Adding Spices to Christmas Ale

Craigerrr

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I am adding some ginger and cinnamon sticks late in the boil, should I add into my hop basket, or directly into the boil water?

Thanks in advance
Craigerrr
 
I"d add them to the boil at 5 mins or less.
 
5 minutes is the plan, should I add them into the hop basket?
 
I don't think it matters. For cinnamon sticks the basket will make them easier to remove if you don't want them going in to the fermenter.
 
In the basket it is then!
Thanks
 
The hop basket will make them easier to remove, so I see no reason not to put them in there
 
Yes I kept mine in for too long so my Santa's Grog is a bit too spicy but at 10% ABV who cares hic... only 1 bottle at a time anyway. Next time I'll keep it down to 5-10 mins or so. I had all the spices and fruit steeping for a day before the boil... I got taken off the brewing process by a stronger force as we had to see relatives...
 
I decided to do a dunk sparge instead of the pour over, yikes preboil gravity was supposed to be 1048 based on my past efficiency, preboil turns out to be 1060. There is a pound of honey to add around 5 minutes, should I scale the honey back a bit? Or should I add the full amount, and see where that takes me?
 
I decided to do a dunk sparge instead of the pour over, yikes preboil gravity was supposed to be 1048 based on my past efficiency, preboil turns out to be 1060. There is a pound of honey to add around 5 minutes, should I scale the honey back a bit? Or should I add the full amount, and see where that takes me?

I think 1lb of Honey will add about 8% to the OG - well according to the recipe builder that is. How strong do you want it? The more the merrier for a Xmas brew in my opinion :) In any case it will be good. Have a good time.
 
I think 1lb of Honey will add about 8% to the OG - well according to the recipe builder that is. How strong do you want it? The more the merrier for a Xmas brew in my opinion :) In any case it will be good. Have a good time.
Thanks, I chose to add the pound of honey, OG ended up only 3 points higher than intended, at 1075, and an expected FG of 1021, this puts the expected ABV at 7.09. I am very happy with this! As usual I tasted the gravity sample, nice hint of ginger and cinnamon, but too damn sweet to get a feel for how it may turn out... other than potent!
 
Let er buck, she'll be right.

I did a winter ale last year that had apples and cinnamon right in the boil. Then in the brew bucket cause the damned apples clogged the drain port and I just poured the whole batch into the bucket.

Won a bronze with it at a competition. So I'd say whatever is easiest for you.
 
You can also experiment with spices added to the finished beer and or into the mash.
Cheers,
Brian
 
Thanks Brian
This has been fermenting for 7 full days now, krauzen has dropped, but I am still getting a good heavy bubble every 12-13 seconds. Going to leave it for another 3 or 4 days before I bother opening it up to check the gravity.
 

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