Please Critique this Recipe

[HadleyBrewer]

Hi everyone - this is my first time trying to design my own recipe. It is a variation on the christmas beer from Brewing Classic Styles. Basically, I really wanted to make a christmas beer that had piney and maple notes.

Please tell me what you think!

Fermentables:
13 lbs pale ale LME
.75 lbs 80 lovibond crystal malt
.25 lbs black patent malt
1 lbs Maple Syrup (added to primary after fermentation has peaked)

Hops:
1 oz Horizon 60 minutes
.5 oz amarillo 20 minutes
.5 oz Chinook flameout

Extra:
1 Cinnamon Stick (added to secondary)

Yeast:
WLP013

I'm also planning to use maple syrup instead of priming sugar as well.

Thanks!

 

[peterj]

This recipe looks pretty solid to me. I really like the maple syrup addition. I don't know if 1 cinnamon stick is going to add much flavor. I've never done cinnamon in the secondary though so I'm really not an authority; it just doesn't seem like a lot compared to this huge grain bill. I might also add another addition of crystal malt. Maybe 120L or even special B to add some depth, and I think the raisony sweetness might compliment the maple flavor. I might up the hops to 1 oz each to balance with the sweetness of the grain bill. This is a 5 gallon batch right? Full boil or partial?

 

[HadleyBrewer]

This recipe looks pretty solid to me. I really like the maple syrup addition. I don't know if 1 cinnamon stick is going to add much flavor. I've never done cinnamon in the secondary though so I'm really not an authority; it just doesn't seem like a lot compared to this huge grain bill. I might also add another addition of crystal malt. Maybe 120L or even special B to add some depth, and I think the raisony sweetness might compliment the maple flavor. I might up the hops to 1 oz each to balance with the sweetness of the grain bill. This is a 5 gallon batch right? Full boil or partial?

5 gallon batch, 4 gallon boil (as close to full as I can get given my equipment). I usually try to add most of my extract as late as possible to get better hops utilization.

I like the idea of adding some crystal malt to the grain bill. I'm still pretty new at this though - any ideas on how much?

Also, I thought about adding more hops during my flavor and aroma additions, but I didn't want to overpower the cinnamon and maple notes. You don't think 1 oz in each case would be too much?

Thanks for the input!

 

[peterj]

I've actually read a lot of arguments that boil gravity doesn't affect hop utilization as much as people once thought. And judging from my own experience I would agree, especially with gravity gained from extract additions. That being said, whenever I use extract I still add it at flameout, but just because it has already been boiled once in the drying process and boiling again only leads to darkening and caramelization. I just don't trust the extra IBUs my software says I gain from checking the "late addition" box. Also, not doing a full boil is going to weaken the hop presence in the final beer, so I think 1 oz would probably work well and you might even want to think about more for the bittering addition.

I actually just brewed a winter warmer last weekend, though my OG was lower than yours (1.065). I used 0.75 lbs crystal 40L and 0.75 lbs crystal 120L. I can't really say if it turned out well though, because it's only been in the fermentor for a few days now. But I think that is a pretty good amount based on looking at a bunch of other recipes. I might even go higher for your recipe because your OG is going to be a lot higher. Here's my recipe, just to give you an idea:

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Holiday/Winter Special Spiced Beer
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons
Boil Size: 7.25 gallons
Efficiency: 70%

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.065
Final Gravity: 1.016
ABV (standard): 6.4%
IBU (tinseth): 44.28
SRM (morey): 25.71

FERMENTABLES:
7 lb - Maris Otter Pale (50.9%)
4 lb - Munich (29.1%)
0.75 lb - Caramel / Crystal 40L (5.5%)
0.75 lb - Caramel / Crystal 120L (5.5%)
0.5 lb - Chocolate (3.6%)
0.75 lb - Smoked Malt (5.5%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Simcoe (AA 14.1), Type: Leaf/Whole, Use: First Wort
0.5 oz - Magnum (AA 13.5) for 60 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
1 oz - East Kent Goldings (AA 5.8) for 10 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil

MASH STEPS:
1) Temperature, Temp: 154 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 18 qt, Strike temp = 167
2) Infusion, Temp: 170 F, Time: 10 min, Amount: 9 qt, Mashout
3) Sparge, Temp: 185 F, Amount: 10 qt, Batch Sparge

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp - Crushed Allspice Berries, Time: 5 min Boil
0.5 oz - Sliced Ginger Root, Time: 5 min Boil
2 each - Cinnamon sticks, Time: 5 min Boil

0.5 tsp - Irish Moss, Time: 15 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04

Hope this helps.

 

[HadleyBrewer]

Wow - that looks delicious. Thanks for the advice.