15 Late winter beer recipes for avid home brewers

When winter comes, the time of brew-drinking comes, as well. Drinking brew in winter has been a part of human life since the early ages when brew was invented. What makes brew an excellent drink for winter is its ability to warm the bones, and give more spice to food and life. Following is a set of 15 brew recipes that one can make at home without having to go outside, thus having his/her own touch to the drink. These recipes are more suitable for time around Christmas, that is January to February.

1. Christmas Ale

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 7 lbs British pale malt extract
2. 1 lb Belgian pale ale malt grain
3. 1 lb light crystal malt (10L)
4. 8 oz Belgian biscuit
5. 4 oz dark Belgian crystal (80L)
6. 1 lb dark brown sugar (boil w/ extract)
7. 2 oz Hallertauer pellets 3.1% AA
8. 1 oz Saaz 3.7% AA
9. Yeast
10. Coriander
11. Ginger
12. Dried orange peel
13. Allspice

Process: Mix all the malt-extracts together and bring the mixture to boil. Exactly 15 minutes before boil, add all the spices, and then add some at the end of the boil.

2. Christmas Cranberry Ale

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 1.5 cups crystal malt
2. 6.6 lbs Armstrong Amber malt extract
3. 2 oz Hallertauer hops (pellets)
4. 3 cups fresh cranberries
5. Ale yeast
6. 3/4 cup corn sugar to prime

Process:

1. Bring 1 gal water to boil with crystal malt.
2. Take crystal malt from stove, and add amber malt. Boil for 45 min.
3. Add 1 oz hops, and boil for another 15 min.
4. Add 1 oz H-T hops, and boil for 2 min.
5. Cook cranberries separately, and add them to primary mixture with wort and fill it to 5 gal.

3. Christmas in Ireland

Complexity level: Moderate

Ingredients:

1. 4 pounds Mountmellick Irish stout extract
2. 3 pounds Munton & Fison Amber DME
3. 2 cups crystal malt (60 Lovibond)
4. 1 cup black patent malt
5. 1 ounce Bullion hops
6. 1/2 ounce Hallertau hops
7. 1 pound clover honey
8. 12 inches cinnamon sticks
9. 4 ounces ginger root, freshly peeled and grated
10. 2 teaspoons allspice
11. 1 teaspoon cloves
12. 4 grated rinds from medium size oranges
13. 1 package Irish stout yeast

Process:

1. Simmer honey and spices in covered pot for 45 minutes.
2. Add cracked grains to 2 gallons cold water and bring to a boil.
3. As soon as boiling starts, remove grains with a strainer.
4. Add malt extracts and bittering hops and boil for 55 minutes.
5. Add finishing hops and boil for 5 more minutes.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Stir in honey and spice mixture and cool.
8. Strain into fermenter containing 3 gallons cold (previously boiled) water and pitch yeast (when cool).
9. After vigorous primary fermentation subsides, rack into secondary.
10. Bottle with 7 ounces corn sugar or 1-1/4 cups DME when fermentation completes.

4. Christmas in July

Complexity level: Moderate

Ingredients:

1. 8 pounds, light dry malt extract (American Eagle)
2. 3/4 pound, crystal malt
3. 3 ounces, roast barley
4. 3 pounds, clover honey
5. 1 ounce, Northern Brewer
6. 1/2 ounce, Northern Brewer
7. 6 ounces, fresh grated ginger (1/2 boil, 1/2 finish)
8. grated peel of 4 tangelos (1/2 boil, 1/2 finish)
9. 1 stick, cinnamon
10. 1–1/2 teaspoon, nutmeg
11. 1–1/2 teaspoon, Irish moss
12. Whitbread ale yeast

Process:

1. Steep crystal and roasted barley in six gallons of water while the latter is on heat. Remove at 190ºC.
2. Add DME, honey, boil hops, half of the ginger, half of the tangelo peel, the cinnamon stick and the nutmeg, and boil for 40 minutes.
3. Add rest of ginger, tangelo peel and hops at 50 minutes.
4. At 60 minutes, cool the mixture quickly, and let sit for 3 hours.
5. Rack off the copious trub, aerated and pitched with a pint of starter from two packages of Whitbread Dry Ale yeast.

5. Spice Xmas Beer

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 3.3 pounds, Northwestern light malt extract
2. 2 pounds, dark malt extract
3. 2 pounds, wildflower honey
4. 2 ounces, Hertsburger hops
5. 1/2 ounce, Goldings hops
6. 2 ounces, grated ginger
7. 1 ounce, grated ginger
8. 2 packs, Munton & Fison ale yeast

Process:

1. Start yeast.
2. Boil malt extract, honey, boiling hops and boiling ginger for about 1 hour, and strain the mixture.
3. Add finishing hops and ginger.
4. Cool rapidly in tub.
5. Pitch started yeast and set it to ferment for at least two weeks.

6. Strong Christmas Ale

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 20 l of unchlorinated water
2. 3 kg dark malt extract
3. 900 g dry dark malt extract (DME)
4. 1.3 kg clover honey
5. 225 g chocolate malt
6. 225 g crystal malt (80-L)
7. 225 g black patent malt
8. 60 g northern brewer hops (Bittering)
9. 30 g cascade hops (Aroma)
10. 30 g ginger, grated
11. 3 oranges, peeled and quartered
12. 3 cinnamon sticks
13. 2 whole nutmegs
14. 6 whole cloves
15. 1/4 teaspoon Irish moss
16. 1 Vial White Labs Irish Ale Yeast
17. 200 g dry malt extract (Priming)

Process:

1. Place the crushed crystal malt, chocolate malt, and black patent malt in the water and steep at 70°C for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the spent grains then add the dry dark malt extract, honey and Northern Brewer Hops, and boil for ½ hour.
3. Add the Cascade Hops and Irish Moss during the last 5 minutes of the boil.
4. Turn off heat and add the oranges and spices.
5. Allow to steep for 30 minutes, then strain.
6. Cool the work and pitch the yeast.
7. Allow to primary ferment for 10 to 14 days and then transfer to secondary fermenter.
8. Ferment for an additional 7 to 10 days then bottle (use 200 g of dry malt extract for priming).
9. Age in the bottle for at least 10 days before drinking.

7. Phil Fleming’s Christmas Ale

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 3.3 pounds, Munton and Fison Stout Kit
2. 3.3 pounds, Munton and Fison amber malt extract syrup
3. 3 pounds, Munton and Fison light dry malt extract
4. 1/2 ounce, Hallertauer hops (boil)
5. 1/2 ounce, Hallertauer hops (finish)
6. 3/4 pound, honey
7. 5 3-inch cinnamon sticks
8. 2 teaspoons, allspice
9. 1 teaspoon, cloves
10. 6 ounces, ginger root
11. 6 rinds from medium size oranges

Process:

1. Simmer spices and honey for 45 minutes.
2. Boil malt and hops for 50 minutes.
3. Add finishing hops and boil for 5 minutes.
4. Cool, strain and pitch yeast.

8. 1990 Christmas Ale

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 9.9 pounds, pale unhopped liquid extract
2. 6.6 pounds, liquid wheat extract
3. 3 pounds, honey
4. 1 pound, flaked barley
5. 1 pound, pale malt
6. 1 pound, malted wheat
7. 10 grams, orange peel
8. 1 teaspoon, gypsum
9. 1/2 teaspoon, salt
10. 1 teaspoon, Irish moss
11. 14 HBUs, Chinook hops (boil)
12. 7 HBUs, Northern Brewer (boil)
13. 1 ounce, Kent Goldings (finish)
14. 1 ounce, Cascade hops (finish)
15. Young’s yeast culture

Process:

1. Brew about 7 gallons of wort in a 10-gallon kettle.
2. Add 7-gallon primary and 2-5-gallon secondaries, then keg (or bottle).

9. Merry Christmas Ale

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 6.60 lb Northwestern gold LME
2. 1.00 lb crystal 80 L
3. 0.50 lb chocolate malt
4. 0.50 lb brown sugar
5. 0.50 lb honey
6. 1.00 oz Northern Brewer 7.8% 60 min
7. 1.00 oz Fuggles leaf 3.8% 15 min
8. 1 tsp cardamom
9. 2 oz grated ginger
10. 5 3 inch cinnamon sticks
11. Zest from rind of 4 large oranges
12. 1 tsp Irish moss
13. 3/4 c dextrose (priming)
14. Wyeast #1056 American ale yeast
15. Yeast nutrient

Process:

1. Prepare yeast starter.
2. Crush specialty grains and steep for 30 min.
3. Add LME, brown sugar, and bittering hops and begin boil.
4. At 30 min, add honey, cinnamon, and cardamom and half of the orange zest and ginger.
5. At 15 min, add Irish moss, flavoring hops, and remaining ginger and orange zest.
6. Cool, aerate and pitch yeast.
7. Ferment at 70-74ºF.
8. Rack to a secondary after 7 days and store at 70ºF.
9. After another 14 days, bottle beer.

10. Christmas Triple

Complexity level: Moderate

Ingredients:

1. Amber malt extract syrup
2. Briess Pilsen light DME
3. Candy sugar, clear
4. Candy sugar, dark
5. Cherry, smoked
6. Molasses
7. Boiled hops
8. Yeast
9. Irish Moss
10. Mulling spices

Process:

1. Boil the fermentation mixture (involving the first six ingredients).
2. Add cherry juice in the secondary and watched fermentation kick off again.
3. When fermentation dies down, place a heater in front of carboy to reignite fermentation.

11. Holiday Ale

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 7 lbs light DME
2. .5 lb chocolate malt
3. .5 lb light crystal malt
4. BrewTek Belgian Ale #2 from slant (1 qt. starter)
5. 1 lb orange blossom honey
6. 28 IBU hops
7. 1.5 tsp grated orange peel
8. 1.5 oz fresh grated ginger
9. 9 inches cinnamon stick
10. Yeast

Process:

1. Add 1 oz fresh grated ginger, 6 inches cinnamon stick, and 1 tsp orange peel in last 15 minutes of boil.
2. Before bottling simmer 1/2 ounce ginger, 3 inches cinnamon, and a 1/2 tsp orange peel
3. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strained the resulting tea though a coffee filter and add it to the bottling bucket.

12. Holiday Porter

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 3 lbs Amber dry malt extract
2. .25 lbs black patent malt, crushed
3. .5 lbs chocolate malt, crushed
4. .5 lbs 60 lovibond crystal, crushed
5. .5 lbs Klagus 2 row malt, crushed
6. .5 lbs roast barley, crushed
7. 1 quart grade C Amber maple syrup
8. 2 oz Perle hops, pellets
9. 1 pkg Whyeast Scottish Ale liquid yeast
10. 2 Tbs cinnamon
11. 2 Tbs allspice
12. 2 Tbs cloves
13. 1 Tbs nutmeg

Process:

1. Put the grains in a big grain bag so they have plenty of room to allow water to flow between after they swell up.
2. Put the grain bag in the cold water and bring the heat up to 160ºF.
3. Steep the grains like a big teabag.
4. Mix the grains around by squishing the outside of the bag with a spoon, lift the bag out to drain the water with the goodies into the pot.
5. Mix squish and drain the stuff every 5 minutes for an hour. Do not let the temperature exceed 170ºF during the steep to keep tannin extraction (creates a bitter flavor, especially with roasted and black grains) to a minimum.
6. Pull out the grains and set them in a colander that hangs in the rim of your pot and pour a half gallon of clean water through them (preferred), or put them in a colander in a bowl.
7. Add it back to your boil.

13. Tungston Tommy Seasonal Ale

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 6 lbs Amber extract
2. 1 lb dry wheat extract
3. 1 lb crushed crystal malt 40 L
4. 2 TBS molasses
5. One 15 ounce can of sweet potato
6. One 15 ounce can of apple pie filling
7. 1½ TBS of pumpkin pie spice
8. 46 ounce bottle of mixed berry 100% juice
9. 2 ounce cascade hops (boiling)

Process:

1. Bring 2 gallons of water to 150º
2. Steep crystal malt for 30 min.
3. Add juice and all other ingredients including hops.
4. Bring to boil for one hour.
5. Strain wort.
6. Add to fermenter bring total amount to 5 gallons.
7. Pitch ale yeast.
8. Bottle after 2 weeks

14. Ersatz Harpoon 1991 Winter Warmer

Complexity level: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 6 pounds Laaglander Amber dry malt extract
2. 1/2 ounce black patent malt
3. 12 ounces crystal malt
4. 1–1/2 ounces chocolate malt
5. 1 pound honey (added with extract)
6. 1 ounce clusters pellets (6.5-7.5% alpha) (boil)
7. 1 ounce Willamette pellets (aroma)
8. Wyeast British ale yeast (#1098)
9. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (8 minute boil)
10. 1–1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (8 minute boil)
11. 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (8 minutes boil)
12. 1 teaspoon vanilla (5 minute boil)
13. 1 tablespoon gypsum
14. 1 tablespoon Irish moss (10 minute boil)
15. 3/4 cup corn sugar (prime)

Process:

1. Put water on to boil.
2. Add gypsum.
3. Add grains in boiling bag.
4. Remove grains when boil begins.
5. Add extract.
6. After 15 minutes, add bittering hops. Boil 1 hour. Chill.
7. Add aromatic hops.
8. Sparge, add yeast, fill carboy.
9. After 1 week, rack to secondary.
10. Bottle 2 weeks later.

15. Five Flavors Holiday Beer

Complexity level: Moderate

Ingredients:

1. Pilsner malt
2. Briess Bavarian wheat DME
3. Crystal 120L
4. Belgian aromatic
5. Brown sugar
6. Crystal 40 L
7. Oats, flaked
8. Cara-Pils/dextrine
9. Black (patent) malt
10. Boiled hops
11. Yeast
12. Chinese five spice
13. Irish moss
14. Tangerine peel

Process: Brew with “peen tong” or Chinese brown candy (made from unrefined sugar and similar to brown sugar), tangerine peel, and Chinese five spice mixture (star anise, clove, cardamom, fennel seed, Szechuan peppercorn, licorice root, and cinnamon bark-five).