The only issue with doing early January is that some of us may be traveling for the holidays. This could result in boxes of beer sitting at our doorstep for several days until returning home, which may not bode well for beer quality. This is the case for me, as I'll be headed to Florida a week before Christmas, and returning a few days after New Years.

 

[Willum]

I like the late December/early Jan idea. I think shipping after Christmas will be easier anyway.

 

[Xcorpia]

I'm shipping mine as soon as its ready to drink. Should be fairly soon since it's around 5-6% abv (4.5% without the ginger snaps) and has about 1.5 oz of hops in 5 gals. I'll post the recipe later.

Good to know I've got until early January in case I spoil the first batch.

 

[Xcorpia]

I brewed my beer tonight. Here's the recipe I used:

BIAB Method
4 X 14 oz Trader Joes Ginger Snaps in mash
Mash 3.25 gallons @ 154 for 60 minutes.
Sparge 2.00 gallons @ 168

4 lb 4 oz Pale Malt (Maris Otter)
2 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
1 lb 4 oz Biscuit Malt
3 oz Flaked Oats
60 mins 1 oz Fuggles
15 mins 0.5 oz Kent Goldings
Fermentis Safeale S-04

Wort is tasty. It smells and tastes like the ginger snaps I mashed in it. Can't wait to taste the final product

 

[rhoadsrage]

Yeah, my vote would be ship when your beer is when it is ready and you have time. I will ask for address aswell as black out dates so you may have to hold of shipping a few packages if someone is out of town.

The last of my ingredients for the bock should get here today so I can get the starter fired up tonight and brew this weekend.

 

[Horace]

Fermentation has begun for the Crabapple Lambic Ale.

Now, to source the crabapples. Whole Foods? I assumed this would be the easy part, we'll see.

 

[rhoadsrage]

I would check farmers markets for crabapples, but the city of Chicago has lots of crabapple trees so I can pick some in Aug. when they are ripe?

 

[doctorRobert]

Are you still looking for brewers?

 

[rhoadsrage]

The Spiced Bourbon Stout is still open if you are interested, Doc?

 

[doctorRobert]

I'll let you know by tomorrow, but most likely.

 

[usfmikeb]

Yeah, my vote would be ship when your beer is when it is ready and you have time. I will ask for address aswell as black out dates so you may have to hold of shipping a few packages if someone is out of town.

Sounds good. Are we going with two bottles or three?

Brewed up the dubbel last night. Will give it a couple weeks before I start checking gravity, and will put it on the cherries as soon as it's close to terminal. I've got 5 pounds of local tart cherries and local sweet cherries in the freezer just waiting for this! Couldn't smell the cinnamon at all after adding at flameout, so I might end up throwing a whole stick in at the same time I do the cherries. I'll taste it first, and go from there.

 

[doctorRobert]

Count me in.

I'm excited about all the brews. I need to find a good stout recipe that would work well with all the spices in the book. Does anybody have any recommendations - I'm thinking an american style stout. He recommended your favorite stout recipe at 1.050, but I'm tempted to go a tad bigger (although it does involve adding vodka and bourbon, so maybe its not needed).

I would vote for only two bottles or 1 bomber because of the cost involved.