Festival Spiced Winter Ale

[obscure]

Kit itself is a fairly standard Festival kit, two bags of hopped malt extra plus 500g dextrose. Like a lot of the ‘stronger kits it is a 18L kit with the dextrose being added alongside the malt extract. Yeast is described as a Belgium yeast and is a 20g sachet. I am opting to make the kit up per the instructions with no adjustments.

Kit was made up, and had an initial gravity reading of 1.056, slightly lower than expected as when plugged into brewers friend I was expecting 1.058, however this may be down to me relying on the markings on my fermentor, or not quite mixing enough. The wort itself has a fairly strong malty flavour with hints of spice which seems promising.

I pitched the yeast at 22°C on Saturday and it has remained about their plus or minus one degree. Initial fermentation was brisk with gravity dropping to 1.033 in 24 hours, although slowed down and has now as of Thursday reached 1.013, estimated final gravity going by the kit instructions is 1.014, so I suspect that fermentation is about finished, however I will give it another week or so and probably bottle a week Saturday assuming of course that it has indeed reached a stable final gravity, but will update accordingly.

Based on previous Festival Kits I am fairly optimistic on this one and am hoping it will prove to be a good winter beer.

 

[terrym]

@Chippy_Tea
This one for the kit review section?
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/beer-kit-reviews-a-z.77650/

 

[Graz]

Thanks for the initial review. Might stick one of these on for Xmas (is it too early?) when I get back off holiday, keg it and forget about it until mid December. Should be nicely conditioned by then.

 

[obscure]

Seems to have stabilised at 1.011, so 5.9% .1 off target but will leave it another week before bottling.

@Graz I’m hoping this will be ready to drink around about October depending on how it tastes am potentially thinking of doing another batch as a Christmas beer, or might just leave this one till then, definitely doesn’t seem like a summer beer.

 

[obscure]

I decided to pop this in a couple of stainless steel mini kegs, and a 6.5L corny (plus a few bottles for the remainder.

Ultimately the beer settled at 1.008, 6.3%. I tried a quick sample and the flavour at the moment kind of reminds me of mulled wine. It has being primed at 5g caster sugar per litre and my intention is to leave for two months minimum to carb and condition, so hopefully will be able to review the finished product in early October.

 

[obscure]

Well it’s being nearly 3 months since I popped this into a keg. The taste is smooth with no easily detectable off flavours although that may be due to the cinnamon which while mellowed somewhat with age is still pretty overpowering, and again somewhat reminding me of mulled wine.

It is on the whole quite pleasant if a little cloying, and I can not see myself drinking more than a glass or two in an evening.

I suppose the big question is would I brew it again, for me this would be a yes although I would be tempted to brew it in January/early February, bottle it and then leave it till late October early November.

 

[Foggie]

Glad it came out alright. Happier now that my kit essentially doing the same as your one did.

Update 17:30 - Just found my notes from last brew.
27/11/21. SG1.054, FG 1.010. Remember it was a good beer, but didn't take any tasting notes.

essentially same starting point as today.

Think I'll contine on this thread as it has more detail

 

[Foggie]

The taste is smooth with no easily detectable off flavours although that may be due to the cinnamon which while mellowed somewhat with age is still pretty overpowering, and again somewhat reminding me of mulled wine.

Similar to what it says on the box