Is Your Christmas Brew Done On Time?

[GHBWNY]

Just wondering who brewed what for the Christmas holidays and whether or not you're on schedule. Although I had planned a brew which will be ready on the 22nd, it underwent a *transition* in the process. I don't think an Apricot Belgian Wit qualifies as a traditional seasonal brew. Unless I put some lights on it.

 

[indymedic]

I brewed a mint chocolate stout and will be opening one tonight (3 weeks in bottle) to see what it's like. So yes my Christmas brew will be ready for Christmas.

 

[motobrewer]

yes. Old Fezziwig clone. It should be carbed by now.

 

[Michael_K]

I planned on brewing a Wee Heavy, but a drop in efficiency gave me what I'm calling a "90/-". December 23rd will be two weeks in the bottle. Barely ready for Christmas.

 

[BNolt17]

I brewed the Deception Cream Stout and bulk aged with some bourbon oak chips and vanilla coffee which is ready. 2 months in the carboy, 2 months in the bottle. I also did a Gingerbread Brown Ale that I wanted to keg for Christmas but got busy and only brewed it Sunday. Probably won't be ready until after New Years but bubbling away right now!!

 

[unionrdr]

If I'd have used three packets of US-05 yeast, my Hellfire IIPA would've had more than three weeks time at room temp to carb & condition before fridge time yesterday morning. The ESB & dry Whiskely stout had more time going into the fridge, so I know they'll be good. Now if the darn printer wouldn't have jammed, I could print the labels I made up!

 

[Sweetwort-Hopkins]

I got really ambitious about two months ago. I brewed my first RIS which is bulk aging in a corny, it'll be just over two-months old at Christmas. Following that, I brewed a Robust Porter (10gals) which will have spent 4wks bottle conditioning at Christmas.
Then, a mistake was made -- I wanted to have 10gals of my DIPA brewed as well. However, I can't mash that amount of grain all at once so I knew I'd have to do two batches (with about 6wks remaining). I brewed the first half and kegged it on day 13 in order make room in the ferm-fridge for the following day. Well, that first batch finished at 1.027 (ughhh.. loads of sugar left behind). I'm lucky that it is one of those fruit juice style DIPAs so it isn't completely horrible. It's actually delicious and the aroma is gnarly, it's just sweeter than it should be.
So this lands me here: I have a too-sweet DIPA kegged and carbed and I have another batch of the same recipe fermenting at the moment but I am absolutely going to let this one ferment all the way which means it most likely will not be ready for the big day. Oh well, at least the RIS and Porter will be shareable.

Cheers!

 

[VApatriot]

The wife wanted me to make a Christmas brew, she picked out NB's brickwarmer red kit. This Saturday (12/19) it will have been in the bottle for 8 weeks. I tried one a couple days ago. It's a little over 6% ABV, tastes ok, it's just not one of my favorite kits.

 

[GHBWNY]

I brewed a mint chocolate stout and will be opening one tonight (3 weeks in bottle) to see what it's like. So yes my Christmas brew will be ready for Christmas.

Mine has been in bottle-cond. for just over two weeks, but *strictly* for the sake of "Scientific Research", I feel it is my duty to open one tonight just to see how it's progressing. I secondaried a good amount of apricot, and added extract at bottling to an otherwise 'normal' bitter-orange-and-coriander wit, but also primed for the first time with honey, so I'm curious as to how the fruitiness:dryness ratio came out. Report back on the mint choc. stout. Cheers!

 

[Jwin]

All beer is christmas beer!

Saved some extra vanilla bourbon porters from the spring for the family get together. And my yet to be sampled but kegged double jack clone for my hophead sister.

 

[GHBWNY]

The wife wanted me to make a Christmas brew, she picked out NB's brickwarmer red kit. This Saturday (12/19) it will have been in the bottle for 8 weeks. I tried one a couple days ago. It's a little over 6% ABV, tastes ok, it's just not one of my favorite kits.

In June, I bottled an AG bitter amber, my first orig. recipe, and right out of the gate I didn't like it. Now, a few months later it has developed a character which is pleasing. Esp. the balance between the bitterness/maltiness.

 

[hanuswalrus]

I'll have a few brews ready for Christmas. Tried a bottle of a stout w/ vanilla bean and coffee that turned out really good. Then I have a couple APA's that have been in bottles for about 2 weeks, and an ESB to bottle some time this week.

 

[indymedic]

Mine has been in bottle-cond. for just over two weeks, but *strictly* for the sake of "Scientific Research", I feel it is my duty to open one tonight just to see how it's progressing. I secondaried a good amount of apricot, and added extract at bottling to an otherwise 'normal' bitter-orange-and-coriander wit, but also primed for the first time with honey, so I'm curious as to how the fruitiness:dryness ratio came out. Report back on the mint choc. stout. Cheers!

I used a dry stout recipe for my base and 4 oz of cocoa powder and 10 mint tea bags towards the end of boil (which I found it mint chocolate recipe here). I tried one at 2 weeks and it was all chocolate barely and mint. A week later chocolate has diminished a bit and I can taste some mint but not as much as I was hoping. Still good though.

 

[murphyslaw]

Just barely. Family arrives tuesday night. I THINK I can have it carbed by then.

 

[GHBWNY]

I used a dry stout recipe for my base and 4 oz of cocoa powder and 10 mint tea bags towards the end of boil (which I found it mint chocolate recipe here). I tried one at 2 weeks and it was all chocolate barely and mint. A week later chocolate has diminished a bit and I can taste some mint but not as much as I was hoping. Still good though.

Nice! I tried my apricot wit last night. I used 3 lb. of real apricot in secondary, and 4 oz. (5 gal batch) apricot extract @ bottling. It's good, but I hope the apricotiness will back off a little with time. I am not a flavor-extract fan and would never have gone extract alone, but I think this one worked along with the real apricot. Not that I'm suggesting it, but just wondering what a little mint extract would have done to bring that out in your stout.

 

[Rhumbline]

Not for this Christmas. I knew I was going to be out of the country so in October I brewed an RIS and a Panneport Gran Reserve clone. They are going to be cellared until next Christmas.

 

[Calichusetts]

Honey Saison with lemon and lime peel. Pouring fantastic and the best saison I've ever made.

 

[DromJohn]

First taste of Bush De Noël was 16 November 2015.

 

[IslandLizard]

My 2012 Great Lakes Christmas Ale Clone is about perfect now. Sadly, there are only 2 bottles left...

 

[BrooklynTom]

I made a kit from NB they called Festivus, I steeped up the AVB. I call it Krampus Ale. It took 2 months to carb up. I sampled 1 month ago, it tasted like lighter fluid. Tried again last night and WOW what a change. I also just kegged a Bourbon Barrel Porter last night. I hope to have it Christmas Eve.

 

[atom]

my red ryeder ipa has been kegged for a few weeks now...will probably kick the first keg before christmas.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

My Christmas beer is now New Years beer, didn't get it in time :-(

 

[bucfan1234]

Yes! My Samuel Smiths Winter Welcome clone is just waiting on an empty keg.

 

[z-bob]

Of course not; I didn't get a chance to brew it until a week and a half ago, and it's a high gravity one. But it's close; it might be ready to bottle in time to at least try one for New Year's. I don't want to rush it and end up with bottle bombs because the yeast still had a few points to go.

I also have some sparkling wine that's ready to bottle, and Skeeter Pee that's ready to go in jugs.

There will be some kind of homebrew opened on Christmas, it just might not be the Holiday Porter that I intended.

 

[DemonsRun]

Won't have everything ready, but there will still be a good selection.

Kegged and Ready
Brown ale
Coffee Stout

Cold Crashing
Cream ale
IIPA

Still Fermenting
Oatmeal Stout
Rye Kentucky Common

A Few Bottles left
Cream Ale
Dry Hopped Cream Ale
Dry Hopped Saison

 

[eadavis80]

Really went crazy from August-Halloween. So, in my holiday six-packs I let people choose between an IPA, pumpkin ale, winter spiced ale, a holiday amber, a heavy brown ale, chocolate stout and a vanilla porter. It was a busy fall, but all my 6-packs are organized and sitting under the tree now!

 

[unionrdr]

Krampus looks/sounds more like something pulled from Revelation. " he sends the beast with wrath, for he knows the time is short! Let him who hath understanding recon the number of the beast"...just what I saw, in my own dreams...were they reflections of my warped mind staring back at me? Yikes...

 

[brewcat]

I'll keg my Christmas Stout today or tomorrow. I'll at least get to try it for Christmas. Probably will be more New Year's Day when it is hitting stride.

 

[unionrdr]

I'm concerned about that with the Hellfire IIPA. For a big beer of 9.35%, 3 weeks might not've been enough. It was intended for Christmas too, a couple months ago. I'll never go cheap on yeast again!...

 

[indymedic]

Not that I'm suggesting it, but just wondering what a little mint extract would have done to bring that out in your stout.

I agree with you about flavor extracts but I have used them in the past. I think they work well along side the actual ingredient to enhance the flavor. If I make this again I will probably increase the amount of teabags and possible use extract at bottling.

 

[StonesBally]

Brewed 15 gallons of a holiday ale modeled after Great Lakes Christmas Ale. I put up about ten gallons 3 weeks in bottles and secondaried the last 5 gallons for a week on top of about the last 5 lbs of ground cherries of the season that I had stored in the freezer just for this. Anyway, I finally tasted the fruited batch last night and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of flavor. I don't usually dig fruit beers.

 

[TurnipGreen]

I made wifey a mint chocolate milk stout for the holidays. Best stout I've ever made. Normally she is all about the porters and stouts, especially in the colder months. Last week she said she hasn't been into the stouts and wanted a pale ale like I made late summer. No sweat off my back. That's like a free ticket to run to the LHBS and stock up! Sadly The ale won't be ready for the festivities.

 

[tgolanos]

I did an AG spiced-apple ale. It's been in bottles only a week now so it's definitely not fully carbonated yet. It's not high gravity (4.5%) so fingers crossed it will be in another week because the apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg flavors are great.

 

[Clearbeer1]

I have kegged an all grain, American Amber Ale using some Red-X grain for the first time. It will be ready to tap on Christmas Eve. My wife is eagerly awaiting a glass.
Merry Christmas to all.

 

[bhchrist]

Kegged and carbed my 7 month old RIS that aged with a Port wine soaked oak spiral a few weeks ago. It should hang in there long enough for Christmas.

 

[lumpher]

Rahr's Bourbon Barrel Winter Warmer all kegged up, carbed up, taste-tested, and ready to go. I added the bourbon myself...

 

[branman]

Centennial Blonde boost carbing as we speak, for once I'll be in time for Christmas (only because it was a quick recipe)

 

[Kampenken]

Yes, two. I have a 13 mo old Breakfast Stout that was a bit heavy on the coffee, but has been aging and mellowing nicely, and my Black Porter will be ready next week (3 weeks now in bottle). I also brewed and will be bottling this weekend a Deschute's Jubelale Winter Warmer clone (Denny posted the brewery's recipe- 4400# of grain, I adjusted it down some, to 5g). That will have to wait until New Years, but I did score a case of it for my work beer exchange and managed to get 2 back.

 

[Vandulus]

I planned for one Christmas time beer and now have two - my Thanksgiving dark ale took longer than expected due to using rum soaked oak chips and higher ABV. The Belgian Dubbel which was my original choice should be ready this weekend. Looks like the holidays will be very happy indeed!

 

[njviking]

I've been brewing my butt off since October.

I've got a cider, Porter, Stout , and Brown on tap now.

Black IPA
Partigyle from Black IPA.
Amber Ale
Blonde Ale
Dales Pale Ale Clone
Bourbon Stout
Partigyle from Bourbon Stout

All Cellared and on deck.

Blanche De Chambley
Jule Saison
Cottage Saison
RIS

All been bottled for months now.


After the first of the year, time for Gose, Berlinners and other summer delights.