RecipeDB - Chrismoose Ale

[thanme]

My n00bness is relative to my impatiences...I'm getting better leaving a bottle for 3 weeks is a record so far.
Thanks though! That refuels my confidence

 

[.DJ.]

tried one of mine a few days ago... :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2:

bloody fantastic! Even this young!

Can wait to see how it changes with some conditioning... :super:

 

[reviled]

Hey Ben, how do you think this spice combination would work in a darker belgian fermented with ardennes yeast? Quite keen to get something nice and conditioned for winter B)

 

[brettprevans]

my 2c.,
i think this would be just as good as a dark beer. u might have tp up some of the more sublt flavours/aroomas like the orange, but it would be good.

 

[aaronpetersen]

SWMBO is having a Xmas in July party And I thought this brew would fit in quite nicely. I have a couple of questions though.
1. Would mega-swill drinkers like it?
2. The parties about 10 weeks away, which only gives it about 8 weeks of bottle conditioning time. Will it be drinkable by then?
3. The recipe calls for 2kg light LME and 1kg light DME. So that's light liquid malt extract and light dry malt extract? I'm a little confused because CM2 said he used dark malt extract :unsure:
4. When adding the rind, does it include the white pith or just the outer zest?

 

[bconnery]

Hey Ben, how do you think this spice combination would work in a darker belgian fermented with ardennes yeast? Quite keen to get something nice and conditioned for winter B)

Way late on the response to this one but I think it would work. The spice combo is based on christmas beers I found around on the web, and most of those are dark spiced ones. I just wanted something that was more suited to a summer christmas.

 

[bconnery]

SWMBO is having a Xmas in July party And I thought this brew would fit in quite nicely. I have a couple of questions though.
1. Would mega-swill drinkers like it?
2. The parties about 10 weeks away, which only gives it about 8 weeks of bottle conditioning time. Will it be drinkable by then?
3. The recipe calls for 2kg light LME and 1kg light DME. So that's light liquid malt extract and light dry malt extract? I'm a little confused because CM2 said he used dark malt extract :unsure:
4. When adding the rind, does it include the white pith or just the outer zest?

1. Depends on how willing they are to try new beers. At a pinch I'd say no, or at least some of them won't. This beer really is christmas pudding or mince pie in a glass so you have to have people who are at least up for a different flavour.

2. I'd half the spice amounts I used perhaps. Mine took longer to condition than that, it was 4 months before mine balanced out fully. Before that it was drinkable but different spices dominated for periods.

3. Yes, liquid and dry, but that's just what I used because I had it. You could use all liquid or all dry or any combination. Without reading back I think CM2 used dark because he had some, or wanted the flavour. It's not that important. I wanted a pale ale base to make it a summer christmas beer.

4. Just the outer zest if you can. I use the fine setting on our grater, or it might have even been a zester but I think we lost that piece of kitchen equipment at some point...

 

[Screwtop]

Don't think this one is for your regular Magaswillers AaronP. But it is a Wow! beer, if any are open to new experiences. Have had this beer of Ben's a few times over the past 4 years, think it's gone through a few changes, but it is one of the greats in my book, like Ben says, it's xmas cake in a glass.

Screwy

 

[bconnery]

Don't think this one is for your regular Magaswillers AaronP. But it is a Wow! beer, if any are open to new experiences. Have had this beer of Ben's a few times over the past 4 years, think it's gone through a few changes, but it is one of the greats in my book, like Ben says, it's xmas cake in a glass.

Screwy

That's kind of true Screwy, and kind of not. You've had this beer 3 times over the course of various swaps, but it's always been the same beer. The last time it was 18 months old and still had some nice spice flavours in there.
I've still only made the original. Haven't ventured an AG version yet... Maybe this Xmas.

 

[Mickydp1979]

Just cooked up a batch of this yesterday but forgot the honey! Still sitting the cube and haven't pitched the yeast yet so was after some thoughts on the best way to add the honey.
A) Do I boil it in water for a few minutes?
B) Take some of the wort out add the honey to it and boil again?
C) Microwave the honey for 5 mins?

Cheers in advance

 

[bconnery]

Just cooked up a batch of this yesterday but forgot the honey! Still sitting the cube and haven't pitched the yeast yet so was after some thoughts on the best way to add the honey.
A) Do I boil it in water for a few minutes?
B) Take some of the wort out add the honey to it and boil again?
C) Microwave the honey for 5 mins?

Cheers in advance

Most advice will tell you to boil the honey for at least a short time.
Id consider option a probably. I wouldn't worry about the wort option.
Microwave might work, maybe even less, but just a very short boil with some water would be easy enough.

I'd consider that you could probably add it like a sugar after fermentation was underway but there might be a risk of infection things in the honey but that's reduced when you have an active fermentation so it's up to you really.
Option a still seems the simplest to hedge your bets.

The original recipe boiled the spices with it, but that was just a technique I picked up from another spiced beer recipe, it isn't an essential component per se.

Cheers
Ben

 

[brettprevans]

I cant say ive ever done anything to honey (boil wise) other than in this recipe. it was a while after i tried this that i started reading about meads etc and that the new reccomendation is that you dont boil your honey as it drives off flavour and aroma of the honey.

So ive always just added my honey straight into the fermentor or in the case of extract brewing into the boil at the last minute just to 'melt' it. or use a microwave for 30sec or so to melt it down and it should also kill off any bugs.

up to you how you do it. I did a cyser recently and the missus thought it was too dry....I added some honey striaght into the keg! no issues as yet.

besides if you using supermarket honey its been pasturised/proocessed to within an inch of its life and is probably more free of bugs than our brewing equipment.

OT - i really have to make the AG version of this. everytime i see the thread i remember the extract version and how good it was.

 

[Mickydp1979]

Thanks Guys,

Ended up boiling with hot water for a few minutes. All in the fermentor bubbling away at 22degrees.

 

[Screwtop]

Thanks Guys,

Ended up boiling with hot water for a few minutes. All in the fermentor bubbling away at 22degrees.

You're in for a surprise, best check with Ben re ageing this beer.

Cheers,

Screwy

 

[brettprevans]

in my experiance it was drinkable after 2 months but a bit of a waste. quite drinkable after 5 months and great after 12 months.

edit: whoops, ive already said that before on this thread. see my 2nd post on page 1.

 

[Eggs]

HI all,
I'm going to have a go at this one today but id just like some clarification on when to add what. Have i got this right?

1. steep grains for 45 minutes.
2. separately steep spices for 45 minutes.
3. drain grain and boil wort with malt extract for 45 minutes, adding hopps at the start of boil and at the 15 minutes to go mark.
4. add liquid from spices and honey towards the end of boil, say 5 minutes.

do i add whole spices or just the strained ligquid?
do i ned to boil spice mix or will that drive off some of the flavour? it seems like it would need a bit of a boil to avoid infections.
when does the juice go in?

pardon the newbie questions. this wil be my 3rd brew.

Cheers.

 

[bconnery]

HI all,
I'm going to have a go at this one today but id just like some clarification on when to add what. Have i got this right?

1. steep grains for 45 minutes.
Doesn't have to be. 30-45 or so.

2. separately steep spices for 45 minutes.
The spices should be boiled with the honey and some water. doesn't have to be but this is what I did, following a recipe I found on line. There's probably a better way...

3. drain grain and boil wort with malt extract for 45 minutes, adding hopps at the start of boil and at the 15 minutes to go mark.
Yes. But you only need to add some of the malt extract. Add most at the end to avoid darkening the beer, unless you want to. I like to boil the remaining extract for 10-15 minutes only.

4. add liquid from spices and honey towards the end of boil, say 5 minutes.
Yes.

do i add whole spices or just the strained ligquid?
I think I did the strained liquid from memory, but either will be fine.

do i ned to boil spice mix or will that drive off some of the flavour? it seems like it would need a bit of a boil to avoid infections.
as above I did boil the spices, based on a recipe I found online, but there could be another way.

when does the juice go in?
I think I put it in near the end of the spice boil. Certainly for around 5-10 minutes max in the boil.

pardon the newbie questions. this wil be my 3rd brew.

Always happy to answer questions about beer, especially when it's mine

Cheers.

 

[manticle]

I'm a little bit late to the honey question but my understanding is that honey actually has antibacterial properties. It's only something I've heard so it might be best to do some more research but in the same way I'm happy to dry hop without sanitising/boiling my hops, I'd be happy to use honey as is. Pasteurised honey never tastes as good as cold pressed so I assume it would have a similar effect.

Then again I'm happy to make a cider without using campden or pasteurising my apple juice so horses for courses.

 

[bconnery]

I'm a little bit late to the honey question but my understanding is that honey actually has antibacterial properties. It's only something I've heard so it might be best to do some more research but in the same way I'm happy to dry hop without sanitising/boiling my hops, I'd be happy to use honey as is. Pasteurised honey never tastes as good as cold pressed so I assume it would have a similar effect.

Then again I'm happy to make a cider without using campden or pasteurising my apple juice so horses for courses.

I believe you are right.
I'm not normally one to ever worry about adding bugs from fruit etc. into a beer, figuring that the co2 etc will help limit the growth somewhat.
the main reason for the honey addition in this is to mix with the spices, which are boiled, and provide a little backdrop as it where.

As I've mentioned though I don't think this is the only way to add the spices, or the honey, I just did it that way as I was following a method from elsewhere when I made up this recipe.
I'd never done a spiced beer at that point so I was flying blind in terms of method a little.

The macadamia honey I used was from a guy at the local market so I'm guessing it wasn't pasteurised but who knows...

 

[manticle]

I just did a quick google and scientific database search on the antibacterial properties ogf honey and there seems to be a pretty big leaning towards the acceptance of honey being effective in suppressing and preventing the growth of various (not all) bacteria.

Anyway getting slightly OT so apologies. Your brews have been recommended to me by those in the know as experimental beers that work so I look forward to having a crack at this for one or another Christmas.