Winter Holiday Extract Recipes

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, or some other variation of the mid-winter holidays, you are sure to find a common thread that is near and dear to the homebrewing heart: celebratory beverages. Winter holidays, winter time in general, in cold weather especially, are cheered up considerably by a special strong brew designed for the season. Imagine the Christmas party at Old Fezziwig’s without a steaming bowl of punch. Or a Norse mid-winter’s eve gathering without mead. Wassailing from door to door, blessing the apple trees with last year’s cider, toasting the New Year with Champagne, even our mild American tradition of eggnog with rum. These are all versions of the same idea, the same primal need.

Special brews are a key ingredient in sociability. We gather with friends and family at this time of the year. We celebrate the seasons with food and drink, commemorate the passing of time with memorable elixirs. But also, we need the stronger, richer flavors and full-bodied sustenance that holiday brews provide. It gets cold (in most places) at this time of the year! I know I can’t face the thought of going out for more wood or to walk the dog without a bit of “antifreeze” either already in or waiting for my return.

Beer, especially, has taken on for me the role of winter solace. I plan ahead, starting in late spring to put up a stock of fortifying brews to get me through the winter — which in Vermont means about six months. (In fact on the last day of the summer this year, we surveyed the damage from the first sub-30° F night and the first frost of the season!)

There’s quite a variety of suitable brews. Old ales, barley wines, strong stouts, bocks, wee heavies, strong Belgian ales, and so forth are all appropriate companions next to the fire. But strong isn’t the only characteristic or the only possibility. Rich and flavorful are just as important, which is why many winter brews are spiced, fruit-flavored, or highly hopped. Strong bitters, lambics, IPAs, festbiers and other winter lagers, holiday beers spiced with everything from pie spices to spruce and licorice, someone has brewed it with the season in mind.

The homebrewer has an advantage over the big commercial brewer, because we can brew a little or a lot, experiment on a small scale, and try things that would be economically unwise on a bigger scale. The recipe that became Pete’s Wicked Winter Ale, after all, was the winner of a homebrew competition. Would Pete have tried it on a large scale first? I doubt it.

Here are ideas for ideal brews for the winter season. All are a bit stronger than average, rich and full of flavor, and yet easy to brew.

Dubbel Vision
(5 gallons, extract and specialty grains)

No, this brew won’t give you second sight or cause hallucinations, but it might make you take another look at Belgian ales. Be careful; this is a huge beer.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Belgian Special B malt
• 1 lb. toasted pale malt (preferably Belgian)
• 1/2 lb. dark crystal malt (120° Lovibond)
• 1/2 lb. wheat malt
• 2 oz. black patent malt
• 10 lbs. amber malt extract syrup
• 1 lb. amber candi sugar
• 1.5 oz. Northern Brewer hop pellets (8-11% alpha acid), for 90 min.
• 1 oz. Fuggle hop pellets (4% alpha acid), for 30 min.
• 1/4 oz. cracked cardamom
• 1/4 oz. cracked coriander
• 1 qt. Belgian Ale yeast slurry (preferably a strain tolerant to high gravity) or 20 g. dry ale yeast and 5 g. Champagne yeast
• 2/3 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step

Steep grains in 3 gal. cold water. Raise heat gradually (over the course of 30 min. or so) to 170° F, remove grains, and rinse them back into the kettle.

Add malt syrup and candi sugar to the kettle. Bring to a boil. Add Northern Brewer hops, boil 60 min. Add Fuggle hops, boil 30 min. more. Remove from the heat. Total boil is 90 min. Add spices and steep for at least 30 min. before cooling. Top off with pre-boiled, chilled water to get 5.25 gal. At 70° F pitch yeast.

Ferment at 68° to 70° F for three weeks, rack, and condition at 65° F for three to four more weeks. If necessary (if final gravity is still above 1.025), pitch fresh champagne yeast and rerack to a third vessel. Age another two weeks. Prime with corn sugar, bottle, and age well (six months, minimum). This is a keeper. Put some aside for next year.

Wee Winter Warmer
(5 gallons, partial mash)

A brew that will keep you from feeling the wind off the Loch as the cold breeze blows up your kilt…

Ingredients

• 4 lbs. British pale malt
• 2 lbs. medium to dark crystal malt (90° Lovibond or darker)
• 4 oz. roasted barley
• 6 lbs. amber unhopped dry malt extract
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 oz. Challenger or Target hop pellets (7 % alpha acid), 1 oz. for 120 min., 1 oz. for 45 min.
• 1/16 oz. each fresh cumin seed, grains of paradise, and thyme
• 10 to 14 g. dry ale yeast
• 2/3 cup dry malt extract for priming

Step by Step

Heat 2 gal. water to 168° F, then mix in crushed grains. Mash should settle around 156° F. Hold 75 min. Runoff and sparge with 2 gal. of water at 168° F.

To the kettle add amber dry malt extract and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, add 1 oz. hops. Boil 75 min., add remaining hops, and boil another 45 min. Remove from heat. Total boil is 120 min. Add spices and steep for 30 min. before cooling. Top off in the fermenter with pre-boiled, chilled water to reach 5.25 gal. At 68° to 70° F, pitch yeast.

Ferment cool (60° to 65° F) for two weeks, rack, and condition for four weeks at 50° F. Prime with dry malt extract, bottle, and age until the season is right.

Alpine Winter Lager
(5 gallons, partial mash)

This beer combines the best of dunkelweizens and festbiers. The ultimate après-ski tipple.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. lager malt
• 2 lbs. malted wheat
• 1 lb. medium crystal malt
• (60° Lovibond)
• 2 oz. chocolate malt
• 3 lbs. unhopped wheat dry malt extract
• 3 lbs. unhopped light dry malt extract
• 0.8 oz. Tettnanger hop pellets (5% alpha acid), for 60 min.
• 1.25 oz. Spalt hop pellets (3% alpha acid), for 45 min.
• 1/2 oz. fresh whole Hallertauer hop flowers or plugs (3.5% alpha acid), at end of boil
• 10 to 14 g. dry lager yeast or a liquid slurry (such as Wyeast 2308 Munich)
• 7/8 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step

Heat 2 gal. water to 162° F. Mix in crushed grain. Mash should settle around 151° F. Hold for 90 min. Run off and sparge with 3 gal. water at 169° F.

Add the dry malt extract to the kettle. Bring to a boil and add Tettnanger hops. Boil 15 min., add Spalt hops. Boil 45 min., remove from heat, and add Hallertauer hops. Total boil time is 60 min. Steep 10 min., remove hops, and cool. Top off in the fermenter with pre-boiled, chilled water to get 5.25 gal. Aerate well and at 65° F pitch yeast.

Ferment cool (50° to 55° F) for two weeks, rack, and lager cold (40° F) for eight to 10 weeks. Prime with corn sugar, bottle, and age cold for at least eight more weeks.

Spruce Bock
(5 gallons, extract and specialty grain)

It may seem tacky, but there is something very festive, seasonal, even nostalgic about the scent of an evergreen tree. If this aroma is not overdone (which happens too easily and often) it’s really great in this strong, dark lager. This beer is especially good to brew in the early spring, when the spruce trees are just beginning to sprout new needles.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. medium crystal malt (40° to
• 60° Lovibond)4 oz. chocolate malt
• 8 oz. wheat malt
• 4 oz. toasted lager malt
• 6 lbs. unhopped amber dry malt extract
• 2 lbs. unhopped dark dry malt extract
• 1.5 oz. Hallertauer hop pellets (3.5% alpha acid), for 75 min.
• 1 oz. Spalt hop pellets (3% alpha acid), for 15 min.
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh growth from a spruce tree
• 10 to 14 g. dry lager yeast or a liquid yeast slurry (Wyeast 2278 Czech Pils is good for big bocks like this one)
• 3/4 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step

Steep grains in 3 gal. of cold water. Raise heat gradually to near 170° F, remove grains, and rinse them with hot water back into the kettle.

Add the dry malt extract to the kettle. Bring to a boil, add Hallertauer hops. Boil 60 min. Add Spalt hops and spruce needles (in mesh bags), boil 15 min. more. Total boil time is 75 min. Remove from heat, set kettle in the sink, and remove hops and spruce needles. Chill wort and add to fermenter. Top off with pre-boiled, chilled water to make 5.25 gal. At 65° F or so, pitch yeast.

Ferment cool (60° F) for two weeks, rack, and lager at 38° to 40° F for six to eight weeks. Prime with corn sugar and bottle. Age four to six months.

Baltic Imperial Stout
(5 gallons, partial mash)

Although not always a winter brew, imperial stout can’t help but fit the mood of the cold weather. After all, does it ever warm up in the countries that used to be part of the empire? This is the Baltic version (as in Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian), which is richer and stronger than the Russian version. I’d bet that this difference is connected to the reasons those countries are once again out of the empire…

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. British two-row pale malt
• 1 lb. dark crystal malt, 90°-120° Lovibond
• 1/4 lb. black patent malt
• 1/2 lb. roasted unmalted barley
• 1/4 lb. malted wheat
• 1 lb. flaked oats
• 7 lbs. unhopped dark malt syrup
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1/2 lb. brewer’s corn sugar
• 1 cup chopped sultanas or dried red currants (optional)
• 2 oz. Brewer’s Gold hop pellets (8% alpha acid), for 90 min.
• 1.5 oz. Styrian Golding hop pellets (4% alpha acid), for 45 min.
• 1 oz. Fuggle hop pellets (4% alpha acid), for 30 min.
• British ale yeast (such as Wyeast 1318, London Ale III)
• 5-7 g. dry wine yeast cup dark dry malt extract for priming

Step by Step

In 2 gal. of water heated to 167° F, mash in cracked malts, roasted barley, and oats. Mash should settle to 156° F or thereabouts. Hold for 75 minutes, then begin runoff. Sparge with 2.5 gal. at 168° F, collecting approximately 3.5 gal. of sweet runoff.

Add malt extract syrup, molasses, and sugar. Bring to a boil and add the Brewer’s Gold pellets. Boil 45 min., then add Styrians. Boil 15 min., then add the sultanas and the Fuggles. Boil 30 min. more. Total boil is 90 min.

Chill, top off to 5.25 gallons with pre-boiled, chilled water. At 70° F or so, pitch yeast slurry. Ferment in a coolish corner (60°-65° F) for two weeks, rack to secondary, and add the wine yeast. Condition in the dark at 55° F for six weeks. Prime with malt extract and bottle, then age in the dark at 50°-55° F for six more weeks.

Biere de Garde aux Cerises
(5 gallons, extract and grain)

Bieres de garde are strong Northern French lagers (this one is a cherry lager), brewed to be put up and stored for a long time. Kind of like a bock but with more of a balanced flavor; less emphasis on the malt and malt alone. As with Unibroue’s Quelque Chose, you might even
consider warming it up to take the chill out of your bones.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. cara-Vienne malt
• 1/2 lb. cara-pils malt
• 1/2 lb. Munich malt
• 8 lbs. light unhopped dry malt extract
• 1 oz. Spalt (Strisselspalt if you can get it!) hop pellets (3% alpha acid), for 60 min.
• 2 oz. Tettnanger hop pellets
• (5% alpha acid); 1 oz. for 40 min.,
• 1 oz. for 30 min.
• Neutral liquid lager yeast (I like Wyeast 2042, Danish Lager)
• 8 oz. concentrated black cherry juice (substitues: 20 oz. fresh normal-strength juice or 5 lbs. fresh whole black cherries)
• 3/4 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step

Steep grains in 2.5 gallons of water about 150° F for 30 min. Remove grains, add dry malt extract, and bring to a boil. Add Spalt pellets at the onset of boil. Boil for 20 min., then add 1 oz. of Tettnanger. Boil an additional 10 min. and add the remaining Tettnanger. Boil 30 min. more. Total boil is 60 min.

Chill, top off to 5.25 gallons with pre-boiled, chilled water. At 65° F, pitch yeast. Ferment cool (50° F) for three weeks, rack to secondary, and add cherry juice. Condition relatively warm (60° F) for a week, then cool to 50° F for three to four weeks. Prime with corn sugar, bottle, and age for eight to 10 weeks.

Alternatives: If using fresh cherries, freeze them, thaw them, and mash them slightly, then place them in the secondary and rack the beer onto them. You will then need to re-rack to a third fermenter after two weeks or so, leaving behind the cherries, of course, and condition cool as above.

Brewing Notes

Candi sugar: Two major wholesalers are now carrying candi sugar as a regular product, so more and more homebrew retailers are able to get it for you. Candi sugar comes in light, amber, and dark and is merely crystallized refined beet sugar.

Toasted malt: Try toasting your own. Take the required amount of whole grain and spread it thinly on a cookie sheet. Place in a preheated oven (350° F) for 10 to 30 min., depending on how dark you want it.

Spices: These recipes call for fairly common spices with the exception of grains of paradise. If you can’t find these, you can get away with a combination of equal amounts of black pepper and cardamom, not to exceed the suggested amount of grains of paradise.

Yeast: Especially with lager strains, the viability and purity of the yeast in a liquid yeast strain will usually be far superior to a dry strain.

Specialty grains: Many brewers like to use appropriate grains when brewing, for instance British grains in British style beers and German in lagers.

The dubbel recipe calls for Special B, which is a dark, Belgian, crystal-like malt. It gives darker Belgian ales a rich, sweet, toffee-ish flavor profile. It’s great dry by the handful, too.

Temperature: Remember that higher mash temperatures (154° to 158° F), thicker mashes (0.75 to 1.2 qt. per pound of grain), and shorter saccharification rests (60 to 75 minutes) all contribute to a more full-bodied beer.

Recommended fermentation temperatures for all of these recipes are on the cool side, as suits the recommended yeasts.

Higher fermentation and condition temperatures will most likely cause too fast a fermentation, resulting in off-flavors. These recipes all require a good, clean fermentation to show off their complexity.

Written by Scott Russell