Spicy Winter Ale - Extract Recipe

[BrewMatic]

First time poster, and first time recipe build, loosely based on another recipe that I cannot find at this point in time. I would be interested in getting your feedback. I don't have any brew calculator, but I am aiming towards a higher ABV beer to get that "winter warmer" sensation. I hopefully will be brewing this either tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks for your help!

Spicy Winter Ale

Brew Method: Partial Mash
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 Gal
Boil Size: 3 Gal

Fermentables:
9.9 lb - Briess Golden Light LME
1 lb - Honey

Steeped Grains:
1 lb - Crystal 60L
2 oz - Black Patent Malt

Bittering Hops:
1 oz - Summit (USA) Pellets for 60 min

Aroma Hops:
0.5 oz - Saaz (Czech) Whole for 5 min

Yeast:
Safale American Ale (US-05)

Spices:
1 oz -Orange Peel, Bitter
Cinnamon Sticks
Grains of Paradise
Ginger Root
Vanilla Bean (Vodka Extract)

Extras:
1 TBSP - Yeast Nutrient
1/2 tsp - Irish Moss

Steep @ 155 for 30 min:
1 lb American Crystal 60L & 2 oz Black Patent Malt

Boil:

Full hour
9.9 lb Golden Light LME, 1 lb Honey, 1 oz Summit Pellets

45 mins into boil
1/2 tsp Irish Moss

50 mins into boil
1oz Cinnamon stick, 1 oz Bitter Orange Peel, 1 oz Ginger Root, 1/2 tsp Grains of Paradise

55 mins into boil
1/2 Saaz - Whole

Primary Add 1 TBSP Yeast Nutrient @ 65 degrees F for 10 days.

Rack to secondary, add Vanilla Bean Vodka extract @ 65 degrees until fermentation complete

Bottle condition

 

[peterj]

That recipe sounds great to me. Should be pretty delicious. Hopefully it will be ready to drink before Christmas! The only thing I would do differently is hold most or maybe all of the extract and definitely the honey until the end of the boil, and then add them at flameout. Extract has already been boiled when they process it and boiling it again only darkens and caramelizes it. Honey will also caramelize if boiled for 60 minutes, and I would imagine the boil will drive off a lot of the subtle flavors that you want to be left over after all of the sugar ferments out. The ~200F wort will be plenty hot to sterilize the extract and honey and they will help start the cooling process.

Also, you should check out brewersfriend.com or hopville.com for their recipe building features. I'm sure there are a bunch of others out there but those are the ones that come to mind. I use brewersfriend and I'm very happy with it. You could also buy beersmith for like $30 I think. A lot of people like that. Then again, you made a pretty solid recipe without any of those fancy shmancy calculators, so maybe you're good.

Have fun brewing!