Christmas Ale - any good ideas?

[Piscator]

I'm looking out for a good Christmassy ale recipe - what have you got

Preferably fairly dark, roasty/toasty and a nice hoppy nose.

Might ferment with T58 which is supposed to give some spicy notes.

Cheers
Steve

[flytact]

I've just tapped my second export stout batch and thought that it would make a nice Christmas beer with some slight spice additions.

Here's the 41L recipe:
25 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK - Perle
1 lbs 8.0 oz Black Barley
1 lbs 3.2 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L
1 lbs 3.2 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L
1 lbs Chocolate Malt
2.00 oz Nugget [12.79 %] (60 min)
2.00 oz Challenger [6.10 %] (15 min)
2.00 oz Challenger [6.10 %] (0 min)

Hops are a bit odd, but that's what was in the fridge.

[mattmacleod]

Might ferment with T58 which is supposed to give some spicy notes.

You know, I tried that last year and was pretty disappointed. I've found t58 great in light, Trippel style beers, but I found that it's flavours clashed horribly with the darker malts in my beer.

[Piscator]

Might ferment with T58 which is supposed to give some spicy notes.

You know, I tried that last year and was pretty disappointed. I've found t58 great in light, Trippel style beers, but I found that it's flavours clashed horribly with the darker malts in my beer.

Thanks - that's worth knowing.

Maybe a stout or dark brown ale with some spices is worth consideration. Sort of liquid Christmas pudding

Whens the best time to add spices - during the boil or as a late infusion

Cheers
Steve

[mattmacleod]

Last few minutes of the boil is pretty common although you could add in secondary for a lesser spice flavour.

If you are going to add the classic Christmas spices I would use a neutral yeast and let all of the interesting flavours come from the spices.

And don't add cloves, no matter what the recipe says!

[bconnery]

Can't agree on the cloves, provided you give them some time to blend that is...
This is the spice mix I used in my christmas ale. It was very much pudding/mulled wine in a glass.
It did take 4 months to blend properly though so you could dial the amounts back a little.
At first it was all cloves and cinnamon but it blended perfectly by December...

I used a pale ale base as an Aussie christmas isn't exactly winter warmer territory.

4 oranges. 2.5tsp nutmeg. 1.5 tsp cloves. 1tsp mixed spice. 6 cardamon pods crushed. 2 sticks + 1tsp cinnamon 300g Macadamia honey

I boiled the honey and spices in a separate pot while I did the brew.

The base was just 200g crystal and some extract to make about a 4.5% brew.

[Stonechat]

I'm looking out for a good Christmassy ale recipe - what have you got

Preferably fairly dark, roasty/toasty and a nice hoppy nose.

Might ferment with T58 which is supposed to give some spicy notes.

Cheers
Steve

Steve, if you like something like Young's Christmas Pudding Ale, which does have a Christmas spice taste, then great go for it. However would you want to drink 48 (or more depending on your brewlength) bottles of it?
Wouldn't a dark,rich vinous Old Ale from the back pages of BYOBRAAH be a better candidate for winter sipping?

I can recommend Broughton Old Jock,Everards Daredevil,Crouch Vale Willie Warmer and Wadworths Old Timer.

[Piscator]

You could have a point there SC - it could become as tedious as leftover turkey

Maybe an Old Ale would be better.

Have you got the recipe for Everards Daredevil handy?

I've got a copy of BYOBRAAH here somewhere but I'm temporarily having difficulty in finding it (got a funny feeling I may have lent it to someone)

Cheers
Steve

[Stonechat]

You could have a point there SC - it could become as tedious as leftover turkey

Maybe an Old Ale would be better.

Have you got the recipe for Everards Daredevil handy?

I've got a copy of BYOBRAAH here somewhere but I'm temporarily having difficulty in finding it (got a funny feeling I may have lent it to someone)

Cheers
Steve

Everards Daredevil
Maris Otter Pale Malt...5700g
Crystal Malt...770g
White Sugar...720g
Start of Boil
Challenger...68g
Last 15mins of boil
Goldings...20g
Irish moss 10g

OG1068
RG1012
ABV7.6%

I bottled this on 25/10/05 for Christmas 2005. My own notes say"excellent toffee/caramel nose and rich flavour."
I think the sugar helps cut through the Crystal so that it's rich,but not cloying.
I will do this one again

[Piscator]

Thanks very much - that should keep a smile on my face over the festive period

[mixbrewery]

Broughton Old Jock has long been on my brew-to-do list.
Brewery website provides some useful details