Christmass Ale

[Jovial Monk]

Making up two part mash Christmass Ale Packs to put on the shelves.

Base of German Pils malt then plenty toasted malt, Munich & Melanoidin, this will be malty malty malty. Good sized scoop of torrefied (puffed) wheat for nice biscuitty ale flavor and a head that won't die. 50g black malt for color and nuttiness.

Making this quite bitter. Bitter? For a christmass ale? Ahhh but bittering compounds with time (May-late Dec) change into flavoring compounds: this ale will be luscious like a ripe peach by Christmass Day and the bitterness left by then will balance the abundance of sweet malt. Also recommend customers add plenty spice to this: cassia, cardamom, cinnamon, Grains of Paradise, star anise, allspice whatever. Not cinnamon, cloves or peppercorns.

Now, the hops are carefully layered, not just going for bittering/flavor/aroma: there will be about 6 different types of hops with the later ones layering citrusy and spicy, hops added at 60 minutes, 30, 15 and at flameout or added to the warm conditioning vessel (last addition is aroma and the CO2 generated by the ferment would scrub out a fair bit of aroma.)

A tin of Lyles Golden Syrup is also added late in the boil along with 1.5Kg liquid malt--this is invert sugar and will be fermented out 100% reducing final gravity--want a beer with body but not so thick that it is hard to drink. So after the ferment warm condition for a month or two, perhaps with a a sachet wine yeast added to get the beer fermented out more. Fill into bottles without priming, keep warm 2 weeks then stow away somewhere and keep your hands off it!

To make this even more perfect, boil the wort (unfermented beer) for four hours or put it on the stove, mostly covered bring it to a 'bare shiver' i.e. very light slow simmer and leave it overnight. This adds even more melanoidins and some caramel and so makes the beer even better tasting and darkens it more.

So on Christmass Day after the main course serve this black, potent, spicy beer with the black potent spicy Christmass Pud! The remainder of the nearly 8% ale will make a great winter warmer!

Bit better than the dreadful VB!

[TomB]

Knock us up a batch of chocolate stout and send it up will ya?

There's a good chap.

[Aussie]

Knock us up a batch of chocolate stout and send it up will ya?

There's a good chap.

Which part of Australia would he need to send it to get to you, fraud?

[JW Frogen]

Christmas is a long way off but I will take some of that ale.

I will drink it when I celebrate Islam sucks day.

[Jovial Monk]

Chocolate stout, oh my!

Youngs of London do a CS, can get it here.

About 4Kg Pils malt, 200g rolled oats, gently hopped, Simcoe hops for their smooooooth bittering. Mash, Sparge, Boil, 15 minutes left of the boil add 2-3 high cocoa butter content plain dark chocolate bars, melted in a double boiler. In the bottling bucket add either chocolate essence (if you can find it) or a Tia Maria type liqueur essence sold by the better HBS like mine.

Yummy! drink it quick, but you would anyway!

[Ethnic]

Jovial, how much approximately would it cost to brew beer at home, maybe something similar to Coopers Pale Ale?

[Jovial Monk]

Not counting the initial cost ($125-145) of the starter kit, about $30 for thirty 750ml bottles, and that is counting caps, detergent to clean stuff, sanitiser, water etc.

Lots of people getting into home brew in the current gloomy economic environment!

[Jovial Monk]

For Froges and Thomarse: I run a HBS not a bottleshop, you want my beer make it your bloody self!

SA liquor laws are ridiculously strict, I cannot even give a 20ml sample!

[Ethnic]

Not counting the initial cost ($125-145) of the starter kit, about $30 for thirty 750ml bottles, and that is counting caps, detergent to clean stuff, sanitiser, water etc.

Lots of people getting into home brew in the current gloomy economic environment!

Nothing to do with the financial crisis for me, just looking for a new pastime. I'm getting bored with golf and the gardening is limited at the moment.

[Hebe]

Home brewing is great, and cheap - if you can moderate the consumption. We never got that bit right.

And the cider is better than the stuff you buy.