Xmas drop - What you planning & what do you recommend

[clauddr]

Gents, the silly season is almost upon us and although I have more brew then I could possibly drink for the remainder of the year, I think I want to make a specific Xmas themed batch.
And by that same token, I was curious what you guys have on the cards for your festive season.

I'm going to put a cook down this weekend, which gives me 6 weeks. I'm still deciding if it'll be an AG or Extract as I've only done 2 AG's and my second - A hef, tastes like absolute **** after a week in the bottle so knocked my confidence!
I do stove-BIAB cooks in a 50L pot, I normally stick to 20-23L batches and I have a LHBS minutes away so stock isn't a problem.

So, whatcha got planned for Santa's arrival??

 

[Liam_snorkel]

I don't do xmas themed beers - but for a summer smasher this is what I throw down:
50/50 pale ale / wheat, fruity hops in the cube to 25IBU, ~4.5% ABV, US05 or other neutral yeast. can't go wrong.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Octoberfest for drinking and Baltic porter and Barley wine for wiping out on :icon_drool2:
Some English Ales for in between drinks.

 

[Bribie G]

I haven't brewed for about two months but the mojo is returning. After several years of busting a gut to turn out a classic Vienna Lager or a well rounded FES, only to have the guests / family sipping my brew then someone arrives with a carton of VB and their eyes all light up "me, me, me, me" like a flock of seagulls, this year will be simple:

100% JW to 5.5% ABV

touch of Magnum for bittering

Galaxy

San Diego Super Yeast.

A few of the drinkers have actually let James Squire into their lives in the last few years so it may appeal to them this year.

 

[seehuusen]

I just bottled something quite similar to Liam's brew, well, 80% pale/ 20% Corn, US05, Galena Hops to 22 IBU.
I flavoured half the double batch with lime zest infused vodka (tasted amazing out of the bottle bucket).

I'll be having a lot of family visiting, so I've been brewing like mad
Here's the list thus far:
* Cream Ale
* Lime Cream Ale
* Middy Lager
* Licorice Root Wiener Lager
* Belgian Saison
* American IPA
* Raspberry Bourbon Baltic Porter

As for a Christmas beer, I did an attempt at the Tuborg Julebryg (Danish Christmas beer), it's a Wiener Beer, close to a Munich lager I guess...
It's been aging for a bit now, and I can't wait to open up a bottle for Christmas. I brewed mine with licorice root. Here's the thread where I posted my recipe: http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/80751-julebryg/

Cheers
Martin

 

[JDW81]

Bottled an APA 2 weeks ago. Mostly MO, and munich with a little wheat and carapils for head-retention and mouth feel. Bittered with cascade with lashings of cascade and centennial at 10,5 and 0.

Had a little sample the other day and it is going to be an excellent quaffer. Bottomed out at 1010 giving me a 5% drop. No too heavy, not too light.

Will smash out a hefe with the new RIMS gear in early december for the warmer months.

 

[philmud]

I bottled a summer saaz kölsch last night, bittered with magnum, 100g of summer spread from late boil to dry hopped.
Also going to do a variation of LRG's Lord Nelson Citra Cascading out of the Galaxy, without Nelson but with some mosaic. If I knock this out in the next few days hopefully it'll be ready by Xmas

 

[hwall95]

Once my exams are over, (and my orifice has arrived from america - taking a while..) I plan on brewing the following to test out kegging:
English Dark Mild
American Pale Ale - maybe citra, centennial and Amarillo mix.

And then a few others because why not?
A stout of sorts
An IPA
Maybe I'll give a kölsch or give a german lager ago.

Want to brew a lot of others but can I only brew as much as family, mates and I can drink so might have to wait a little while..

 

[JDW81]

Once my exams are over, (and my orifice has arrived from america - taking a while..) I plan on brewing the following to test out kegging:

:icon_offtopic: Ah exams. I'm fighting that demon at the moment too. The beer will be all the sweeter knowing they are behind you.

 

[clauddr]

only to have the guests / family sipping my brew then someone arrives with a carton of VB and their eyes all light up "me, me, me, me" like a flock of seagulls

Bwahahahaha! That's soul destroying!

Some cracking suggestions in there, liking the sound of a cream ale and Seehuusen's Xmas Tuborg Julebry.

Already have a Stout, American Brown Ale and a couple of PA's nestled away at different ages and remaining quantities; and as I mentioned, the rather disastrous Wheat beer which I'm hoping will do a flavour 360 by holiday time (that'd be the best pressie I could get!).

 

[paulyman]

I'm going to have a crack at Dr Smurto's Landlord clone for Dad as my second AG, plus most of my friends are big Corona fans so will knock up a Coopers kit brew of that with a clean Ale Yeast at the same time, the fermenting freezer can fit 2 30L cubes, so why not.

Really want to try my hand at a Rye IPA, but I need to keep the AG simple for a bit and get to know my new rig. So instead I might whip up an extract version of a Rye Saison (I can't remember who did one recently , but will look it up).

*edit - spelling. Can't even blame autocorrect as I'm on my computer.

 

[Spiesy]

Whilst I'd love to do a traditional seasonal Xmas beer, I'm just not up for drinking something dark, sweet and spicey during hot-arse Aussie Xmas.
I've got a Pils that should be awesome by then, as well as a Cali Common and an Aussie Ale.

Roast turkey and a leg of ham on the other hand... :kooi:

 

[Tahoose]

Looking at a Japanese rice lager at this stage.

60% pils
40% rice
20ibu total

MJ Bohemian lager

And maybe a cream ale.

 

[toolio666]

Just carbing the saison, & lagering the pilsner, while trying to finish drinking a new world ale. Then wife wants a kolsch. Thinking bittering with magnum, then Ella. But I want a American IPA. Thinking centennial, chinook & cascade with BR97. Or an Aussie pale with galaxy & Ella.

Thoughts?

 

[chubbytaxman]

Looks like some really nice brews happening here brewers :super:
I have done two recently - one is an English Special Bitter and the other is a Christmas Ale.
Where I am off to there is no room for kegs -_- so, I went the PET bottle option.
Have a few leftovers from past brews - Stout/Porter, Cream Ale and a rather delicious German Rauchbier.
Will be taking some of the above when SWMBO and I grab the gremlins and head off.

Off to check out seehuusen's linky - sounds yum

Cheers

chubby

 

[MastersBrewery]

I'm going with a lighter bright ale to 4% 25IBU, nice and quaffable, a White Rabbit dark ale clone 5% 40IBU, and A rather heavy Belgian 12% 45IBU, and another cider, I figure if my son is waking me at 530 am at 9PM I have the right to be a little under the weather. First Xmas with my twin sister and her family for a decade or two, we both have kids under 5 (boys), and over 20 (girls), I'm guessing here, but I think we may run low on cider for NYE.

MB

 

[Dan Pratt]

We have the family coming over for Xmas ( well the Sunday before xmas day ) which I'm happy about because I get to make a few beers for the occasion. B)

New World Lager - 5.2% 13ibu - (lagering @ 2c at the moment) 96% Golden Promise, 4% Carapils, Amarillo/centennial @ 10m, Citra dry hopped

Session Pale Ale - 4.3% 29ibu - 79% Ale, 17% Vienna, 4% Crystal 60L - All late hops of Amarillo/Centennial, 20,10,& WP

Golden Ale - 4.1% 17ibu - 75% Ale, 25% Wheat, mashed at 64c/45m, boil addition Citra/Cascade @ 10m, dry hopped with the same combo 2g/L

Hefeweizen 3 - 5% 13ibu - 49/49 GP Ale & Wheat + 2% Melanoiden - WLP300 @ 19c

Alot of very quaff able beers right there cos its going to be hot!

 

[siege]

I've figured that it'll be 3-7 days of drinking from midday onward so I'd try to get some tasty but light brews made.

Ginger Beer - 2.4% - this I have already cracked open and it's a ripper
"Drinking Game IPA" of my own invention - 2.7% - this is in primary at the moment and will I'm itching to see how it turns out. Meant to taste like an IPA but without much alcohol. We'll see, it could be a disaster

 

[Flash_DG]

Got an APA with Amarillo, citra and centennial that should be around the 4.5% perfect for a week over nth Straddie. Beer in one hand rod in the other

 

[philmud]

Got an APA with Amarillo, citra and centennial that should be around the 4.5% perfect for a week over nth Straddie. Beer in one hand rod in the other

A bit of "gentleman time" over Xmas huh? Have fun and don't get arrested!