have I left it too late?

[Rincon]

I had great intentions after brewing last year to make plenty of beer this year but once again time has run away and I haven't brewed since October 17

I really wanted to get a couple of all grain brews done for Christmas, my plan was to brew and put in the king kegs for friends and family to enjoy.

However, have I left it too late do you think?

Thanks for you thoughts

 

[Leon103]

No it's 7 weeks until Xmas so still time to get a few in. I wouldn't go for something that needed prolonged conditioning time though

 

[IainM]

^ this. Plenty of time for a bitter, pale, mild, IPA etc...

 

[dad_of_jon]

a wheat beer is drinkable very quickly and I find it makes a refreshing change from all the heavy rich xmassy foods & drink.

 

[Drunkula]

I'm with Dad of Jon. Wheats are crazy fast and need really little conditioning. I've opened them after six days in the bottle and they've been as good as they get. You really can have a good beer from pitching the yeast to drinking in under 2 weeks.

 

[peebee]

October? Lucky you, I haven't brewed since July! I've still got 17-18L in a keg. The brewery is in bits ("essential" tweaks) and I'm on holiday at end of week. Am I worried?

I've written off making any stronger stuff (1.060 and above) for Chrismas but I've got a 5% DIYDog brew lined up for later in the month, and a 5% bitter that I'm quite happy to put on two weeks before Christmas. But you can't really go by my antics as a guide 'cos I do things quite differently to a lot of HBers. But there are plenty of folk saying go for it above. And some beer types brewed now could be past it by Christmas.

I'll start panicking if I turn on this brewery I've modified so much and it goes "bang"!

 

[Clint]

This week I AM BREWING IF IT KILLS ME!!!!!
Stout,Black IPA for starters! I might even squeeze a third on the kitchen worktop...big plans I know. If the first two happen I'll be happy. I've got a batch to bottle as well ..

 

[matt76]

This week I AM BREWING IF IT KILLS ME!!!!!
Stout,Black IPA for starters! I might even squeeze a third on the kitchen worktop...big plans I know. If the first two happen I'll be happy. I've got a batch to bottle as well ..

+1 on the black IPA - I had a well nice bottle the other night which has inspired me to give brewing one of these a whirl

 

[divrack]

I just made a red ale. Pouring from the tap after six days, and decent too.

 

[peebee]

This week I AM BREWING IF IT KILLS ME!!!!! ...

As you seem to have a disregard for your well being, could you pop around and throw the switch on these brewery modifications I've been making? (While I stand a suitable distance away).

 

[Portreath]

Nope, get stuck in and get brewing. I've made a Guinness Extra Clone from GW's book, and a Mena Dhu Clone (own recipe) and I'm planning a Mild and a Vanilla Burbon for this week. Roll on the Crimbo ales

 

[Rincon]

thanks everyone, I'll try and get brewing this week!

 

[MickDundee]

Anything of a session strength and relatively pale should be ready in time for Christmas. I’ve not brewed since July because of getting ready to move house then moving. I hope to get an APA brewed on the 23rd November and have it ready for new year. (still trying to work out my temp control tactics - I plan to get a brew fridge but the garage is still a mess and if I wait until 3 December I can get my parents’ old fridge to use unless I get a free one elsewhere in the meantime. Might have to just ferment this on Utility worktop).

 

[AdeDunn]

Cheat, use Yeast Bay Sigmund's Voss Kveik yeast. Even a strong brew will be fermented and ready to drink within a few weeks.... The stuff is crazy. No need for temp control, just pitch warm (38/39 degrees C) then wrap the FV up nice and warmly. Et voila, too easy to have a beer ready for Christmas. Resisting drinking it before then will be the hard part..... I've used it to brew 2 gorgeous porters so far, and have a golden ale in the FV right now with it, as it really does produce good beer.

 

[divrack]

Cheat, use Yeast Bay Sigmund's Voss Kveik yeast. Even a strong brew will be fermented and ready to drink within a few weeks.... The stuff is crazy. No need for temp control, just pitch warm (38/39 degrees C) then wrap the FV up nice and warmly. Et voila, too easy to have a beer ready for Christmas. Resisting drinking it before then will be the hard part..... I've used it to brew 2 gorgeous porters so far, and have a golden ale in the FV right now with it, as it really does produce good beer.

I'm getting stuck into the Viking death yeast for my next run... Looks freeaking awesome.

 

[Dave 666]

I've been doing 3 brews in the last 12 days and fully intend to get at least another 3 AG brews in and ready to drink by new year. I think I've a maximum of 10 days to gets brews, well brewing in time to be drinking them for new year. At least 1 this weekend and 2 more by the end of next week. I just need to source a load of empty bottles :)

 

[stz]

I did 6 kegs in 3 weeks for a garden party. 60L batch every weekend as a split, dry hopped wheat and saison off one, fig stout and strawberry milk stout off another, brut ipa and regular 'session' ipa with the third. Brew sunday, pitch, raise temperature on thursday, cold crash saturday and keg sunday in each case. A lot of beer styles are fine with a moderate amount of conditioning, 2 weeks or so.

 

[Slid]

Nope, get stuck in and get brewing. I've made a Guinness Extra Clone from GW's book, and a Mena Dhu Clone (own recipe) and I'm planning a Mild and a Vanilla Burbon for this week. Roll on the Crimbo ales

Is it the GH Vanilla Bourbon Stout? I kicked one of these off on 14 October 2017 -it has been excellent for a month or so. For at least six months, the "whoosh" of whisky was not to my taste at all. I did use most of a bottle, though, as I was a bit heavy handed. Still have the dregs of the bottle, as Bourbon is not my "thing", I discovered.

I would try a wheat beer for Xmas and do the VBS for next Xmas.