Winter Seasonal Beer Holly (Christmas Ale)

[cherbhy]

I'm considering adding 3/4-1.25 lbs of flaked oats to this recipe and eliminating the ginger.. Maybe adding mucovado brown sugar in place of the honey. Thoughts?


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[atimmerman88]

I made it last year with Cali ale v and it was quite good.


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I think that would work well. I've used that yeast s few times with decent results in the body department.

I used mangrove jacks burton Union this year


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[Quaffman]

I've got mine fermenting away now. I used wlp002 so I hope it turns out nice and malty, because I also subbed maris otter for the 2 row.

 

[Urkelbot]

I brewed this last year and really liked the taste with the spice blend. I still had 4 saved over from last year so I changed it up. I used yoopers oatmeal stout recipe added a little bit of molasses and kept the spice blend and hops the same. It's good a Christmas stout

 

[Carros]

I had to take off work to do it, but I finally got to brew this today. Hopefully it turns out as good as last years batch.

 

[kptnkmn]

Lookin to brew this tomorrow, partigyled with a subsection going to a pumpkin ale, and finishing with a sour ale experiment. Any suggestions on hops for a soured version?

 

[user 185392]

I'm considering adding 3/4-1.25 lbs of flaked oats to this recipe and eliminating the ginger.. Maybe adding mucovado brown sugar in place of the honey. Thoughts?


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If you like ginger at all I would definitely keep it in. The combo of all 4 of the ingredients is heavenly. Although the vanilla is heavy(only been in my bottles for 3 weeks). I would recommend the ginger, it adds a nice sweet spice to the finished product.

 

[iamperplexed]

Brewing this one tomorrow. Looking forward to it.

 

[crazyturtle64]

We are doing this on Sunday. Looking way forward to it

 

[JasonWB]

I brewed this last weekend and it's been sitting in the fermentation chamber running nice and solid right at 64 the whole time. However, I've looked all through the thread and I'm sure that I missed it, but I can't seem to find how long you let it ferment and if you did secondary etc and for how long before bottling/kegging?

 

[atimmerman88]

I've done this the past 2 years with a 4 week primary with no secondary. There's really no benefit for a secondary if your moving it to packaging after 4-5 weeks since this beer does have any additions to the fermenter


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[papab]

Hello
I've made this recipes a couple of times is GREAT, I would like to make it again on a bigger scale, Does anybody know the recipe for 10 gal? Double everything or ????
Thanks

 

[plankbr]

Hello
I've made this recipes a couple of times is GREAT, I would like to make it again on a bigger scale, Does anybody know the recipe for 10 gal? Double everything or ????
Thanks

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American Amber Ale
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 11 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 12.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.068
Efficiency: 72% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.077
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 8.59%
IBU (tinseth): 43.72
SRM (morey): 17.15

FERMENTABLES:
26 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (84.1%)
2 lb - Honey (6.5%)
16 oz - American - Caramel / Crystal 80L (3.2%)
16 oz - Belgian - Special B (3.2%)
8 oz - German - Wheat Malt (1.6%)
6.4 oz - American - Chocolate (1.3%)

HOPS:
2 oz - Centennial, Type: Pellet, AA: 10, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 29.47
1 oz - Centennial, Type: Pellet, AA: 10, Use: Boil for 30 min, IBU: 11.32
1 oz - Centennial, Type: Pellet, AA: 10, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 2.94

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Temp: 156 F, Time: 60 min
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.5 qt/lb

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (custom): 85%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 59 - 75 F

 

[atimmerman88]

This years is starting to hit its stride

Brewed Labor Day.

Can't wait for a vertical with last years




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View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1416698763.098161.jpg

 

[itsratso]

I had to dump my first batch - the bitter orange was giving a real sharp astringent aftertaste. replaced it with a tablespoon of fresh orange zest. it has only been carbing up a few days so no aging yet but tasted today and it is fantastic.

 

[Kozwald]

I brewed the original recipe this afternoon. Because I forgot how to read the calendar I only have 3 weeks for fermentation then right into the keg. This will give me only 4 days before Christmas which isn't enough time to let it age properly.
I was wondering if I added the spices to the secondary instead of directly into the keg if this would help with the flavoring??

Any thoughts?

 

[BrewCityBaller]

I brewed the original recipe this afternoon. Because I forgot how to read the calendar I only have 3 weeks for fermentation then right into the keg. This will give me only 4 days before Christmas which isn't enough time to let it age properly.
I was wondering if I added the spices to the secondary instead of directly into the keg if this would help with the flavoring??

Any thoughts?

If you go this route you will certainly get some spice, but it won't be anything like what you'd get if it sat around for a month or so. For your situation, I would just add the spices once active fermentation stops to give yourself a fighting chance.

 

[Kozwald]

I think I'm going to make the "tea" and throw it into the secondary. This will at least give me 3 weeks before drinking.

 

[Rockn_M]

I brewed this in mid September and it is really coming together nicely.

 

[crazyturtle64]

I brewed this 2 weeks ago and bottled it Friday. It will give me close to 3-4 weeks bottled. I hope it all turns out. It did Taste really good when we bottled.

 

[BrewCityBaller]

I brewed this in mid September and it is really coming together nicely.

Me too. Brewed on 9/20 and it's finally getting where I wanted it to be!

 

[Rockn_M]

Me too. Brewed on 9/20 and it's finally getting where I wanted it to be!

My keg is almost empty and I'm sad

 

[JasonWB]

I may be missing it but what co2 volume did you carbonate this up to? About to throw it in the Keggerator and hook it up to a tank tonight.

 

[JasonWB]

Anybody? I have it set to hit 2.4 right now but let me know if it should be different.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Anybody? I have it set to hit 2.4 right now but let me know if it should be different.

I checked a bottle priming calculator and it put american brown ales with 2.4 at the high end. So, I would say 2.4 would be good and bubbly, which, IMHO, I think would be good for this beer. 2.0 would be more midrange for a brown ale, but 2.4 should still be good. Pröst!!

 

[atimmerman88]

Anybody? I have it set to hit 2.4 right now but let me know if it should be different.

I checked a bottle priming calculator and it put american brown ales with 2.4 at the high end. So, I would say 2.4 would be good and bubbly, which, IMHO, I think would be good for this beer. 2.0 would be more midrange for a brown ale, but 2.4 should still be good. Pröst!!

It's some what preference, but I have the opposite opinion of Trusty --- I like this beer at 1.9 - 2.0 but it's also how you prefer your beers.

 

[JasonWB]

So I brewed this about six weeks ago, primary for two weeks, secondary for two weeks then transferred to serving keg at which point I made the tea per the ingredients listed and added it to the serving keg. I let it sit for two weeks (wanted more time to age, but got started on it late this year for Christmas) before trying it and I taste the vanilla pretty strongly but taste absolutely no cinnamon or other spices at all. I boiled the tea with the wort and let it steep in the pot for about 20 minutes as I don't have a French press. The beer is really good and complex, but any idea why I'm not getting any of the expected spice flavor? Would the lack of a French press make that big of a difference?

 

[BrewCityBaller]

So I brewed this about six weeks ago, primary for two weeks, secondary for two weeks then transferred to serving keg at which point I made the tea per the ingredients listed and added it to the serving keg. I let it sit for two weeks (wanted more time to age, but got started on it late this year for Christmas) before trying it and I taste the vanilla pretty strongly but taste absolutely no cinnamon or other spices at all. I boiled the tea with the wort and let it steep in the pot for about 20 minutes as I don't have a French press. The beer is really good and complex, but any idea why I'm not getting any of the expected spice flavor? Would the lack of a French press make that big of a difference?

Other than making it easier to strain out all the little chunks of spice, I don't think the French press is a big factor here. I am going to guess the biggest offender here is time. Six weeks grain to glass is pretty quick for this recipe. I brewed mine twelve weeks ago and is only just now becoming wonderful. When mine was in the bottle for only two weeks all I got was vanilla and orange peel, it was like a dreamsicle. Now mine is like a brown ale with Christmas cookies in it: you can take a little cinnamon, a hint of ginger, with a vanilla and orange finish.

I had the same experience with my batch last year, but unfortunately then I brewed it late, so I had a really delicious President's Day Ale

If you can be patient you might be pleasantly surprised by how this tastes in a few weeks.

 

[JasonWB]

Gotcha. Yeah, we had a party and my wife wanted a Christmas beer on tap. I was afraid of the time frame and you're right on. Tastes like a vanilla dreamsickle. Maybe I'll take it off tap and set it aside for a few weeks and try it again in late January.

 

[Kozwald]

Started mine too late so it only had 1 week primary. I added the tea to secondary for 2 weeks and a week keg conditioning. The first sample was mostly cinnamon and some vanilla. I've got a lot of company coming over for the holidays so I hope it makes it a few more weeks. I'd like to see how it matures.