Winter Seasonal Beer Great Lakes Christmas Ale Clone

[dannerdave]

How do you keep the cinnamon sticks and ginger seperate from the hops?

I have always used a bag to strain out the hops once it cools and transfer from the boil to the fermenter. With my process, the spices would get caught in the bag.

 

[Blackhawkbrew]

So you just keep the cinnamon and ginger in there for both primary and secondary fermentation, correct?

dannerdave, I use hop bags for my hop additions. You can pull the bags out when the wort is cooled and just transfer the spices to the primary.

 

[Q2XL]

I did what the recipe states...added the spices to the secondary. I added the spices last Thursday(13th), and will leave them on there for 10-14 days. I never secondary unless for dry-hopping or adding spices.

 

[Blackhawkbrew]

Q2XL the OP recipe states that the spices are in secondary and 5 min. I'm taking that to mean that they are put in the boil at 5 min left and remain in the wort through secondary. I'm curious to hear how yours turns out. Will the spices lose character bing in the brew that long?

 

[WiseEyes]

Do you think that the honey goes in the secondary rather than flame out at the brewry

 

[two_hearted]

Q2XL the OP recipe states that the spices are in secondary and 5 min. I'm taking that to mean that they are put in the boil at 5 min left and remain in the wort through secondary. I'm curious to hear how yours turns out. Will the spices lose character bing in the brew that long?

I put my spices in at flameout, then add more in "secondary." Taste it, see how the spices are mingling. You might prefer more or less. The only way to know is to taste it.

As for the honey. I add at flameout. You can also add after primary ferm is complete.

Originally Posted by John Palmer
"Honey contains wild yeasts and bacteria, but it's low water content keeps these microorganisms dormant. Honey also contains amylase enzymes, which can break down larger sugars and starches into fermentable sugars like maltose and sucrose. For these reasons, honey should be pasteurized before adding it to the fermenter. The National Honey Board recommends that honey be pasteurized for 30 minutes at 176 F, then cooled and diluted to wort gravity. To retain the most honey flavor and ensure best fermentation performance, the honey should be added to the fermenter after primary fermentation."

 

[Q2XL]

You can also add after primary ferm is complete.

But, fermentation will start again and the honey will then ferment out, so do not bottle right away or you will have bottle bombs.

 

[Blackhawkbrew]

Mash tun is temperature conditioning and I'm ready to try this out. BrewSmith is calling for a mash temp of 148* for 75 mins. I'll try for between 148 and 152.

 

[Blackhawkbrew]

Mash temp started at 149* and after 70 min. now at 146*. Is that too low?

 

[Blackhawkbrew]

Good brewday! All my temps and measurements came out perfect according to Brewsmith. A question I had though is that why is the OG from Brewsmith so much lower than the OP's? The OG from Brewsmith is 1.063 but the OP's gravity is 1.075! That's a big difference, not that I'm complaining. Sample smells and tastes great though.

 

[Q2XL]

A question I had though is that why is the OG from Brewsmith so much lower than the OP's? The OG from Brewsmith is 1.063 but the OP's gravity is 1.075!

What that means is that he got better efficiency than you did. You could have entered in all the ingredients(using his numbers) and then used the gravity adjustment tool and entered your expected efficiency. This would have upped the amount of grain that you would have needed but you would have hit closer to his numbers. Hope I explained this clearly...not quite sure that I did.

 

[LakewoodHomeBrew]

The calculations are also very dependent on equipment and setup. I almost never use recipes "as is." I make adjustments based on my equipment and setup, and target the specified OG, IBU, etc while also matching the grain & hop percentages as much as possible.

 

[slothorentropy]

Looks good. Planning on trying this out on Saturday.

Seems like there is conflicting information about where/when you add the cinnamon and ginger. Do you add at the last 5 min of the boil? Transfer to primary? Or just add to secondary?

Anybody? OP?

 

[two_hearted]

Anybody? OP?

Add them at flameout. You can also add more in secondary if you don't get enough of the flavor/aroma you're going after. Taste it. That's the only way to know.

 

[slykwilli]

I brewed this 4 weeks ago and threw in the fresh ginger with 10 mins left in the boil. As far as the cinnamon goes, I brewed up a "cinnamon tea" (boiled 3 sticks in 2 cups of water) and added that to the secondary. Just bottled this past weekend and boy, gotta say the sample tasted great! :rockin:

 

[kpr121]

Hmm I just happen to have all these ingredients on hand, minus the London Ale yeast. I have the option of US-04, US-05, or a Bells yeast slurry from a batch currently fermenting. What do you think would be the best for GL Xmas Ale?

I think I found this weekend's brew. Thanks OP!

 

[slykwilli]

If it were me.. I think I would do US-04. Any would work ok I would assume; but that's my vote.

 

[two_hearted]

Hmm I just happen to have all these ingredients on hand, minus the London Ale yeast. I have the option of US-04, US-05, or a Bells yeast slurry from a batch currently fermenting. What do you think would be the best for GL Xmas Ale?

I think I found this weekend's brew. Thanks OP!

US-04 would be a good substitute.

 

[Shinglejohn]

Do you think that the honey goes in the secondary rather than flame out at the brewry

I asked them that but they wont tell me.

 

[Shinglejohn]

US-04 would be a good substitute.

+1

Although the london ale yeast is the exact yeast the brewery uses.

 

[Shinglejohn]

Anyone interested in doing a group exchange of our GLCA brews?

 

[Newbeerguy]

Anyone interested in doing a group exchange of our GLCA brews?

I'd be interested. I made 15 gallons so I'll have some to spare/swap

 

[cyberbackpacker]

Here is what Mark Hunger, Manager of Brewing and Quality Control said to me on October 5, 2009 in regards to Christmas ale:

Honey, ginger, and cinnamon are all added in the boil. We use enough honey to raise the O.G. by about 2 degrees Plato.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WiseEyes
Do you think that the honey goes in the secondary rather than flame out at the brewry
I asked them that but they wont tell me.

I asked them that but they wont tell me.

 

[Shinglejohn]

Here is what Mark Hunger, Manager of Brewing and Quality Control said to me on October 5, 2009 in regards to Christmas ale:

Honey, ginger, and cinnamon are all added in the boil. We use enough honey to raise the O.G. by about 2 degrees Plato.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WiseEyes
Do you think that the honey goes in the secondary rather than flame out at the brewry
I asked them that but they wont tell me.

Dude. Nice!

 

[Blackhawkbrew]

Anyone interested in doing a group exchange of our GLCA brews?

I just brewed mine last weekend, but I would be willing to try a group exchange when it's ready and get some feedback.

 

[Mtitus6]

I brewed this about 4 weeks ago and had my first taste last night. I made a cinnamon/ginger tea and added liquid and cinnamon and ginger to secondary for 4 days. I might have overdone it on the ginger because the ginger taste is pretty overwhelming. Ill give it a couple more weeks to let it die down. I have a keg of the real thing coming on Monday so I will have no problem waiting for mine to mellow out.

 

[slykwilli]

I brewed this about 4 weeks ago and had my first taste last night. I made a cinnamon/ginger tea and added liquid and cinnamon and ginger to secondary for 4 days. I might have overdone it on the ginger because the ginger taste is pretty overwhelming. Ill give it a couple more weeks to let it die down. I have a keg of the real thing coming on Monday so I will have no problem waiting for mine to mellow out.

an entire keg?!?!?! What time do you want me to come over?

 

[kpr121]

So looks like this isnt going to be as much of a clone as I thought. Only had 10 lbs of pale malt (I do 10 gallons batches), so I had to substitute. Added 5 lbs of Munich and 2 lbs of light DME to get to 1.073. I think I should have dropped the crystal but its already been crushed and mixed so I'm stuck with it. Sparge is heating now.

Even if its not a GL Christmas, I think it should make a nice malty festive beer!

 

[Blackhawkbrew]

Just checked mine after a week in primary and the gravity was at 1.012 (my starting gravity was 1.064). BTW, these numbers are spot on for what Beersmith said. Should I wait to secondary it for another week or pull it now? I don't want the gravity to go down any further.

 

[Hop_machine]

I did cinnamon sticks whole with fresh chunked peeled ginger. Cin taste is pretty strong, but I expect that to condition into a great beer. Been awhile since I had the original, but I think this beer will rock. Thanks for the recipe OP!