Who's thinking about their Christmas Brew already?

[Rudeboy]

I'm going with Jamil's christmas in a bottle from BYO:

Type: All Grain
Date: 08/04/2008
Batch Size: 11.00 L
Brewer: Rudeboy
Boil Size: 15.00 L Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (7.5 gal) and Cooler (48 qt)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.05 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 94.21 %
0.20 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 4.71 %
0.05 kg Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 1.08 %
15.70 gm Horizon [12.00 %] (60 min) Hops 30.3 IBU
0.29 tsp Allspice (Boil 1.0 min) Misc
0.29 tsp Cinnamon Stick (Boil 1.0 min) Misc
0.29 tsp Ginger Root (Boil 1.0 min) Misc
0.29 tsp Nutmeg (Boil 1.0 min) Misc



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.092 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.023 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.03 %
Bitterness: 30.3 IBU Calories: 90 cal/l
Est Color: 18.4 SRM

Actually i don't have any Horizon so I was going to go with some Target I have. I've had a 11 Litre carboy I bought of a guy with a bunch of other stuff I've never used. So I'm going with a half batch of this. Then when it's bottled I'm going with a half batch of Yuri's Pumpkin Ale.

I'm working backwards because this is going to be a bigger British beer while I concieve of the Pumpkin as being a smaller (relatively speaking) American Beer.

Rudeboy

 

[leghorn]

question on use of cinnamon stick...

what kind of flavor properties does a cinnamon stick have if you put it in the boil vs. throwing it into the primary...or even the secondary for that matter.

also what will it do if i cut it into smaller chunks?

From my experience, I put in a 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon toward the end of the boil, and from samples I've had so far, it left a faint aroma, but also left a spicy heat aftertaste. I'm expecting that spicy heat to subside by Christmas.

When I racked to secondary a week ago, I had planned to drop 1 cinnamon stick that I had soaked in vodka for 3 weeks right into the secondary. But, fearing I would just make the aftertaste stronger, I just dropped the vodka in the secondary, not the stick. The vodka had turned a dark amber hue while soaking the stick and a very pleasant cinnamon smell. It was maybe 1/2 a cup of vodka.

One week later I just sampled, and the cinnamon smell comes right to the nose, just as I wanted. If you don't want to overdue the cinnamon taste, but get the scent imparted to the beer, I'd recommend trying this method.

 

[Jamo99]

Just brewed mine today. I used Mosher's Gingerbread Brown and a few southern brown recipes as inspirado.

3# light DME
3 3/4# Maris Otter
1/4# chocolate malt
1/4# biscuit
1/4# crystal 120L
1# light brown sugar
1 oz glacier pellets (60)
1/2 oz perle pellets (10)
spices added at flameout and steeped 5 min before cooling: 4 grams broken up cinnamon sticks, 1 gram whole cloves, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp all spice.
pitched danstar windsor yeast.

 

[Ice9]

I'm brewing a Spiced Cherry Dubbel today. The recipe is from Mosher's "Radical Brewing"

After primary, I will rack it onto 3# of tart cherries and 3# of sweet dark cherries for a month.

I'll then keg and age until December.

Dubbel Trubble 

Selected Style and BJCP Guidelines 
18B-Belgian Strong Ale-Belgian Dubbel 

Minimum OG: 1.062 SG Maximum OG: 1.075 SG 
Minimum FG: 1.008 SG Maximum FG: 1.018 SG 
Minimum IBU: 15 IBU Maximum IBU: 25 IBU 
Minimum Color: 10.0 SRM Maximum Color: 17.0 SRM 

Recipe Overview 

Wort Volume Before Boil: 7.00 US gals Wort Volume After Boil: 5.50 US gals 
Volume Transferred: 5.40 US gals Water Added To Fermenter: 0.00 US gals 
Volume At Pitching: 5.40 US gals Volume Of Finished Beer: 5.40 US gals 
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.044 SG Expected OG: 1.072 SG 
Expected FG: 1.008 SG Apparent Attenuation: 88.0 % 
Expected ABV: 8.6 % Expected ABW: 6.8 % 
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 24.2 IBU Expected Color (using Morey): 14.3 SRM 
BU:GU ratio: 0.33 Approx Color: 
Mash Efficiency: 80.0 % 
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins 
Fermentation Temperature: 68 degF 
Fermentables 
Ingredient Amount % MCU When 
Belgian Pale Malt 6lb 0oz 48.0 % 4.0 In Mash/Steeped 
German Munich Malt 3lb 0oz 24.0 % 3.0 In Mash/Steeped 
US Caramel 80L Malt 1lb 0oz 8.0 % 14.5 In Mash/Steeped 
US Aromatic Malt 8.00 oz 4.0 % 1.8 In Mash/Steeped 
Sugar - Turbinado 2lb 0oz 16.0 % 3.6 Start Of Boil 

Hops 
Variety Alpha Amount IBU Form When 
German Perle 8.2 % 1.00 oz 24.2 Bagged Pellet Hops All Of Boil 

Other Ingredients 
Ingredient Amount When 
Irish Moss 0.2 oz In Boil 

Yeast 
White Labs WLP530-Abbey Ale

Mash Schedule 
Mash Type: Full Mash 
Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (64C/147F) 
Step Type Temperature Duration 
Rest at 147 degF 60 
Recipe Notes 
Add 1 teaspoon of Ceylon (true cinnamon) at end of boil. 
 
Rack onto 4lbs of sweet cherries and 4lbs of sour cherries for secondary fermentation.  
Add one drop of almond extract.

 

[toastermm]

Here's what I have so far:

Style:  Christmas-Spiced-Bourbon-Ale
Brewer: Me!
Asst. Brewer: Santa

Recipe:
??? Probably do an extract brew of some sort.

I'll have to think about the recipe some more.

 

[bad coffee]

I'm thinking of a cranberry-pear apfelwein, and a sugarplumb ale.

I won't be brewing until the end of august, so it might not be the best this christmas. . .

 

[Torchiest]

I made one last year that was delicious, UNTIL I decided to use molasses for priming. I had already used molasses in the main recipe, and I didn't consider what that would mean. Result: Horrible molasses flavored swill that was utterly undrinkable. I check every month or so, hoping against hope, but it's always nasty. Still, before I primed it, this was an awesome brew:

8 lb Pale Liquid Extract
1 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
1/4 lb Honey Malt
1/4 lb Special B Malt
1 oz Northern Brewer [7.50%] (35 min)
1 oz Hallertauer [2.50%] (10 min
1 tsp Ginger Root (Boil 5.0 min)
1 tsp Nutmeg (Boil 5.0 min)
2 tsp Cardamon (Boil 5.0 min)
2 tsp Cinnamon (Boil 5.0 min)
1 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 5.0 min)
1/2 lb Molasses
Belgian Wit Ale (White Labs #WLP400)

I'm going to do it again this year, but save the molasses for gingerbread cookies.

 

[zoebisch01]

I brewed mine about 3 months ago, it was an 1.095 OG so I wanted lots of time for conditioning. It's my Hemlock Ale...."Tennenbaum".

 

[Jaysus]

I'm gonna roll with the following - probably going to use cinnamon sticks instead of the powder though, as I have them on hand already. Any thoughts on how many to use?

Grains:
13.5 lbs. Maris Otter Pale
1 lbs. Crystal Malt 60°L
1 lbs. Crystal Malt 120°L
0.5 lbs. Black Patent
1 oz. Warrior (Pellets, 16.00 %AA) @ 60 min.

Yeast :
Safale S-04 Dry Yeast

Spices:
0.50 oz Sweet Orange Peel (Boil 15 min)
4.00 Clove leaves (whole, crushed) (Boil 1 min)
0.50 tsp Cinnamon (ground, dry) (Boil 1 min)

 

[TerapinChef]

sticks are better anyways. Just chuck one or two in with your IC or during the last five minutes of boil.

 

[BigKahuna]

Just snuck a glass of mine....MMMMMMMMMMM
You'd never believe how 100% perfect this is...so I won't even tell you.

 

[leghorn]

I couldn't wait, and also snuck one of my Christmas Old Ales...

Delicious! I can't wait to see what 2 more months will do (nonetheless, I will have to) - but it's good now. Just a bit undercarbed, but with a good cinnamon nose, delicious caramel taste, and nice alcohol heat at the end. A keeper.

 

[schweaty]

I'm not going to do anything fancy with spices and the like. I'm just going to brew some Hobgoblin and share it with my wife's cousins. Unfortunately they all like commercial lagers (Bud, Miller, ect) and will probably not enjoy Hobgoblin. I will though, so more for me!

 

[cprincipe]

I'm thinking about it but haven't laid any plans out and won't have a carboy free until 10/18. Should I not even bother?

 

[junkyard brewer]

its that time of the year again...

 

[springer]

this is what I am going with

OG 1.063
FG 1.016
IBU 24
ABV 6%
SRM 29

Specifics
Boil Volume 7 gallons
Batch Size 5.5 gallons
Yeast 70% AA
Safale 04




Fermentables
% Weight (lbs) Grain Gravity Points Color
80.0 % 10.00 MO 36.3 3.2
6 % .75 German Munich 3.8 1.1
6% 1.00 American Chocolate 3.0 47.7
6 % .75 American Crystal 40L 4.6 7.3

12.50

Hops
% Wt Weight (oz) Hop Form AA%
40.0 % 1.00 Hallertau Whole/Plug 3.1 @ 60
40.0 % 1.00 Tettnanger Whole/Plug 4.5 @30
20.0 % 0.50 Hallertau Whole/Plug 3.1 @ 5

.25 oz cinnamon stick @ 5
.50 orange sweet @5
1 tbsp all spice @5
1 tbsp fresh ground ginger @5

If it needs I may and some cinnamon infused Vodka after primary.

 

[junkyard brewer]

I'm brewing a Spiced Cherry Dubbel today. The recipe is from Mosher's "Radical Brewing"

After primary, I will rack it onto 3# of tart cherries and 3# of sweet dark cherries for a month.

I'll then keg and age until December.

Dubbel Trubble 

Selected Style and BJCP Guidelines 
18B-Belgian Strong Ale-Belgian Dubbel 

Minimum OG: 1.062 SG Maximum OG: 1.075 SG 
Minimum FG: 1.008 SG Maximum FG: 1.018 SG 
Minimum IBU: 15 IBU Maximum IBU: 25 IBU 
Minimum Color: 10.0 SRM Maximum Color: 17.0 SRM 

Recipe Overview 

Wort Volume Before Boil: 7.00 US gals Wort Volume After Boil: 5.50 US gals 
Volume Transferred: 5.40 US gals Water Added To Fermenter: 0.00 US gals 
Volume At Pitching: 5.40 US gals Volume Of Finished Beer: 5.40 US gals 
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.044 SG Expected OG: 1.072 SG 
Expected FG: 1.008 SG Apparent Attenuation: 88.0 % 
Expected ABV: 8.6 % Expected ABW: 6.8 % 
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 24.2 IBU Expected Color (using Morey): 14.3 SRM 
BU:GU ratio: 0.33 Approx Color: 
Mash Efficiency: 80.0 % 
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins 
Fermentation Temperature: 68 degF 
Fermentables 
Ingredient Amount % MCU When 
Belgian Pale Malt 6lb 0oz 48.0 % 4.0 In Mash/Steeped 
German Munich Malt 3lb 0oz 24.0 % 3.0 In Mash/Steeped 
US Caramel 80L Malt 1lb 0oz 8.0 % 14.5 In Mash/Steeped 
US Aromatic Malt 8.00 oz 4.0 % 1.8 In Mash/Steeped 
Sugar - Turbinado 2lb 0oz 16.0 % 3.6 Start Of Boil 

Hops 
Variety Alpha Amount IBU Form When 
German Perle 8.2 % 1.00 oz 24.2 Bagged Pellet Hops All Of Boil 

Other Ingredients 
Ingredient Amount When 
Irish Moss 0.2 oz In Boil 

Yeast 
White Labs WLP530-Abbey Ale

Mash Schedule 
Mash Type: Full Mash 
Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (64C/147F) 
Step Type Temperature Duration 
Rest at 147 degF 60 
Recipe Notes 
Add 1 teaspoon of Ceylon (true cinnamon) at end of boil. 
 
Rack onto 4lbs of sweet cherries and 4lbs of sour cherries for secondary fermentation.  
Add one drop of almond extract.

Brewing this weekend

It wont be able to ferment/age as long as I would like it to but I think it will still turn out. 6 weeks for fermenting (probably do a 4/2) and then into the keg. Also, I am probably going to have to use dried cherries, and I might see if I can find some cranberries.

 

[bferullo]

Homebrewers Outpost has fuggles in stock. I got them a few weeks ago for my last brew.

 

[wcarter1227]

heres my christmas ale, i got really lazy and just did a really long primary.

shoould be bottling this sometime soon.

http://www.highgravitybrew.com/docs/ChristmasAle2009.pdf

 

[springer]

Homebrewers Outpost has fuggles in stock. I got them a few weeks ago for my last brew.

I got a pound from Hops direct 9.75 love the new prices. And with the new glut on the market they should stay low or even go lower

 

[NCBeernut]

Just brewed this up last Saturday. I am hoping it will at least be drinkable by Christmas. I forgot to replace the airlock with a blowoff tube on my fermenter and it blew the top off on Sunday when I was working an EMT shift - yeast all over the laundry room. All is good now though.

Chocolate Orange Belgian Ale
OG 1.070, 4.5 gallons

4 lb Maris Otter LME
4 lb Wheat DME
0.5 lb Chocolate Malt
0.2 lb Special B

0.65 oz Magnum @ 60

2 oz Unsweetened Ghirardelli Cocoa Powder soaked in 8 oz Grand Marnier added to secondary.

Wyeast Trappist High Gravity

 

[humann_brewing]

I didn't think early enough this year for my Christmas beer. I brewed it about 3 weeks ago and turned out to be a 9.5% beer So I think it will be the beer for next winter:rockin:

 

[brrman]

I still haven't brewed mine and now I fear it is too late! I do have a German Bock yeast starter going... I wonder how I could turn a Bock into a Christmas Ale???

 

[Chriso]

LOL. I did not see that prices dropped so far this year. Nice. I should open my $35 pound of Amarillo from last year before it devalues any further.

 

[TerapinChef]

Wow this thread hadn't been touched in 13 months and today it comes back....God Bless the Internet! I still have half a case from last year around, so I don't know if I'll be brewing a "Holiday" beer. I'll be brewing a few batches for holiday time, but I doubt anything spiced or christmas-y.

 

[DeathBrewer]

My buddies made a pumpkin beer last night. They used 2 cans of squash in the mash (which really added to the gravity, surprisingly), a spice tea with cinnamon, vanilla, and many other items, and we are currently fermenting in 2 pumpkins. Use two highly flocculant british yeasts.

Should be ready to drink at the Halloween party on Saturday

 

[jmo88]

My buddies made a pumpkin beer last night. They used 2 cans of squash in the mash (which really added to the gravity, surprisingly), a spice tea with cinnamon, vanilla, and many other items, and we are currently fermenting in 2 pumpkins. Use two highly flocculant british yeasts.

Should be ready to drink at the Halloween party on Saturday

You plan on drinking that beer in under a week? That must be super yeast.

 

[DeathBrewer]

Nope, just a low gravity beer. We drank it in 3 days last year. It was sexcellent.

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

I brewed up an English Barleywine in February and an Imperial Stout in April. The barleywine is 10.5% and the Imp Stout is 8.1%. The stout will be ready for the winter but the b'wine I'm not so sure about; I tasted it a couple months ago when I bottled and it just tasted like booze.

I do have a couple bombers of last years spiced winter ale so I have that too. I've been messing around with a spiced brown ale recipe for about a year now. Maybe I should just brew it up and see what happens.

 

[EricCSU]

I brewed a mini-mash Austin Homebrew Supply Holiday Chocolate Stout in September. It is kegged and will be carbed in a week. The samples have tasted great. I am excited.

Eric