Too late for a Christmas brew??

[Crystal_Ball]

Hi,
My first post on here, but have been reading for a while.

I started my first ever home brew Friday and as usual thinking about the next one already! I was thinking about a Christmas themed brew next but after reading a few threads I'm having seconds thoughts as it might not be ready in time.

Anyone have any feedback or suggestions on a "Christmassy" ale to brew?

Thanks

 

[Joeyriles]

Hi Crystal,

I would highly recommend the Brewferm 'Christmas'. 'Tis a small-volume brew (7 litres) but packs a punch!

If you start now yule (sorry!) be fine!

 

[Crystal_Ball]

Hi Crystal,

I would highly recommend the Brewferm 'Christmas'. 'Tis a small-volume brew (7 litres) but packs a punch!

If you start now yule (sorry!) be fine!

Love the puns!!

Thanks for the recommendation. I guess another FV is on the shopping list with this kit. Also bottling is a must I guess?

 

[Joeyriles]

Absolutely. I would recommend getting little bottles of something like Duvel to use. The beer will need a while to condition so once you've bottled it I would put it in the shed and forget it until you hear the first strains of 'Good King Wenceslas' over the horizon.

 

[Crystal_Ball]

Absolutely. I would recommend getting little bottles of something like Duvel to use. The beer will need a while to condition so once you've bottled it I would put it in the shed and forget it until you hear the first strains of 'Good King Wenceslas' over the horizon.

We'll over the last few weeks I have been collecting bottles from my dad and a few beers I had too which are all 500ml.
In the end I went for Milestone Donner and Blitzed and started it last Monday. Intend to check the hydro reading tonight although the temp under the stairs is slowly falling everyday at the moment and is currently 17C.
I did buy and Framboos Brewferm to put on next though! After reading the instructions for that it needs a 18-23C for fermentation and 20-23C for the clarification. Looks like a heat pad is on the shopping list next? Will probably get some smaller bottles for this brew.

 

[Frazinho]

I started a batch if this mid August, I cracked a tester bottle open on Saturday (pic attached). I was very impressed. It's my first attempt at brewing really. I'm going to save the rest of the batch until Xmas which would give me 4 months cellar time. It's a lovely dark, warming ale. I recommend it. Mine was ready to bottle after about 5-6 days. Last week I have put a batch of Brewferm Oranje Bock on. I'm hoping it turns out as good as the Christmas ale.

 

[LordVauban]

I bottled a double batch of the Brewferm Xmas Ale about seven weeks ago (two cans gave me 24 500ml bottles), and cracked open a "tester" bottle this weekend. It was a very drinkable, inoffensive porter-type beer - with some sweet notes to it. I see others recommend storing it for about four months to fully realise the flavours, and my sense was that this beer still had a lot more to give. Hopefully by mid-December, we'll definitely be there.

I've just this weekend barreled Milestone's Dasher the Flasher - which is described as a red malty ale. I don't think this needs more than 6-8 weeks to get to where it needs to be, so still time to brew one of those I reckon.

Also interesting to see that Bulldog have just brought out their own Christmas Ale, with cinnamon and ginger flavours. That might be an acquired taste though ...

 

[Frazinho]

I saw the Bulldog Christmas ale, might be another one to try. I was really impressed with my tester bottle. It's going to be hard to not drink them, thankfully it's a pain in the backside getting to them in the back if my garage!

 

[Riddo]

I've made brew UK extract kit of wreck the halls and after just 10 days in the bottle ( following 2 weeks in fermenting bin) its amazing. A little more to it than a regular kit but well worth it. Best xmas brew so far, and I've made dasher the flasher, donner and blitzed, Geordie winter warmer & muntons Santa's winter warmer in the past ( Santa's ww is bloody good but wth is better) still not too late to make. Order today, begin in a week bottle mid Nov and drink in December!

 

[Frazinho]

Attached is a pic of the brewferm Oranje Bock I brewed about a month ago. I opened up a tester last night and was duly impressed again. A nice dark ale, will be really good in a few weeks I reckon. I've enjoyed brewing the Christmas and Bock and really enjoyed drinking some of them.

 

[Joeyriles]

Really good Christmas ale is a strange one; warming, malty and strong seems to be the order of the season.

A commercial brew I highly recommend is Hepworth's Noel. Gorgeous but strong (maybe one to have in lieu of sherry!)

As for my own Festive Fu*ked Up-ness I have brewed: Brewferm Christmas (only 15 bottles) an imperial chocolate stout (hopefully going to hit 6.6/7%) A strong, dark porter (5.7%) A golden ale (6%) and a Woodforde's Wherry for when I want to slow it down.