Christmas Ale 2020

Great Lakes Christmas Ale Clone

Grain Bill / Fermentables

  • 10 lbs 2-Row Pale Malt
  • 1 lb Crystal 40L
  • 1 lb Wheat Malt
  • 0.5 lb Special Roast
  • 0.08 lb Roasted Barley
  • 1 lbs Honey
  • 12 Candy Canes (0.38 lbs)

Hops

  • 1.5 oz Cascade (6.3 AA)
  • 1 oz Hallertau (3.75 AA)

Extras

  • 3 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1.5 oz Ginger Root (Peeled & Cubed)

Yeast

  • Windsor

Other

  • Whirlfloc Tablet
  • 1/2 tsp Gypsum

Target Stats

  • 6 Gallon Yield
  • OG 1.072
  • FG 1.019
  • ABV 6.96%
  • IBU 37.1
  • SRM 11.72

Final Stats

  •  7 Gallons
  • OG 1.073 (1.0 Tilt)
  • FG 1.024 (1.0 Tilt)
  • ABV 6.43% (% Tilt)
  • Efficiency 76%

Brew Day

Heat 9 gallons of water to 162°.

Gently dough in grains until all grain is covered by water.

Mash grains at 156° for 90 minutes.

Remove “grain bag“, rinse and allow grains to drain.

Bring wort to a boil, add 1.5oz Cascade hops, cinnamon sticks and ginger root and continue boil for 50 minutes.

Add 1oz Hallertau hops, whirlfloc and continue boil for 10 minutes.

Add 1.25 lbs honey at flame out.

Reduce wort temperature to 68° and take OG reading.

Sufficiently aerate and transfer to primary fermenter and pitch yeast starter.

Allow beer 1~2 weeks in the primary to adequately ferment and cleanup any diacetyl produced during fermentation.

Bottle or keg and hide it in a corner until Christmas.

Notes:

  • 2020-12-13, Brew Day
    • Mashed at 156° for 1.25 hours.
    • Pitched dry yeast into 77° wort.