Winter warmer ale with figs

[Fido97]

Hi, I am looking for a recipe for a winter warmer/christmas brew with figs thrown in for a secondary ferment. Would really appreciate it if anyone can point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance.

[seymour]

Hi, I am looking for a recipe for a winter warmer/christmas brew with figs thrown in for a secondary ferment. Would really appreciate it if anyone can point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance.

Any ol' true-to-style English brown ale or porter recipe would be a great starting point (for that matter, Barney's Excellent Strong Mild would be perfect viewtopic.php?f=5&t=53390&p=562217#p562217 ). Barney's recipe is a good example of one with a slightly elevated mash temperature which produces a full, bready mouthfeel. Expect the continued secondary fermentation with the figs to thin the body a bit in the end. Give a good long while in the secondary to mature. When I made such a recipe, the wild yeast and/or brett on the figs produced a lambic pellicle. If that idea freaks you out, you may want to puree and pasteurize your fruit first.

Good luck, it could definitely turn out delicious!

[Fido97]

Thanks mate. Yes I was certainly going to pasteurise the fruit prior to throwing it in. Your idea of a full bodied mild is a good one - maybe a Sarah Hughes ruby mild as an alternative. Hmmm food for thought, will be my first foray into fruit beer. I'll try to remember to report how it goes/what I did etc.

[seymour]

...maybe a Sarah Hughes ruby mild as an alternative...

Mmmm, that sounds good, too! I don't have that recipe, so could you post it here if you end up using it?

I also posted the Gales Festival Mild here, in case you're interested: /viewtopic.php?f=5&t=53429&p=562631&hil ... ld#p562631

EDIT: Aha! I found the Sarah Hughes recipe and re-posted it here: http://jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopi ... =5&t=54603

[Manx Guy]

...maybe a Sarah Hughes ruby mild as an alternative...

Mmmm, that sounds good, too! I don't have that recipe, so could you post it here if you end up using it?

I also posted the Gales Festival Mild here, in case you're interested: /viewtopic.php?f=5&t=53429&p=562631&hil ... ld#p562631

I made an extract version of this before going AG I was sceptical about how so much crystal would work, but way this really ages into a great beer!

I got the recipe from a website, but don't recall which.

But it is in the brew your own British real ale book...

Good luck with the fig experiment!
Cheers!

Guy

[Fido97]

In case anyone interested - just bottled this today after 2 weeks ferment/racking.Annoyingly the og was 1050 whereas recipe detailed 1058. I used wyeast London esb which fermented vigorously for 48 hrs and then slowed considerably. Fg is 1016 as against target 1010. I did fiddle slightly with the recipe I have to confess. Despite all of this I am optomistic as to the final result. Its def no winter warmer, possibly I made the wrong yeast selection but will report further in a week or two.......I have a feeling its going to be OK.

[seymour]

Even though it isn't the exact beer you had in mind, it sounds utterly delicious as is. That Fullers strain isn't the highest attenuator, but was definitely an excellent choice for your strong mild concept, leaving behind some rich malt sweetness, fruity and caramelly notes, and a big, well-rounded, bready mouthfeel. With your actual figgy stone-fruit flavors added to it, you've likely crafted a Christmas miracle
Keep in mind, it'll keep fementing in the bottle, thus decreasing the final gravity and increasing the alcohol percentage. So after several months, be sure to crack 'em open over the sink. You may get some gushers.

[zgoda]

Once I brewed Belgian dubbel with figs and raisins, the effect was very similar to inverted syrup.