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X-Mas Ale 2012
Brewed: 10/28/2012 Kegged: 11/24/2012
 The base of the 2012 version of the SheppyBrew X-Mas Ale is very similar to the 2011 version. It is dark and rich with lots of caramel and chocolate malts. It should be a medium to full bodied comfort beer. A true winter warmer.
Its ABV is around 8% with calculated IBU of around 35, making it lean just a tad toward the malt sweetness of the beer. Still at .467, its GU:BU ratio is pretty balanced.
This year's special ingredient is peppermint. I have used peppermint before (see Leprechaun Stout), and really liked how it turned out. It also made for a nice festive flavor in this beer.
This is certainly not a session beer, but is a nice rich minty dessert beer. I think of chocolate candy canes when I drink this beer. It is a great beer with which to make an ice-cream beer float. It gives plain vanilla a mint chocolate chip character. Yummy indeed.
The body of the beer comes across fuller than I would expect with a 1.012 final gravity. The head retention and lacing is really awesome.
I am happy with the way this beer turned out.
To read about the 2012 vertical tasting, which included this beer and X-Mas ales from 2009, 2010, and 2011, see 2012 X-Mas Ale Verticle Tasting.
For more about SheppyBrew X-Mas Ales, check out X-Mas Ales on my Blog.
| Style |
|
Christmas/Winter Specialty Spice Beer |
|
Batch Size |
|
5.50 gal |
| Type |
|
All Grain |
|
Boil Size |
|
7.76 gal |
| Brewhouse Efficiency |
|
75.00 |
|
Boil Time |
|
90 minutes |
Recipe Characteristics
| Recipe Gravity |
|
1.074 SG |
|
Estimated FG |
|
1.017 SG |
| Recipe Bitterness |
|
34.7 IBUs (Rager) |
|
Alcohol by Volume |
|
7.6 % |
| BU : GU |
|
0.467 |
|
|
|
|
| Recipe Color |
|
22.3 SRM |
|
|
|
|
| Measured OG: |
|
1.074
|
|
Measured FG: |
|
1.012
|
| ADF: |
|
83%
|
|
Measured ABV: |
|
8.3%
|
Ingredients
Ingredients
| Amt |
Name |
Type |
# |
%/IBU |
| 13 lbs |
Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) |
Grain |
1 |
85.2 % |
| 1 lbs 12.0 oz |
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) |
Grain |
2 |
11.5 % |
| 6.0 oz |
Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) |
Grain |
3 |
2.5 % |
| 2.0 oz |
Blackprinz (500.0 SRM) |
Grain |
4 |
0.8 % |
| 0.50 oz |
Columbus (Tomahawk) [17.00 %] - First Wort 90.0 min |
Hop |
5 |
34.7 IBUs |
| 1.00 tsp |
Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins) |
Other |
6 |
- |
| 0.50 tsp |
Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) |
Fining |
7 |
- |
| 1.0 pkg |
American Ale II (Harvested) (Wyeast Labs #1272) [125.00 ml] |
Yeast |
8 |
- |
| 1.00 tbsp |
Peppermint Extract (Secondary 5.0 days) |
Flavor |
9 |
- |
Mash Profile
Mash Steps
| Name |
Description |
Step Temperature |
Step Time |
| Mash In |
Add 19.06 qt of water at 163.7 F |
152.0 F |
60 min |
Batch sparge with 2 steps
(0.94gal, 3.88gal) of 168.0 F water
Recipe Notes
Make starter a couple days in advance of brew
day.
Mash as instructed in 10 gallon cooler.
90 minute boil making
additions as instructed in recipe.
Cool wort to as close to 60F as possible.
Add to fermenter. Aerate wort and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 60F for 24 hours or
so. Try to keep fermentation between 60 and 65 for a couple days, then let the
temperature go where it want to.
After the initial fermentation is done, rack
to secondary fermentor along with peppermint.
Brewing Record
| Brew Date: |
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10/28/2012
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Strike Temp: |
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168ish
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| Mash Temps: |
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154 all the way through
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| Pre-boil OG |
|
1.060 (1.060 SG) |
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Pre-boil Vol |
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7.75 (7.76 gal) |
| Actual Mash Efficiency |
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85
|
|
Pitch Temp |
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58
|
| Fermentation |
|
|
|
|
|
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Day 1: 66 active
|
| Day 3: 66 active |
| Day 4: Slowed down 68 |
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