Homebrew Recipe
Great Lakes Brewing Co.'s Christmas Ale Clone
- Method:
- Partial Mash
- Style:
- Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
- Boil Time:
- 60 min.
- Batch Size:
- 5 gal.
- Boil Size:
- 4 gal.
- Efficiency:
- 0
- Rating:
- Source:
- Brew Your Own
- Source Notes:
- November 2019, Vol. 25, No. 7 page 42. Part of "Winter Warmer", Christmas Ale brew special. By Cleveland tradition, the annual release of Christmas Ale effectively marks the official start of the holiday season in The Forest City.
- Notes:
- Using a 5-gallon kettle, start by steeping just the unmalted wheat (placed in a muslin bag) in 2 gallons of water at 152F for 30 minutes. Then, introduce the rest of the specialty grains into the bag and steep for another 10-15 minutes. Remove the bag then increase kettle volume with water to about 4 gallons. Bring liquid to or near a boil. Turn off the flame and slowly add half the malt extract, stirring to avoid clumping or scorching. Adding just half of the extract here maximizes hop isomerization. Turn flame back on and bring to boil. Add remaining malt extract with 15 minutes until knockout. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops according to the schedule. Add the honey and spices at the end of the boil to preserve as much aromatic quality as possible. Cut the fresh ginger into small pieces to maximize flavor and aroma. Chill rapidly to 66F, top up with water to 5 gallons, and pitch the yeast. Oxygenate thoroughly. When fermentation is fully complete after 14 days, drop the temperature about 6F per day for four days to help clear the beer. Keg and carbonate to 2.5 volumes or prime and bottle condition.
Brew Numbers
| OG | FG | ABV | SRM | IBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.07 | 1.012 | 7.5 | 19 | 30 |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % Grain Bill |
|---|---|---|
| Pilsen Dry Malt Extract | 6 lbs. | 68.57 |
| Notes: Briess Pilsen dried malt extract | ||
| White Wheat | 1 lbs. | 11.43 |
| Notes: Unmalted white wheat | ||
| Crystal Malt 45 | 1 lbs. | 11.43 |
| Biscuit Malt | 0.5 lbs. | 5.71 |
| Notes: Briess Special Roast 50L malt | ||
| Roasted Barley | 0.25 lbs. | 2.86 |
| Total: | 8.75 lbs. | |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Product |
|---|---|---|
| British Ale | Wyeast | 1098 |
| Dry English Ale Yeast | White Labs | WLP007 |
| Nottingham | Lallemand |
Other Ingredients
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ginger Root | 0.05 oz. | 0 min. | Boil | Flavor |
| Notes: At the end of the boil. Cut the fresh ginger into small pieces to maximize flavor and aroma. | ||||
| Honey | 1 lb. | 0 min. | Boil | Other |
| Notes: At the end of the boil. | ||||
| Cinnamon Stick | 0.05 oz. | 0 min | Boil | Flavor |
| Notes: At the end of the boil. | ||||
Mash Steps
| Step | Name | Temp | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Partial Mash | 152 | 30 | Partial |
| Notes: Using a 5-gallon kettle, start by steeping just the unmalted wheat (placed in a muslin bag) in 2 gallons of water at 152F for 30 minutes. | ||||
| 2 | Partial Mash | 152 | 15 | Partial |
| Notes: Introduce the rest of the specialty grains into the bag and steep for another 10-15 minutes. | ||||