What is your Holiday Beer?

[mattdee1]

I had to brew something my family will actually drink, so I've got a blonde and a wheat. Also, I'll gladly take care of the leftovers of those beers. The weird recipes with spice and fruit and whatnot are fun to try, but I'd only be able to drink 1 or 2 of those over the holidays before I'd be ready to go back to plain old barley and hops.

 

[BrewingTravisty]

I had to brew something my family will actually drink, so I've got a blonde and a wheat. Also, I'll gladly take care of the leftovers of those beers. The weird recipes with spice and fruit and whatnot are fun to try, but I'd only be able to drink 1 or 2 of those over the holidays before I'd be ready to go back to plain old barley and hops.

I'm the same exact way, I'll enjoy a couple beers with spices and/or fruit added but I prefer a normal grains and hops only beer. I am looking forward to trying my Vanilla Rum Barrel Stout though, it's been aging for a few months now. I would prefer to give it a few more months, but hopefully it's aged enough by Christmas.

 

[brrman]

I honestly hate (really hate) spiced beers so I typically just go with a nice porter on tap for the holidays.

 

[BrewingTravisty]

I honestly hate (really hate) spiced beers so I typically just go with a nice porter on tap for the holidays.

I hate most spiced beers, unless they're subtle. The bad thing is most people way over do the spices. Even subtle ones though I'll only drink one or two of before going back to non spiced beers.

 

[BrewingTravisty]

I just cracked the seal on the mini keg I put my stout into and holy crap... It was amazing, this is the best beer I've ever brewed! Possibly even one of the best stouts I've ever had! I'm gonna be so drunk on Christmas xD

 

[Singletrack]

Bah humbug. I can't brew all your fancy spiced Christmas beers and whatnot.

"Just sit there and drink another IPA, bitter beer face. You want Christmas? Okay, this one is reddish."

 

[Calder]

I honestly hate (really hate) spiced beers so I typically just go with a nice porter on tap for the holidays.

Same here. I think it a waste of a good beer when you add spices. I have a few Porters lined up for the Holidays.

I just cracked the seal on the mini keg I put my stout into and holy crap... It was amazing, this is the best beer I've ever brewed! Possibly even one of the best stouts I've ever had! I'm gonna be so drunk on Christmas xD

Mini keg/great beer ......... That's only about 12 pints. Will it make it to Christmas Day.

 

[BrewingTravisty]

Same here. I think it a waste of a good beer when you add spices. I have a few Porters lined up for the Holidays.




Mini keg/great beer ......... That's only about 12 pints. Will it make it to Christmas Day.

I have 2 mini kegs of this stuff, one definitely won't make it lol the other I'll have to exercise a lot of self control xP it's about 11% though if I remember right... I lost my notes on it sadly, so I forget the FG. The OG was about 1.100.

View attachment 1450546796604.jpg

 

[Spartan1979]

No Christmas beer this year. I just never got around to it. Last couple of years has been a clone of Midnight Sun's Cohoho or The Old Fruitcake Ale from Randy Mosher's Radical Brewing.

 

[brewbama]

I have a Choco Milk Stout and a German Alt on tap. I just brewed a Red and added Sweet Orange Peel. No spices for me thank you.

 

[MFWINZLOW]

Like several previous posts, I made something that the famaily will drink and also a little something for me.

For them = a Norther Brown Ale - my first shot at Newcastle. Needs tweeking - lacks the red tone in color - abv is too high...mouthfeel and taste are very close (side by side happening now) but is a drinker!

For me = a Simcoe / Citra IPA variation of my base IPA recipe...

Cheers!

 

[masskrug]

Was

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[masskrug]

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[ViciousFishes]

Vicious Christmas. A nice stout as a winter warmer.

Have a very Vicious Christmas, everybody!

 

[Elkobrewer]

I have a oat meal stout and a hoppy brown on tap #1 & #2 and in the fermenter I have a Zombie dust clone.

 

[bucfan1234]

Kegged my Samuel Smith Winter Warmer Clone, and if it is as good carbed and chilled as it was flat, I will be a happy brewer!

This recipe, from clone brews, really nails the flavor profile of an old ale.

 

[mgregg]

For those not driving I'm bringing a 12 pack of my vanilla bourbon barleywine. 10%abv, smooth and drinkable , plus the vanilla makes it different enough that non-beer drinkers love it.

For the drivers and more conventional beer drinkers I'll bring a couple growlers of the pecan nut brown I just kegged. 5-6% abv, a nice solid nut brown with a good strong pecan aftertaste from the 8oz toasted pecans I steeped before the boil.

And as always I'll have my traditional bottle of dfh 120 ipa on Christmas eve as my wife and I are exchanging presents.

 

[Siberian]

I'm visiting family in NC (I'm from Michigan) for Christmas so I've brought three 3 gallon kegs - Centennial Kolsch (Biermuncher's Cent. Blonde with Kolsch yeast), a kettle soured Ginger Sour Ale, and a Wheat Ale with Peaches and Pie Spices.

Plus I've got some Doppelbock and Barleywines in bottles.

 

[kev211]

I'm visiting family in NC (I'm from Michigan) for Christmas so I've brought three 3 gallon kegs - Centennial Kolsch (Biermuncher's Cent. Blonde with Kolsch yeast), a kettle soured Ginger Sour Ale, and a Wheat Ale with Peaches and Pie Spices.

Plus I've got some Doppelbock and Barleywines in bottles.

Peaches and pie spices, that could be good. What kind of pie spices did you use?

 

[myerstyson]

Got an "Eggnog" stout about to go on for Christmas Eve. I think its gonna end up being a bit more holiday spiced than Eggnog though.

OK, tell me more. Recipe please!

 

[RockinOak]

OK, tell me more. Recipe please!

Not really sure how its gonna turn out, as its about to go on force carb. Its my first attempt at writing my own recipe. Was supposed to be a milk stout but LHBS was out of lactose so just decided to let it ride and try it as closer to a sweet stout. Anyway 5 gallon Recipe to follow, as we made it however I can already tell I used too much clove.

Grain Bill:
8lb Maris Otter
1lb Black Patent Malt
12oz Flaked Barley
12oz Roasted Barley
8oz Oats Flaked
8oz CaraPils
8oz Crystal 120L
8oz Rice Hulls

Hops:
.75oz Brewer's Gold (90 minutes)
.5oz Fuggle (30 minute)

Spices5 minute boil)
5 Cinnamon sticks
30 Whole cloves (too much)
1oz ground nutmeg

Yeast:
2pkgs Wyeast London Ale #1028

Finished in dark roast oak chips soaked in buffalo trace

 

[BrewingTravisty]

Not really sure how its gonna turn out, as its about to go on force carb. Its my first attempt at writing my own recipe. Was supposed to be a milk stout but LHBS was out of lactose so just decided to let it ride and try it as closer to a sweet stout. Anyway 5 gallon Recipe to follow, as we made it however I can already tell I used too much clove.

Grain Bill:
8lb Maris Otter
1lb Black Patent Malt
12oz Flaked Barley
12oz Roasted Barley
8oz Oats Flaked
8oz CaraPils
8oz Crystal 120L
8oz Rice Hulls

Hops:
.75oz Brewer's Gold (90 minutes)
.5oz Fuggle (30 minute)

Spices5 minute boil)
5 Cinnamon sticks
30 Whole cloves (too much)
1oz ground nutmeg

Yeast:
2pkgs Wyeast London Ale #1028

Finished in dark roast oak chips soaked in buffalo trace

Wow... 30 whole cloves is a ton lol that's potent stuff. I used 5 in my winter ale and that stuff was a little strong on the clove.

 

[bucfan1234]

A friend used a whole jar of cloves in an Easter ham once . . .

once.

 

[mattdee1]

Wow... 30 whole cloves is a ton lol that's potent stuff. I used 5 in my winter ale and that stuff was a little strong on the clove.

30 cloves!

My girlfriend and I have this cider we make at Christmas (not make as in "ferment", but just mix together ingredients, with booze coming from spiced rum), and the recipe calls for 2 cloves. When I first saw that, I was like "what on earth are two pieces of something going to do in this much liquid?" The answer: make the whole damn thing smell and taste like cloves.

 

[Wash1]

I'm bringing a 12 pack of my vanilla bourbon barleywine. 10%abv, smooth and drinkable

So,MGREGG, any chance at that recipe for next years brew?

 

[BrewingTravisty]

A friend used a whole jar of cloves in an Easter ham once . . .

once.

Never made that mistake again, huh? XD probably didn't even taste like ham anymore.

 

[Terek]

made an imperial peanut butter oatmeal stout for xmas. Its still a bit hot, but should be good enough for all the relatives

 

[RockinOak]

Wow... 30 whole cloves is a ton lol that's potent stuff. I used 5 in my winter ale and that stuff was a little strong on the clove.

It isn't as bad as it sounds the rest of the spices, vanilla and bourbon mellowed it out some.

 

[BrewingTravisty]

It isn't as bad as it sounds the rest of the spices, vanilla and bourbon mellowed it out some.

I hope so lol I avoid cloves now, they're too strong for me. I rarely spice any of my beers though.

 

[MrAverageGuy]

Brewed this one, been in the bottle 5 weeks, but carbing kinda slow. Great taste and color, the spices are subtle, will def make this one again. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=145580&page=63&highlight=holly