IDEA
In collaboration with Főzőház, I wrote an article about Christmas beers (it’s only available in Hungarian). At the end of the article there was co-designed recipe. In this piece, I will document the brewing of that recipe and see how good it fits the style.
Recipe
Stats:
Est. OG: 1.068
Est. FG: 1.017
ABV 6.8%
Color: 25.3 SRM
IBU: 24.7
Est. Brewhouse Efficiency: 70%
Boil-Time: 30 minutes
Water Profile: Edinburg, Scotland
| Name | Temperature (Metric) | Temperature (US) | Time (minute) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mash In | 68℃ | 154.4℉ | 60 | |||||||
| Mash Out | 75.6℃ | 168.08℉ | 10 | |||||||
| Boil | 100℃ | 212℉ | 30 | |||||||
| Whirlpool | 64℃ | 147.2℉ | 30 |
| Name | Weight (Metric) | Weight (US) | Percentage | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simpsons Maris Otter | 4.5 kg | 9.92 lb | 76.9% | |||||||
| Simpsons Wheat Malt | 0.4 kg | 0.88 lb | 6.8% | |||||||
| Dingenmans Biscuit Malt | 0.4 kg | 0.88 lb | 6.8% | |||||||
| Cheteau Special B | 0.2 kg | 0.44 lb | 3.4% | |||||||
| Simpsons Aromatic Malt | 0.2 kg | 0.44 lb | 3.4% | |||||||
| Simpsons Chocholate Malt | 0.15 kg | 0.33 lb | 2.6% |
| Name | Weight (Metric) | Weight (US) | IBU | Alpha Acid | Time (minute) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Brewer | 34g | 1.2 oz | 24.2 | 8.5% | 30 | |||||
| Fuggels | 20g | 0.71 oz | 0.5 | 4.5% | 30m Whirlpool at 64℃ |
| Name | Producer | Type | Style | Dry Alternatives | Liquid Alternatives | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-04 | Fermentis | Dry | English Ale | Any dried english yeast strain | Any liquid english yeast strain |
| Strike Water (Metric) | Strike Water (US) | Sparge Water (Metric) | Sparge Water (US) | Ca | Mg | Na | SO4 | Cl | HCO3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23.4L | 6.18 gal | 5.6L | 1.48 gal | 120 ppm | 25 ppm | 55 ppm | 140 ppm | 20 ppm | 225 ppm |
| Name | Weight (Metric) | Weight (US) | Time (minute) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yeast Nutrient | 1g | 0.04 oz | 15 | |||||||
| L-Ascorbic Acid | 3g | 0.11 oz | Strike Water before mash | |||||||
| Ground Cinnamon | 15g | 0.53 oz | 10 | |||||||
| Ground Ginger | 15g | 0.53 oz | 10 | |||||||
| Bitter Orange Peel | 20g | 0.71 oz | 10 | |||||||
| Honey | 0.4kg | 0.88 lb | 1 |
Brewday
In the morning I crushed the malts, as I already collected the RO water the day before.
I added the crushed malts to the mash water and stirred it, until there were no dry spots.
Ten minutes into the mash, I checked the pH value of the wort. It was above the optimal range, so I added 6 ml of 80% lactic acid.
This addition of lactic acid lowered the pH to 5.38.
In the last two minutes of the mash, I took an iodine test to see if more time was needed. Luckily, all the starches have been converted. I mashed out and took a pre-boil gravity reading. The gravity was right on the target, with a value of 1.056.
While the wort was heating, I measured the hop additions.
I also prepared the honey and the spices.
I boiled the wort for 30 minutes and added the Northern Brewer at the start of the boil. At 10 minutes I added the spices and at the last minute the honey. It’s important to constantly stir the wort when you add the honey to avoid burning it.
After the boil, I chilled down the wort to the whirlpool temperature and set the Brewster Beacon to keep the temperature. Then I added the Fuggles to the kettle. I chose 64℃ (147.2℉) because of its medium-high Myrcene oil content.
After the whirlpool, I measured the original gravity. The measured value was 1.071, making it 0.003 points higher than expected.
The English yeast strains love cooler temperatures, however I don’t have a temperature controlled fridge for such purposes. I had to improvise a cooling method to keep yeast going haywire. The best thing I could do is to put the fermenter into a bigger container with cold water in it.
The temperature was between 19.6℃ (67.28℉) - 25.3℃ (77.54℉), with an average of 22.4℃ (72.32℉). It’s important to note that fluctuating temperatures during fermentation are bad for the end product. I used this method out of necessity. On the last few days of fermentation, I let the temperature free rise so the yeast can clean up.
Please note that the gravity readings by my iSpindel are used for the tracking of the fermentation and should not be taken as specific gravity.
The final gravity was higher with 0.004 points, however as the original gravity was higher with 0.003 points, it’s not a problem.
Tasting
First week: The smell was dominated by the orange peel. After the oranges is lifted there was a moderate caramel and cinamon with a slight chocolate at the end. The taste was again dominated by the orange. The cinnamon and the light spiciness of the hops blended really well . The malts gave a chocolate and plum taste. At the end, the ginger kicks in and is complemented by the pleasant warmth of the alcohol. The mouthfeel is creamy.
Later on: The beer aged well, the flavors smoothened out and created a chocolate and caramel base, which was complemented by the spices. However the orange peel was still too strong, which somewhat ruined this beer.
Conclusion
The beer has that distinct holiday taste that I was looking for. There is only a slight problem with it, the orange is too strong. I would lower the amount of orange peels by 25%-50%. With that change, I think the beer would be more rounded. That being said, I still enjoyed this beer and looking forward to sip it during the holidays.