Who's planning / brewing what for Xmas 2014??

[Monkeybrew]

It may seem like a weird question to be asking on a hot July evening, but some of these brews will take a few months to condition in the bottle before the festive season arrives?

I think that judging by the speed that my Coopers Saison is conditioning, it will ready for my usual Xmas Eve nibbles.

I am also planning an AG London Porter, but we can't talk about that here!

And after last years Amarillo Wilko Stout success, I may brew something with a Coopers Dark ale kit and some hefty hops. Maybe a Nelsons Dark Ale?

Cheers

MB

[SiMania]

I did a brewferm diabolo in April for Christmas.

Will probably do some winter spiced turbo cider too.

[jaroporter]

totally not cool to confine this to kit brews monkey! actually 'bout a month ago i did an AG london porter and took a load of the first runnings for an imperial stout. christmas might be too soon but the FG sample was suprisingly drinkable so there's a seed of hope there! can't wait to get the hot fire poker in the porter on a cold night either. damn this heat!

..in reality i'll probably be drinking a quick-conditioned 4% bitter hastily assembled about the 10th december

[Sadfield]

Would like to do something with the obligatory Christmas fruit, Satsumas. Probably an IPA or APA.

[Dennis King]

I'm going to brew a clone of Westemalle Dubbel. Fell in love with it in Belgium.

[TC2642]

I've already made and I'm currently conditioning my RIS for Xmas 2015 but I be brewing a 6-7% soured porter for this year next month.

[Exiled Bradfordian]

I'm going to try not to touch my Milestone Dark Galleon as that should be a nice Christmassy brew. I also have a can of Geordie Winter Warmer which is sitting looking at me. Maybe with some additions. Haven't decided yet.

[Hengoedbrewer]

I plan on brewing a Coopers Stout with cocoa nibs round about the first week in September and bottling it for Xmas for a nice chocolate Xmas stout, as well as my first ever Woodforde's Wherry. I understand the Wherry is generally best with no additions, so after a somewhat mental Bulldog Evil Dog IPA (brewed ever so slightly short and with an additional 1kg of light DME- end result- £9.8% ) I'm going to leave that one alone- maybe just brew a bit short- I think conditioning time for that one is about 3 months from what I can gather so should be just right for Xmas. I prefer darks and porters so was considering a Coopers Dark Ale with some cinnamon which might be good, but I'll see how the normal batch I bottled a couple of weeks ago turned out first.

[tteknulp]

I put this on last year around autumn , it was nice , only slight hint of spices though
still have about a few bottles left , might do it again this year.

Christmas beer

3kg plain light malt extract
450g light honey
500 muscavo brown sugar
225g crystal malt
60g black malt
30g grated ginger root
6g ground cinnamon
Grated zest of 3 oranges
2 star anise (in secondary)
40g cascade hops in boil
20g saaz finishing

Safele s04 yeast

[Monkeybrew]

The base kit for my dark xmas ale has just changed from a Coopers Dark Ale to an English Bitter, cheers Wilkos!

I'll be darkening it with some dark crystal and a dash of chocolate malt.

Cheers

MB

[tazzymutt]

I still have about a dozen 275ml bottles of Brewferm Christmas Ale and a similar number of Brewferm Triples that were bottled in June 2012. I reckon they should be ready by Christmas this year...

It is just possible that some of my other Belgian style beers will still be around.

Happy brewing,


Ian.

[widdersbel]

Since I have no refrigeration, I have suspended brewing activity for the summer, but I have a couple each of Coopers Stout and Coopers Bitter kits waiting to be used when the weather cools down a bit. Also have some Amarillo hops so may well do something like your Amarillo Stout, MB.

I also have some Brupaks Belgian Christmas Ale that I bottled back in March, conditioning away nicely. I "tested" one a few weeks ago and it's rather good - very rich and dark, and redolent with juniper and coriander. Wish I'd made it a bit stronger though - I think it's <5%, which seems a bit feeble for a Christmas beer!

[wanus]

I`ve bought a brewferm abbey but I will make a few additions when I look into it.Am gonna bottle the lot as its for 9litre.Start it about September me thinx

[Monkeybrew]

I`ve bought a brewferm abbey but I will make a few additions when I look into it.Am gonna bottle the lot as its for 9litre.Start it about September me thinx

Have you brewed it before?

I would firstly recommend getting the kit on ASAP, if you are planning to drink it this Xmas. And secondly, just brew it to 9L with 500g of dark candi sugar or 500g of dark brown sugar, as both will produce an awesome little abbey beer with a sting in the tail

Cheers

MB

[Monkeybrew]

The base kit for my dark xmas ale has just changed from a Coopers Dark Ale to an English Bitter, cheers Wilkos!

I'll be darkening it with some dark crystal and a dash of chocolate malt.

Cheers

MB

Here is my provisional recipe -


Nelson's Dark Bitter

Brewlength - 20L
Est. OG - 1.052
Est. IBU - 47

1.7kg Can of Coopers English Bitter
1.0kg of Muntons Medium DME
430g of Dark Brown Sugar
300g of Dark Crystal Malt - 240EBC

25g of Nelson Sauvin Whole Hops 12.30%AA boiled for 5mins
25g of Nelson Sauvin Whole Hops 12.30%AA steeped for 30mins from 80C
50g of Nelson Sauvin Whole Hops 12.30%AA blitzzed and dry hopped

Yeast - Fermentis S-04 @20-21C


Cheers

MB