Ideas for Xmas brew

[FatGaz]

Need to get an Xmas brew on ASAP!

Was thinking of 25L of either SHDRM or Gale's Festival Mild - but adding some Southern Comfort at bottling for the orange warming 'notes'. Has anyone tried this? How much should I add to 25L? About 300ml? Want to taste it, but don't want it to dominate.

[smdjoachim]

Ive add Cointreau to a orange chocolate stout before.Before bottling fill a know quantity of your beer into a glass,then just keep on adding the spirit and tasting until you get what you are looking for,then scale this up to your full quantity.Just reduce your priming sugar to compensate for the sugar that is in the Southern comfort which is about 100g/L.

[seymour]

So, what did you end up brewing?

[FatGaz]

I am brewing tomorrow, and was thinking of doing my Xmas brew - but my mate has asked me to brew him some Pale Ale, so I hope to get round to the Xmas brew next week.

[seymour]

Nah, just brew your xmas ale, then add some extra-light DME to the second-runnings for ye mate

[FatGaz]

Doh - if I'd only thought of that! Too late now - Pale Ale sat in the FV. I MUST do my Xmas brew next week

[FatGaz]

Eventually got my Xmas brew on the other day - about 9 weeks to Xmas, so it should hopefully be conditioned ok. Looking for a beer thats about 5-5.5%, with a Xmas spice hit. Decided to make a 'Mild' recipe with added spices:

17L
Maris Otter 3500
Chocolate 200
Crystal 200
Torrefied Wheat 140
Black 50

Goldings 7.2AA 9g FWH
Fuggles 5.0AA 14g 60 mins

Spices added at 1 min: 1 cinnamon stick; 4 cloves; 1 orange peel; and 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg.

Gervin Ale Yeast

Est IBU 21
Est EBC 50

OG 1050 (already down to 1014 after 3 days - and can taste the spices)

Ended up with 18L in the FV (must have been heavy handed when sparging )

Going to add 300ml Southern Comfort at bottling.