christmas ale

Hey all. I have a recipe for a christmas ale and I need to get more experienced opinions.

6.6 lb BierKeller German LME
3.3 amber DME
1/2 lb chocolate malt
1/2 lb crystal malt 80 Lovibond
1 lb clover honey
1 oz Tettnanger hops 5.0% alpha boil 60min
1 oz E. Kent Goldings 5.5% alpha boil 10min
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c turbinado sugar
6 oz grated ginger
4 tbsp orange peel
4 sticks cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp cardamom
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp whole cloves
windsor ale dry yeast
1/2 cup corn sugar


ok now for my questions
I'm not sure if I can find BierKeller German LME. I think I may have seen it at one time but who knows now. Is there a good replacement if it isn't for sale?

When useing honey do brewers still boil it or just add it right to the chilled wort? I ask this because from what I understand honey is clean already.

The recipe says to primary for 4 days, secondary for 10 days, then rack again for another 4 days. Is all this nessesery? Can i just primary the whole thing? What would you recommend.

Can this beer be ready by christmas? The recipe says to age 3 months, the author says he waited 6 months. Will a beer like this need more then that to age? I was thinking about starting to maybe this month to give it that extra time.

When ageing a beer for a long time I read somewhere that it's a good idea to use the crown caps that absorb oxygen.

Ok that's about it but I'm sure more will pop up. Sorry about this post being so long winded but I want to make sure I get it right. Most of these beers will be given away to the inlaws ;P I look forward to everyones reply.

mr.smith said:

The recipe says to primary for 4 days, secondary for 10 days, then rack again for another 4 days. Is all this nessesery? Can i just primary the whole thing? What would you recommend.

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Patience.  A beer this complicated with this spicing, I'd leave in primary three weeks, then secondary for a long time.

mr.smith said:

Can this beer be ready by christmas?

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Sure.  But if rushed, it may not be all it could be.

mr.smith said:

When ageing a beer for a long time I read somewhere that it's a good idea to use the crown caps that absorb oxygen.

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Good idea.  I use them exclusively now.  The cost increase is nearly nothing.  If you have a CO2 tank, purge the secondary vessel and the bottling vessel with CO2 before moving wort there.

Also recommend hydrating the dry yeast per mfr suggestions and not just sprinkling it on wort. 

Thanks for the reply.

I don't have a CO2 tank so I can't protect the beer in the secondary from oxygen. I thought maybe bottle conditioning would be the way to go. I know bulk ageing makes the beer more consistent but I also don't want to risk oxidizing it.

mr.smith said:

ok now for my questions
I'm not sure if I can find BierKeller German LME. I think I may have seen it at one time but who knows now. Is there a good replacement if it isn't for sale?

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Any German LME should be fine. If you cant find that then use a European LME. If you can't find that, then any will do.

When useing honey do brewers still boil it or just add it right to the chilled wort? I ask this because from what I understand honey is clean already.

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Not all Honey is clean... Honey is usually heated to kill any bacteria and make it easier to pour. But there still may be some wild yeasts in there. There are a few things you can do here. Try to always use natural honey, not store bought. You will get better results
1. Add the honey at the last 15 min of the boil. This will ensure you get the extra sugars into the primary and kill the will yeasts.

2. Halfway through they primary fermentation (approximately 2-3 days after you see airlock activity) bring the honey and a small amount of water to 160F for 20 min. Cool then add to your primary. (This would be my preferred method for this recipe, because all the other sugars you are adding. Mix them all up at the same time and add to the primary)

3. Add at flame out. However this may not kill all the wild yeasts.

The recipe says to primary for 4 days, secondary for 10 days, then rack again for another 4 days. Is all this nessesery? Can i just primary the whole thing? What would you recommend.

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4 days in my opinion is also to short. You should go by the Hydrometer. It is the only sure way of telling if your beer is finished fermenting, and even then the yeast may still be cleaning up after itself. There are no side effects from waiting, there are however side effects from transferring out of primary too soon! Your call.

Can this beer be ready by christmas? The recipe says to age 3 months, the author says he waited 6 months. Will a beer like this need more then that to age? I was thinking about starting to maybe this month to give it that extra time.

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Yes. As stated earlier, this one has a lot of spices and adjuncts. You may want to wait for this one.

When ageing a beer for a long time I read somewhere that it's a good idea to use the crown caps that absorb oxygen.

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Totally up to you. I never use it because I don't think its necessary. But that's just my opinion. Its your hobby, if you want to, go for it.

Ok that's about it but I'm sure more will pop up. Sorry about this post being so long winded but I want to make sure I get it right. Most of these beers will be given away to the inlaws ;P I look forward to everyones reply.

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Raise a pint for me also

Cheers
Preston

Thanks for the tips. I would have never thought to add the honey to the primary after half way though fermentation . I would have been too afraid to open it after I pitch the yeast.

[/quote] Raise a pint for me also[/quote]

You bet!

mr.smith said:

.............so I can't protect the beer in the secondary from oxygen. I thought maybe bottle conditioning would be the way to go. I know bulk ageing makes the beer more consistent but I also don't want to risk oxidizing it.

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Yea, there is the "ideal" and there's what we each have to work with at home.  Some people don't like the additional transfer, others do.  Without the CO2 to purge the vessel, just try to keep the siphon hose and transfer as quiet as possible, no splashing or running down the sides of the vessel and it should be fine.  You could leave it in primary for four weeks without harm, and if it's very clear, go straight to bottles.  Or go to secondary for the longer "melding" period and usually far better clarity.  Your decision based on what you see and feel is best. 

mr.smith said:

Thanks for the tips. I would have never thought to add the honey to the primary after half way though fermentation . I would have been too afraid to open it after I pitch the yeast.

Raise a pint for me also

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You bet!

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Adding to the primary in steps is just one of the procedures used when making really big beers (1.100+). That way you don't shock the yeast with such a large amount of sugar. I've done a Belgian Quad that came in at almost 14% abv this way. I would say that to make sure you attempt to control the temperature keeping it on the lower end of the yeast scale. Also be read with a blow off tube, especially if you don't have a way to control the temp's. Because it will go crazy.

Remember two things and you will be fine! 1. Cleanliness is next to godliness 2. StarSan Is your Friend!

Here are some pic's of a batch I did with the Aleuminati that shows some of the steps.
http://aleuminati.ning.com/forum/topics/1501346:Topic:16588?id=1501346%3ATopic%3A16588&page=4#comments

Cheers
Preston

MaltLicker said:

Yea, there is the "ideal" and there's what we each have to work with at home.  Some people don't like the additional transfer, others do.  Without the CO2 to purge the vessel...

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I might just go out and get a whole kegging set from my LHBS if they have one in stock. Been wanting to get one and what better beer then this to use for it. Then I'll have the CO2 to purge the vessel.

UselessBrewing said:

Remember two things and you will be fine! 1. Cleanliness is next to godliness 2. StarSan Is your Friend!

Here are some pic's of a batch I did with the Aleuminati that shows some of the steps.
http://aleuminati.ning.com/forum/topics/1501346:Topic:16588?id=1501346%3ATopic%3A16588&page=4#comments

Cheers
Preston

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I didn't know what starsan was so I goggled it. Looks like some awesome stuff. Going to look for it at the brew store while I'm there or get it on line. Thanks for that link too. I'll keep this thread updated for those that are curious. Thanks again for all the help.

That's a lot of yeast food.  Last time I made a batch that big it never carbonated, I'm thinking because the yeast produced enough alcohol to kill itself.
If I were you I'd carefully select my yeast for this batch, choose one that can handle high gravity brews, and consider adding a small amount of fresh yeast at bottle time.

I had that same thought aswell. Been learning alot going through old posts here. But I'm happy to say that I have a kegging system now. Can't wait to start useing it.

mr.smith said:

I had that same thought as well. Been learning a lot going through old posts here. But I'm happy to say that I have a kegging system now. Can't wait to start using it.

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Yeast selection should always be a factor when you make a big beer. I usually pick a style and choose a yeast that fits the style (BeerSmith Makes it easy). As an example, the Belgian Double that I made used WLP530 which can handle very high gravity beers. I was able to get 81% attenuation from it and it still had room for bottle conditioning.

Now that you are kegging beers, you can take the gravities even higher because you don't have to worry about the yeast carbonating your beer. I have a Great Scotch ale that usually falls in about 10.5 ABV. I force carbonate and bottle with no worry's at all.

Cheers
Preston