Christmas Ale

[crafty john]

I have been playing around with a recipe from John Parkes book Home Brewing for Santa's Delight, I changed the grain bill and hop schedules and came up with this. If you guys wouldn't mind taking a look that would be great, any advice would be really appreciated.

Christmas Ale
Date:
Gyle Number:
Fermentable Colour lb: oz Grams Ratio
Pale Malt 5 EBC 10 lbs. 2.2 oz 4600 grams 86.6%
Crystal Malt 130 EBC 0 lbs. 10.5 oz 300 grams 5.6%
Amber Malt 60 EBC 0 lbs. 8.8 oz 250 grams 4.7%
Roasted Barley 1350 EBC 0 lbs. 1.8 oz 50 grams 0.9%
Flaked Barley 0 EBC 0 lbs. 3.9 oz 110 grams 2.1%


Hop Variety Type Alpha Time lb: oz grams Ratio
Golding Whole 5.7 % 90 mins 0 lbs. 0.5 oz 15 grams 16.7%
Northern Brewer Whole 8.2 % 90 mins 0 lbs. 0.9 oz 25 grams 27.8%
Bobek Whole 4.38 % 90 mins 0 lbs. 0.4 oz 10 grams 11.1%
Golding Whole 5.7 % 0 mins 0 lbs. 0.4 oz 10 grams 11.1%
Northern Brewer Whole 8.2 % 0 mins 0 lbs. 0.5 oz 15 grams 16.7%
Bobek Whole 4.38 % 0 mins 0 lbs. 0.5 oz 15 grams 16.7%
A small piece of cinnamon stick weighing about 1 gram
2-3 Whole cloves
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Spices to go in with the aroma hops

Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.051
Final Gravity: 1.013
Alcohol Content: 5% ABV
Total Liquor: 33.6 Litres
Mash Liquor: 13.3 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 35.5669833944128 EBU
Colour: 47 EBC

[Befuddler]

Bitterness: 35.5669833944128 EBU

Could you be a bit more precise please?

Looks good, but I think you'll need a lot more than a gram of cinnamon bark for it to register. I put a whole chunky 4" stick in my xmas mild the other day, and I couldn't detect it at all in the sweet wort.

[crafty john]

Bitterness: 35.5669833944128 EBU

Could you be a bit more precise please?

Looks good, but I think you'll need a lot more than a gram of cinnamon bark for it to register. I put a whole chunky 4" stick in my xmas mild the other day, and I couldn't detect it at all in the sweet wort.

Those where the spice amounts in the recipe, in his book he says he has just reduced the amounts on a pro rata basis from the recipe's from his commercial brewery I suppose cos I have upped the grain bill quite a bit I will need more spice, mind you I only want a slight aroma rather than flavour.

[Befuddler]

It's only been fermenting a couple of days, but I'll have a sip now and see if it's coming through at all yet.. give me a few mins.

[crafty john]

OK hows that for great service

[Befuddler]

Ok, I've changed my mind. There's a subtle but definite cinnamon flavour there. Bloody tasty for something that's only 2 days in the fermenter actually

It's amazing how completely undetectable flavours come out as the sweetness drops sometimes..

[crafty john]

Ok, I've changed my mind. There's a subtle but definite cinnamon flavour there. Bloody tasty for something that's only 2 days in the fermenter actually

It's amazing how completely undetectable flavours come out as the sweetness drops sometimes..

Cheers mate, would you mind reporting back in a few more days? I am planning to do this next Tuesday and I don't want to cock it up with the spices.

[Befuddler]

Yeah no problem, send me a pm if I forget.

[Underthethumb]

I made this recipe 2 weeks ago. Just had a pint which is far from ready, but I can report that the spices come through perfectly. I used the exact quantity as per the recipe in the book.

My brother in law said he'd be happy to have been served it in a pub. I think that is because he drinks crap like Fosters!

[greenxpaddy]

Maybe 3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon was a bit much in mine then!! I'll let you know when I bottle it next week. Batch 35L

[Befuddler]

Just tasted mine again, it's down to FG now. The cinnamon still comes through quite strongly in aroma and flavour. I'm very happy with it so far, but if you're only after a subtle aroma, use less than me.

[crafty john]

Just tasted mine again, it's down to FG now. The cinnamon still comes through quite strongly in aroma and flavour. I'm very happy with it so far, but if you're only after a subtle aroma, use less than me.

Hi mate
Thanks for the heads up, I think I will stick to my original plan regarding the spices as I don;t want them to overpower the malt and hops.

[YorkshireTiger]

Hi John, looks good, would you be planning on using any Irish moss in the last few mins of the boil, or do you expect it to be very dark like a stout, thus negating the need? If I can get home early one night this week and do my planned stout, might have a go at this one on Sunday, would be really grateful if you could ley us know how you got on, good luck for tomorrow, cheers Matt

[crafty john]

Hi Matt
Yeah I will be using Irish Moss, I will update as and when.

Cheers

[crafty john]

I have just put the mash on, I went for a strike temperature of 73c to account for the cooler temperature of the grain and my kitchen and ended up with 66c so I am happy with that, I will mash for 90 minutes then fly sparge at about 82c. That's all for now, time for a coffee I think.