Is Your Christmas Brew Done On Time?

[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.

 

[bkboiler]

looks like my piney winter lager is gonna take another 3 weeks or so...it'll be a present just in time for New Years maybe!

 

[Calder]

Five variations on a Robust Porter - A case of each (about 125 bottles in total):

- Raspberry and Chocolate
- Raspberry and Coffee
- Cherries and Chocolate
- Bourbon and Oak
- Vanilla and Coffee

They have been ready for a while now, and taste pretty good. I have a few in the fridge for sampling tonight.

 

[Kampenken]

Five variations on a Robust Porter - A case of each (about 125 bottles in total):

- Raspberry and Chocolate
- Raspberry and Coffee
- Cherries and Chocolate
- Bourbon and Oak
- Vanilla and Coffee

They have been ready for a while now, and taste pretty good. I have a few in the fridge for sampling tonight.

Sounds awesome! Which is / are your favorite(s)?

 

[philipCT]

In a word, no.

Brewed the AG Red Brickwarmer right on schedule just like previous two years. Put it into cold crash and it was ready to bottle on the 3rd but got busy and only bottled last night.

This is our annual Christmas Card beer but with 10 days more to carb, it'll be turning into a New Year's beer.

 

[IslandLizard]

In a word, no.

Brewed the AG Red Brickwarmer right on schedule just like previous two years. Put it into cold crash and it was ready to bottle on the 3rd but got busy and only bottled last night.

This is our annual Christmas Card beer but with 10 days more to carb, it'll be turning into a New Year's beer.

That is a bit of a disappointment, how time has ways to catch you off-guard. If you trust your bottling, you can still hand them out for Christmas. Hang a cute seasonal tag around the bottles and ask not to open until Jan. 1, at the earliest. Your patience will be rewarded (with a pop)!

 

[secondbase]

I brewed an Xmas ale in October. I think it's pretty good now, but will get better with a little time. Used 3787 which usually hits its stride around 3-4 months in the bottle.

 

[Elkobrewer]

I kegged my oatmeal stout 2 weeks ago. Tried the first one last night and all I can say is I hope it lasts tell Christmas night

 

[Island_Dan]

My chocolate maple porter has been bottle carbonated for two weeks tomorrow and will be in the fridge in time for Christmas! On the other hand the mead I started in May still isn't done fermenting. I had a stuck fermentation for a couple months and realized it when I measured FG last month and had to repitch with champagne yeast. Been bubbling happily ever since.

 

[philipCT]

That is a bit of a disappointment, how time has ways to catch you off-guard. If you trust your bottling, you can still hand them out for Christmas. Hang a cute seasonal tag around the bottles and ask not to open until Jan. 1, at the earliest. Your patience will be rewarded (with a pop)!

Hahaha - great minds think alike! I actually did that the first year. It was fully carbed, but it really needed 10 days more conditioning, so I handed them out with specific aging instructions.

The second year I got the schedule right.

This year, I actually am not confident of my bottle carbing because I left it in cold crash for three weeks (!). I'm sure it will carb, but I'm thinking it might take 15-20 days or more.

Anyway, so I don't want to hand it out till I know it's right - so Happy New Year it will be!

 

[govner1]

Gingerbread Ale (last four years) also still have some PumKing clone on tap plus my Amber Hopper w/ my Red IPA & Saison in the wings.

 

[bucfan1234]

Kegged my winter welcome on Saturday morning, after six weeks in the primary. It's tasting really good, and should be carbed up and ready to go by Christmas eve.

 

[Kharnynb]

Bee Cave Brewery Robust Porter that i brewed 2 months ago, perfectly on scedule it seems.

 

[tgolanos]

I had to try one of my Apple Ales this evening to make sure they were ready. We have Christmas beer success!

 

[GHBWNY]

We had a Christmas gathering on the 26th and I did a test run of my 'young' Apricot Wit on my brew-saavy S-I-L with excellent reviews.

 

[Brew_G]

Winter Brown Ale - brewed with white pine tips and a decent hopping with Cascade, Calypso, and Willamette - was finished, bottled, and chilled/aged perfectly for Christmas.

Drinking one right now...

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1451351289.790114.jpg

 

[philipCT]

Sounds delicious!

 

[PlexVector]

No but it is ready as of yesterday...IPA with galaxy and azaccha hops. Turned out really well. My Sorta yooper IPA I'm going to take off tap for a couple of weeks and let it mellow. "long story"

 

[bucfan1234]

We had a bunch of people over for the holidays. The winter welcome got good feedback, and the keg was emptied.

I was pretty excited about the brew, and before everyone arrived we picked up a bottle of Sam Smiths to do a side by side comparison. We unscientifically taste tested it, and overall the clone brews recipe is very close. The real thing was slightly lighter in color, but the flavor profile was right on target.

This was my best all grain brew to date, and I was happy that everyone enjoyed it.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

No, cause it's my superbowl brew (started on December 6th). It's a whiskey barrel porter and will be ~8 weeks old and done in time for the super bowl. I'm sure it will age well on top of that as well.