Christmas Ale

Mash: Heat your strike water to achieve a mash temperature of 154°F (68°C). Add the crushed grains and hold for 60 minutes.

Sparge: Mash out by raising the temperature to 170°F (77°C) and then sparge with 170°F water to collect 6.5 gallons of wort.

Boil: Bring the wort to a rolling boil.

60 minutes: Add 1.0 oz. of Northern Brewer hops.

15 minutes: Add the 1 lb. of Dark Candi Syrup (or Brown Sugar).

10 minutes: Add 0.5 oz. of East Kent Goldings hops.

5 minutes: Add a yeast nutrient and a whirlpool tablet (Irish Moss).

Flameout (0 minutes): Turn off the heat and add all the spices and orange zest. Stir well and let them steep for about 15 minutes before chilling.

Chill: Rapidly cool the wort to 68°F (20°C).

Ferment: Transfer the cooled wort to your sanitized fermenter. Given the high gravity, it is highly recommended to pitch two packets of dry yeast or a proper liquid yeast starter to ensure a healthy and complete fermentation.

Fermentation Schedule:

Ferment at 68°F (20°C) for 10-14 days, or until fermentation activity subsides and the gravity is stable.

Optional: Cold crash the beer for a day or two at 35-40°F (2-4°C) to help clear it up.

Packaging: Bottle or keg as usual. Carbonate to 2.4 volumes of CO2.

Instructions (Extract):

Steep: Place the crushed Caramel 80L and Honey Malt in a grain bag and steep it in 1-2 gallons of water at 160°F (71°C) for 20-30 minutes. Remove the bag and discard.

Boil: Bring the steeped wort to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the Liquid Malt Extract (LME) until fully dissolved. Return to a boil.

Follow the same boil, chill, fermentation, and packaging steps as the All-Grain recipe.

Tips for Success:

Yeast Health: The high OG of this beer means the yeast will have a lot of work to do. Do not skimp on the yeast. A liquid yeast starter is the best way to ensure a vigorous fermentation and a clean flavor profile.

Spice Control: The spices in this recipe are a suggestion. Feel free to adjust based on your personal preference. A good tip is to make a small tea with the spices and test the flavor before adding them to the full batch.

Conditioning: This beer benefits greatly from conditioning. The flavors will meld and mellow over time. It will taste even better a few weeks after packaging, making it perfect to brew a month or two before Christmas.

Orange Zest: Be careful to only get the orange part of the peel and not the white pith. The pith can add a bitter, undesirable flavor to your beer. A vegetable peeler or microplane works well for this.