Winter Seasonal Beer Great Lakes Christmas Ale Clone

[Vlint]

Glad this stuff is hitting stores now

 

[brokebucket]

Honey is 100% fermentable. I never add it until flame out or put in after fermentation starts. Anything earlier seems to be a waste. You lose the honey flavor by boiling and you could add table sugar and get the same results.

Never used honey before, and I am coming off my first infected batch, so I got nervous. Boiled it for 10 minutes. Used baby ginger as well, so I upped the amount to 1.5 oz. Didn't smell or taste very strong on the spices either way.

 

[bgburdman9]

I brewed 7.5 gallons of this last year and aged 2.5 gallons of it on bourbon soaked oak spiral. I would highly recommend it.

 

[bgburdman9]

Two cinnamon sticks only weight about 0.35-0.5 ounces depending on the size. What weight are people adding? I am not sure why everyone is talking sticks when its not a universal weight.

 

[MMJfan]

Two cinnamon sticks only weight about 0.35-0.5 ounces depending on the size. What weight are people adding? I am not sure why everyone is talking sticks when its not a universal weight.

I've been using 1.5 oz of cinnamon sticks in mine and it seems to be just right...

 

[depper]

Two cinnamon sticks only weight about 0.35-0.5 ounces depending on the size. What weight are people adding? I am not sure why everyone is talking sticks when its not a universal weight.

I used a full ounce of the sticks (I think it was 4), plus 0.75 ounces of ginger. At first the ginger and cinnamon were very strong. Now, almost 4 months later, they are blended perfectly! I wasn't happy initially, but now I'm stoked! Use a full ounce but be sure to give it time to mesh together.

 

[ballsy]

I never liked the overly spiced up xmas ales. I used 2 sticks and 1 oz of root skinned and simply cut in half for full 60 min boil. After almost 3 wks in primary, checked it last night. It's cleared well, FG is 1.019. Tasted great to me already, nothing overly cinnamon or ginger about it. Dry hopped with .25oz Simcoe and .75oz Chinook.

 

[brokebucket]

I used 1.4 oz fresh baby ginger and 1 oz cinnamon sticks, couldnt really taste it. Going to check the gravity today and taste test, might need to do an addition to the fermenter.

 

[MMJfan]

I went ahead and brewed this on back to back weekends. I have a lot of friends and family who I like to share this brew with as xmas gifts so that's why I brewed 2 batches of it. Bottled batch #1 last night and it is so good!

I actually made a bit of a mistake when I was brewing batch #1. For my hop schedule, I add 1.5 oz of Hallertauer at 60 and another 1.5 oz at 15 and then 1 oz of Cascade at 5. Well, I had been drinking and watching football and also making lasagna so I got a little distracted and mixed up my 15 minute addition with my 5 minute addition. So I had 1.5 oz of Hallertauer going in at the 5 minute mark, but I was like, wth, I like hops so what can it hurt? Well it didn't hurt a damn thing based on the bottling samples I drank last night!

For my 2nd batch, I didn't screw up the hop schedule so I'm anxious to see if there is any major difference in taste. Just from my sample from my 1st batch, it tasted like Christmas Ale so I didn't notice much of a difference if any.

 

[ballsy]

Kegged my batch last week. Bringing some Growler home for Thanksgiving, tastes really great already and only gonna get better with time. Definitely recommend the hopped up version I brewed, it's not overly hoppy like SN Celebration but still tastes great. Will prob increase the AA content next time.

 

[MMJfan]

Kegged my batch last week. Bringing some Growler home for Thanksgiving, tastes really great already and only gonna get better with time. Definitely recommend the hopped up version I brewed, it's not overly hoppy like SN Celebration but still tastes great. Will prob increase the AA content next time.

SN Celebration is an IPA so it's supposed to be hoppy. I brew a clone of that as well because I like IPA's and it's a good IPA.

Christmas Ale is a winter warmer and isn't supposed to be real hoppy. The spices are supposed to be what shines thru more than the hops in Christmas Ale.

 

[brewprint]

After buying a 6 pack of Christmas Ale this year I decided that I just don't really care for it anymore. Wayyyyyyy too much something in there. Now Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas...that's a winner. I wonder if there's a clone for that?

 

[pola0502ds]

Has anyone noticed how great lakes has changed this recipe? A few years ago this was my favorite beer of all time, but then they went ahead and changed it and made it taste watered down. Its still a good beer for those who are new to it but man, why did they have to change it. Same with the great lakes erie monster.

 

[depper]

After buying a 6 pack of Christmas Ale this year I decided that I just don't really care for it anymore. Wayyyyyyy too much something in there. Now Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas...that's a winner. I wonder if there's a clone for that?

Completely agree that 12 Dogs is a winner! My favorite Christmas beer by far. I have not found a clone for that one though.

 

[schach23]

Agree with you guys. Not a good Christmas Ale anymore. Try Lagerheads it's really good. I brewed the recipe hit all my numbers chopped my ginger up a bit used 2 cinnamon sticks. Just legged it and it tastes terrible. No spice flavor. Lighter than the real thing. Can I soak some cinnamon sticks and ginger in vodka and steel in the keg for a bit? Otherwise might dump. Not sure how everyone is getting such a great beer out of this recipe.

 

[MMJfan]

One major difference between 12 Dogs' xmas ale and Great Lakes xmas ale is that 12 Dogs has nutmeg on top of the ginger and cinnamon.

The brewmaster at 12 Dogs was at Great Lakes before he went to 12 Dogs. He was the one who came up with the recipe at Great Lakes and he took it with him when he went to 12 Dogs and IMO, Great Lakes xmas ale hasn't been the same since...

 

[brewprint]

Has anyone noticed how great lakes has changed this recipe? A few years ago this was my favorite beer of all time, but then they went ahead and changed it and made it taste watered down. Its still a good beer for those who are new to it but man, why did they have to change it. Same with the great lakes erie monster.

I have to disagree on the monster. It's not a good beer and full of some kind of flavor that is just bad. The Christmas ale is also full of flavor...like eating a nasty cookie.

I do remember them both being different years ago though. Maybe more combined flavors back then?

 

[pola0502ds]

I have to disagree on the monster. It's not a good beer and full of some kind of flavor that is just bad. The Christmas ale is also full of flavor...like eating a nasty cookie.



I do remember them both being different years ago though. Maybe more combined flavors back then?

Thats exactly my point. Im not a fan of the monster either now. 3-4 years ago both were freaking amazing. Now really i just want to say they flat out. Anyone know how long the brewmaster from thirsty has been there? Just wondering when he left.

How do you know he wrote the original GL xmas ale?

 

[brewprint]

Thats exactly my point. Im not a fan of the monster either now. 3-4 years ago both were freaking amazing. Now really i just want to say they flat out. Anyone know how long the brewmaster from thirsty has been there? Just wondering when he left.

How do you know he wrote the original GL xmas ale?

I've also heard this about the brewmaster. I know that I've had the 12 dogs for at least 5 years now and I'm sure that it's been there longer. My cousin works for a distributor in Cleveland and he knows the guys at Thirsty Dog pretty well.

Also someone else mentioned those other Christmas beers. The Brew Kettle has one and Lager Heads and they're both solid...unlike Great Lakes.

 

[rmyurick]

Great lakes claims that it's the original recipe & hasn't changed. I like it-it's uncomplicated and that's why it's popular, in addition to being one of the first of it's kind. 12 dogs is good, too, but stronger & spicier. Really my favorite is Jubelale.

 

[brewprint]

Great lakes claims that it's the original recipe & hasn't changed. I like it-it's uncomplicated and that's why it's popular, in addition to being one of the first of it's kind. 12 dogs is good, too, but stronger & spicier. Really my favorite is Jubelale.

If it hasn't changed then why does the abv change?

 

[rmyurick]

I'm not aware that it has changed. Seems like it's been 7.5% s far back as I remember. I've never asked Tim Rastetter if he created the recipe, but I think it predates his time at Great Lakes.

 

[cjbalough]

Haven't had it yet this year, but last year I wasn't super crazy for the great lakes Christmas ale early in the season, but liked it much more by Christmas and in winter... Thinking it improved with a bit of age....we'll see this weekend as it's a personal tradition to sip a couple as i put up the Christmas decorations....I really want to try a clone, but can't seem to work it in at the right time

 

[sleewok]

I just brewed an 11 gallon batch today. 2oz of ginger cubed and 2.5oz of cinnamon sticks (8 sticks). I also added 1/2tsp of nutmeg with 10 min left in the boil. It was very fragrant during the boil. I hope i didn't overdo the cinnamon. Based on what I read i should be okay! I'll post back my results.

 

[pola0502ds]

I'm not aware that it has changed. Seems like it's been 7.5% s far back as I remember. I've never asked Tim Rastetter if he created the recipe, but I think it predates his time at Great Lakes.

It use to be much more that 7.5, i remember it being 9 at one point.

 

[MMJfan]

It use to be much more that 7.5, i remember it being 9 at one point.

This. It was much stronger back when it was first released which is in part what made it so popular. Great Lakes couldn't keep up with demand.

I remember having to get on a waiting list for a case from our local liquor store!


That is no longer the case today as I think they have overpriced themselves. No way am I paying $12 for a six pack of what I consider to be a watered down version of what it used to be...

 

[brewprint]

The first time that I had it I specifically remember it being 8.1%. That was around 5 years ago.

There was also a rumor going around that they slightly change their recipe every year so that no one could duplicate it.

Either way it's no longer a solid beer imho.

 

[jeff62217]

Heating strike water for this at the moment. Probably too late to be ready for Christmas, hopefully will be bottle conditioned by new years.

 

[MMJfan]

Heating strike water for this at the moment. Probably too late to be ready for Christmas, hopefully will be bottle conditioned by new years.

I think you should be ok to have this ready by xmas. I brewed my first batch back on November 8th and I was enjoying my first bottles this weekend!

 

[jeff62217]

I think you should be ok to have this ready by xmas. I brewed my first batch back on November 8th and I was enjoying my first bottles this weekend!

Do you secondary with additional ginger/cinnamon? I guess without that it'd be ready in time, but to me the additional time on the spices really makes this beer.