Xmas ale

[dreadskin69]

Hi guys, I'm constructing a Xmas ale and would appreciate ur thoughts. I'm not 8 to spices so going with the fruit instead.
The grain bill I'm thinking is 60% pale, 30% wheat and 10% oats (Maybe oat malt - not sure yet)
I would like a bit of Xmas pine in there so going with simcoe, and want a bit of orange so I'm gonna use amarillo too. All added in the last 10 mins up to about 30 ibus.
Now... I also fancy adding cranberries, for colour and flavour and orange peel for flavour.
Orange peel Is gonna be added at flame out, but I'm not sure when to add the cranberries and In what quantities. At flame out? Frozen, defrosted and squished into the secondary?
I was thinking of mashing at 68 to retain a bit of sweetness to balance the tart cranberies and I was gonna go with s5 as per usual.

What u guys think? It's my first play with fruit in beer so I'm all ears!
Cheers

[seymour]

Sounds extremely good to me. Go for it! I have a holiday cranberry brown ale of my own going right now. I'm hoping to bottle this weekend, and I'll try to post about it in case you're interested.

[dreadskin69]

Hi Seymour, yes very interested. (I've been flat out hence the delay)

[dreadskin69]

Also have u used dried cranberries. What u recon Seymour?

[seymour]

Also have u used dried cranberries. What u recon Seymour?

I've used dried cranberries in the past, pureed with some first runnings, then boiled into a thick caramel syrup then added back to the boil (based on Barley Water's raisin technique for Belgian Dubbels if I recall correctly?) But this particular batch involved raw whole cranberries, pureed with some beer, quick boil then added to the secondary fermentation with Champagne yeast, I'll try to post about it this weekend.

Cheers!