Christmas Ale Brew Day

Here it is!

Brewed the recipe from my last post post today (based on this recipe).  The wort smells wonderful, like sugar and spice and everything, uh, Christmasy.  Color is dark, though not as dark as I had hoped (to be fair, I added about a quart more water than I intended), but much to my satisfaction, no light shines thru the sample jar when I hold it to a bright light.

Dark as Mordor: no light shines through!

OG (Original Gravity) is 1.072, which indicates a potential ABV around 9%.  I'll be testing again around early November for Final Gravity, which will give a more accurate estimation of ABV, but aslo note that said ABV will increase as this beer ages.

The sample smells like Christmas.  Although the hops aren't a huge part of the scent (that will likely change), I can smell the cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla.  Taste is much like it smells, except the hop flavor really hits the palate, with pine notes.  The wort is very sweet and although I expect it to bitter out over the long run, with a pound of honey in the mix, that sweetness should still be noticeable when you open the final bottle.

  This kind of beer gets better with age, so if you are a lucky recipient of bottles, I suggest you save one for Christmas 2015 and let me know what it's like :D

Christmas Ale Recipe - and sweet lovin'

I'll be starting my Christmas Ale this weekend.  It will be the first time I've used grain, as opposed to LME (liquit malt extract), which means this is a big milestone for me :)

I'm using a recipe from a chef who goes by the name of 3_Creepio.  The description is that it "smells like a tree and tastes like presents". Sounds like a Christmas beer to me.

It is a stout, and should be dark and opaque, with thick head, and will leave some noticeable lacing on the side of the glass.  Has vibes of vanilla, orange peel, malt, chocolate, and spices, with definite piney notes.  I'll update this description after I try one of the bottles in a couple months.

The recipe comes from 3_Creepio's post on Homebrewtalk.com last year, with a few slight modifications.  He mentioned wishing he had added more hops, and so I have nearly doubled them (including adding Brewers Gold to the bill).  I'll also be steeping the grain for a longer period, and substituting Amber LME for Pilser LME (lighter in color, but the Chocolate Malt, steeping for a longer period, will help maintain the dark color)

This will be a 5 gallon recipe.

9.9.lbs. Pilsner LME, late additions (1/3 at 60 minutes, 2/3 at 10)
1 lb. Chocolate Malt, steeped at 150 degrees 30 mins.
1 lb. Crystal 40 Malt, steeped at 150 30 mins.
1 oz. Columbus Hops at 60 mins.
1oz US Brewer's Gold Hops at 45 mins.
1 oz. Columbus Hops at 30 mins.
1 oz. Simcoe Hops at 15 mins.
1 oz. Simcoe Hops at flameout.
Spice Bill (all added at 10 mins.)
1 lb. clover honey
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
2 bourbon vanilla beans, split
3 clementine peels (discarded at flameout)
Wyeast American Ale 1056, 2-step starter (approx: 370B cells)

Estimated OG: 1.082 Target FG: 1.021 ABV approx: 8.01% IBU approx: 55.73
(ABV might be higher because more malt is being added much later than in original recipe, and I'll have a lot more time to condition it)
The beer will likely remain in the fermenter throughout the month of October, and probably a week or two in November, to be bottled early-mid November.  This will give enough time for bottle conditioning and minimal carbonation by the 1st weekend in Dec, where this brew will be presented as one of the prizes at the MAWRA (Mid-Atlantic Whippet Racing Association) race meet 6-7 Dec in Dendron, VA.

This is the biggest, and most expensive batch I've ever made (cost a whopping $75), and I only have one shot at this.  But it's for Christmas, and will be the last brew I make before the Big Move*
*for realisies, this time!

What do I name this beer?  It's Christmas-ey, and I don't like boring names.  I thought of something like this:

which made me then think of Tim Curry:

who is also known for..... 

So.  Christmas.  Gangsters.  Bratty kids.  Sweet transvestites.  Any of these -- and more -- can be the inspiration for a name for this beer.  I've got time to think of one, and I'll gladly accept any suggestions.

Humperdinck Wheatwine

Belgian?  You keep saying that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means.

I would not say such things if I were you!!

  It all started in an attempt to create a Belgian White beer.  I did a little bit of homework, and even crafted a recipe somewhere, but then I misplaced it.  And when you go to the homebrew store with kids in tow, you often forget what, exactly, you came there for.  So I did something a little different.

  What I ended up with was a wheat wine hopped with Sorachi Ace, New Zealand Pacific Jade,  and Citra.  The color is a deep amber, and there's a noticeably wheaty flavor with a bit of a kick that the hops help mellow out a bit.  Weighing in with an ABV of 9.5%, this is not a beer for wimps, and the ABV is likely to increase as the beer ages.

  The beer pours a dark amber, with little head.  Citra hops provide a refreshingly cool flavor reminiscent of melon.  The aftertaste is quite smooth, with subtle notes of lemon, black pepper, and coriander in the background.

  The taste is inconceivable.



Here's the recipe I used:  (2 gallon batch)

- 5lbs wheat malt extract

- 1 vial California ale yeast (white labs)

- .5 oz Sorachi ace (bittering)

- .5 oz NZ Pacific Jade (bittering)

- .25 oz of each above (flavor)

- 2 gallons water

The malt and bittering hops were put in at 45 minutes.  The rest of the hops were added around the 10 minute mark.  OG was 1.090.

Dry hop after about 4 weeks in fermenter (I don't transfer to a secondary).  Gravity should hold steady around 1.014.

- .5 oz x2 Citra whole leaf hops 

- approx 1 tbsp combo black pepper, coriander, ground lemon peel, and star anise (Experiment with exact amounts to find a mix you like)

Add 1/2 of the hops for 2 days. Remove hops & replace with the other half + spices. Allow 2 more days.  By the 4th day, all hops should be removed (keep the spices though).  If the sample tastes like a flat version of the beer you want, bottle immediately.

  If bottle-conditioning, bottle for at least 2 weeks, then test.  If it doesn't taste right, let sit for another week or two.

  Like barleywines, wheatwines can age for quite a while.  By now (early October), this beer is only about 2 months old.  I'd suggest giving it another 3-5 months to mature (although it's quite drinkable right now).  If you're really patient, give it a year and let me know how it changes!

Here is the final label.  They are somewhat customized: there are six different labels, each with a different quote from Humperdinck himself, or Princess Bride in general.

Hello world!

int main()
{
  printf("hello world");
}

OK yes that one was a little olde skool, but this is my intro post.

Here, I'll be discussing the beers I brew, and maybe some other stuff.