Holiday Brew???

[sparkeee277]

Hi Everybody-
I'm looking for a little input on a holiday partial mash recipe I am planning on brewing and giving away to friends at Christmas this year. I have never written a holiday ale recipe so any help would be totally appreciated. I'm after a big body, subtle spice, slightly sweet, IPA ish beer that will warm you up......

3# Pale Ale
8oz Dextrin
8oz Light Munich
4oz Special B
8oz Flaked Oats
3.3# Amber LME
3.3# Maris Otter LME
1# Clear Candi
1oz Centennial
1oz Mt Hood
1oz Fuggles
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2 tsp Mulling Spices
2 tsp Nutmeg

Mash @ 158 for 60, add LME and boil for 60. Centennials for 60, Mt. Hoods, spices, and Candi for 10, Fuggles @ flameout. I'm not really sure what yeast to use, I was thinking Nottingham?

THANKS!!!!

 

[Teromous]

Don't mulling spices usually include cinnamon and nutmeg already?

 

[sparkeee277]

I never really looked into what is in mulling spices..... Maybe trade the mulling spices out for something else?

 

[Zamial]

Looking at your grain bill and ingredients I would remove the mulling spices and add in some orange zest from 2-3 oranges. Use a nice Belgian yeast strain and call it good.

Special B malt is almost always in Belgian beers as is candi syrup/sugar. I would also mash in a bit lower than 158 maybe 153-155 to try and get some more fermentables out of the grains.

 

[sparkeee277]

Thanks Zamial. I like the orange zest idea, I'm all over it. I was mashing @ 158 to try to get a little more body, but I guess the dextrin will handle that, right?

I'll go with the Belgian yeast too. Should be awesome! I'll let you know how it turns out.....