Winter Warmers
People have many unique ways of keeping warm when the weather gets cold. Sitting by the fireplace, getting close to a special someone, or wearing three sweaters are just a few approaches to combat the frigid season. For many, a great sipping beer, widely referred to as a “winter warmer,” serves the purpose of keeping us warm when the weather does not.
Winter warmer is not a beer style, it is a term used to describe beers that have certain characteristics and are often brewed for winter consumption. It does not get its own designation by the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), but is a term that comes up as an example of the English strong ale style in the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines. In the previous BJCP guidelines from 2008 it was included as an example in the old ale category, in which a loose definition was given: “Winter warmers are a more modern style that are maltier, fuller-bodied, often darker beers that may be a brewery’s winter seasonal special offering.”
Characteristics and Styles of Winter Warmers
While every brewer has their own unique interpretation of what “winter warmer” means to them, there are two distinct variations of the style that fall under the winter warmer umbrella. The classic version of the style is based around the British old ale/strong ale styles. The more modern versions are usually spiced, often employing the same spices used in holiday desserts. While these two takes have differences, there are a few important characteristics that can be found in just about any version of this highly interpretable beer style.
Common among most winter warmers is the general range of color, alcohol strength, and heavy lean to the maltier side of the continuum. Many winter warmers start somewhere in the 6% ABV range and get stronger from there; regularly in excess of 10% ABV. Typically, the malt-forward brew will range in color from the darker side of amber to the lighter side of brown (but never as dark as a stout or porter), with darker, toasted, and mildly sweet malt flavors prevailing.
Most winter warmers feature only enough hops to provide proper balance and drinkability — certainly a far cry from the hoppy styles so prevalent in today’s beer scene. While not a hard and fast rule, most warmers will have a body of substance, ranging from medium to full. It’s rare to find a light-bodied winter warmer.
Spiced Winter Warmers
Christmas or holiday beers can be considered a subcategory of the larger term encompassing winter warmers. Not all winter warmers are spiced, but those that are often fall into the Christmas/holiday subcategory. For all intents and purposes, most winter warmers are ales, many of which originate from the British old or strong ale beer styles.
Since old ales pack a punch, are malty sweet, and usually provide a pleasant “warming” sensation due to the higher alcohol levels, this beer style makes a great base style for these spiced variations. Creating a grist with just the right character malts (see the “tips” section later), and implementing relatively high mash temperatures, can help produce the desired outcome.
Christmas in America
American brewers, as they often do, reinterpreted the old ale style, adding their own unique qualities and nuances to the beer. Spices were added, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and countless others, sometimes alongside character-adding sugars such as molasses, maple syrup, and honey, to create a hearty, cold-weather beverage that wonderfully complements the foods of the holiday season. Taking the traditional old ale and reimagining it with an American twist, a popular new beer style was born.
Beer revolutionary Fritz Maytag is credited by many with creating America’s first Christmas ale in 1975 when Anchor released its inaugural holiday season offering, called Our Special Ale. Originally crafted as a dry-hopped English Ale, Anchor wanted to craft a special holiday beer for its loyal followers. In 1987, Anchor introduced a spiced version of the ale for the first time, a style they continue to brew annually, likely making Anchor Christmas Ale America’s longest running seasonal craft beer. The spices in Anchor Christmas Ale change year to year, but the essence of the beer has remained the same for over three decades.
Anchor may have been the first, but as the number of American breweries grew, it didn’t take long for others to follow suit. Tröegs’ Mad Elf, Great Lakes Brewing’s Christmas Ale, and upstart Collision Bend Brewing’s 8 Crazy Nights are all fine examples of American brewers’ interpretations of this popular style of spiced Christmas beer (all of which I’ve worked with the brewers to provide clone recipes for later in this story).
As an aside, I am particularly drawn to this style as in my original hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, Christmas Ale is not just a beer style; it is a celebration. When Cleveland’s largest brewery, Great Lakes Brewing, releases Christmas Ale each year, it is welcomed citywide with lines at grocery stores as well as a kickoff party at the brewery. Signifying the start of the season, people who often shun craft beers flock to Christmas Ale, which can take a toll on the unprepared with its sneaky 7.5% ABV. With its success, all of the other craft breweries in the city have released their own variations on the style as well, many to critical acclaim.
International Classics
Winter Welcome, created in 1990 by Samuel Smith Brewmaster Steve Barrett, sets the standard for traditional winter warmers, leaning heavily on the traditional, malt-forward tendencies of British old ale. Charles Finkel, founder of Merchant du Vin, the importers of Samuel Smith, had a vision that American consumers would embrace the idea of a specially-brewed “winter beer.” Although certainly not America’s first holiday beer, it may be the first with wide distribution throughout the United States.
The full-bodied Winter Welcome is made using the proprietary, flocculent Sam Smith’s ale yeast, unchanged since at least 1900, along with the brewery’s famous “Yorkshire Squares,” two-compartment, open-topped fermenting vessels made of slate panels (i.e. stone fermenters). The Sam Smith brewers believe the yeast has adapted to these vessels over many generations, and that the stone provides trace nutrients. All Sam Smith ales are fermented in these vessels. So, if your homebrewed version of Winter Welcome (recipe below) isn’t quite like the original, these non-replicable factors may be a leading reason why.
Another very unique Christmas beer, Samichlaus, translates to “Santa Claus” in Swiss German. One of the strongest lagers on the market at 14% ABV, this complex, flavorful doppelbock is brewed only one day each year — on December 6, St. Nicholas Day — making it the ultimate winter warmer.
Originally brewed in 1979 for release the following year by Hürlimann Brewery of Zurich, Switzerland, the brewery produced this seasonal classic until 1997 when the brewery closed. The beer returned in 2000, this time brewed by Schloss Eggenberg in Vorchdorf, Austria, using the original recipe from Hürlimann. Samichlaus is lagered for ten months to produce the rich, clean, and memorable flavors that make this beer a perfect holiday sipper around a fireplace.
Tips for Brewing Winter Warmers
Whether you’re looking to brew a traditional winter warmer or a spiced Christmas ale, the approach will be relatively similar. It all starts with creating a hearty base beer, with a fair amount of character malts to produce the rich, sweet, nutty, fruity, and toffee-like character that showcases the style.
The rich, malty flavors typically come from creating grists designed to produce high gravity beers, often utilizing any combination of character malts including Victory®, honey, brown, or various degrees of crystal and/or Munich malts, to go along with a base of 2-row English or American pale malt. A mash regimen focusing more on alpha amylase conversion, rather than beta, is often employed, resulting in a wort containing larger-chain sugars that will leave just the right amount of sweetness and body in the finished beer.
Spicing a winter warmer can occur by adding spices to the boil, at flameout, during fermentation, or post-fermentation. Spicing can be approached similar to hopping, with each method creating different final outcomes. The later in the process the spices are added to the beer, the more the aromatics stay intact. The key is to have a restrained hand. Most spices used in Christmas ales can impact the overall impression of the beer in very small doses. It’s always better to under spice than to over spice — make that the guiding mantra when brewing your first Christmas ale.
How to Serve
Due to the presumed higher alcohol content, a snifter or tulip is a great choice for serving a winter warmer, especially if the ABV approaches or surpasses the 8% range. The style is best served between 45–55 °F (7–13 °C) so the aromas can be fully enjoyed.
While many winter warmers can be a meal in and of itself (certainly a dessert), some people enjoy these beers with rich meats such as pork or turkey, or complementing desserts that share similar spices to tie the flavor and aroma characteristics together between the food and the beer.
The Pros Describe their Winter Warmers
Each brewer has their own way to approach creating a winter warmer. Tomme Arthur, Brewmaster/Co-Owner of The Lost Abbey, one of the country’s finest brewers of Belgian-style beers, takes a blending approach when it comes to his prized Gnoel de Abbey. Brewing both an imperial stout and a blonde, the two beers are blended to create the end resulting masterpiece (find clone recipes for The Lost Abbey’s Gnoel de Abbey below).
Great Lakes Christmas Ale, according to Brewmaster Mark Hunger, gets most of its needed sugars from the malt bill (2-row, crystal 45, and unmalted white wheat, with character additions of Briess Special Roast and roasted barley), with an extra boost from a generous addition of honey that adds an additional 2 °Plato (8 gravity points) to the beer, while augmenting the mouthfeel, smoothness and the overall character. By no means an inexpensive addition, it’s the special ingredient that turns a very good beer into a world-class Christmas ale (find a clone recipe for Great Lakes Christmas Ale below).
Brothers John and Chris Trogner of Tröegs in Hershey, Pennsylvania, wanted to brew a special beer to commemorate the holidays. When they dreamed up Mad Elf, they had no idea how impactful the beer would be to the brewery. Meant originally to be part of a seasonal multi-pack, the beer gained a loyal following and demand dictated this one-off become a yearly staple. The original version of this Belgian-influenced winter warmer has spawned offspring, creating an entire line extension of various Mad Elf varieties, including a barrel-aged version, a sour version, and the “director’s cut” known as Mad Elf Grand Cru, brewed to celebrate the brewery’s 20th anniversary (a clone recipe of the original Mad Elf can be found below.
Brew your own
Whether you’re looking to brew a traditional old ale warmer or a spiced holiday classic, the possibilities are endless. Think about your favorite holiday dessert and the characteristics that the dessert showcases, and then build a beer that would wonderfully complement that dessert. Or, try one of the following clone recipes. Either approach is a great place to start!
Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s Christmas Ale clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.070 FG = 1.012
IBU = 30 SRM = 19 ABV = 7.5%
By Cleveland tradition, the annual release of Christmas Ale effectively marks the official start of the holiday season in The Forest City.
Ingredients
10.5 lbs. (4.76 kg) American Pilsner malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (45 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) unmalted white wheat
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) Briess Special Roast (50 °L) malt
0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) roasted barley
1 lb. (0.45 kg) honey (0 min.)
4.9 AAU Mt. Hood hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
3.25 AAU Mt. Hood hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
5.75 AAU Cascade hops (5 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 5.75% alpha acids)
0.05 oz. (1.4 g) fresh cut ginger root (crushed or finely cut) (0 min.)
0.05 oz. (1.4 g) cinnamon stick (0 min.)
Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) or White Labs WLP007 (English Dry Ale) or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Using a 1.2 qts. to lbs. grist ratio, start the mash at 150 °F (66 °C) for at least 30 minutes to ensure beta amylase conversion. Once fully converted, increase temperature to 160 °F (71 °C) for 15 minutes to encourage alpha amylase conversion, before raising it once again to 170 °F (77 °C) for 2 minutes to end conversion. Recirculate at least 10 minutes or until clear, then sparge using water at 170 °F (77 °C) water until you collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort.
Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops according to the schedule. Add the honey and spices at the end of the boil to preserve as much aromatic quality as possible. Cut the fresh ginger into small pieces to maximize flavor and aroma.
Chill rapidly to 66 °F (19 °C) and pitch the yeast. Oxygenate thoroughly. When fermentation is fully complete after 14 days, drop the temperature about 6 °F (3 °C) per day for four days to help clear the beer. Keg and carbonate to 2.5 volumes or prime and bottle condition.
Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s Christmas Ale clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.070 FG = 1.012
IBU = 30 SRM = 19 ABV = 7.5%
Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Briess Pilsen dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (45 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) unmalted white wheat
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) Briess Special Roast (50 °L) malt
0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) roasted barley
1 lb. (0.45 kg) honey (0 min.)
4.9 AAU Mt. Hood hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
3.25 AAU Mt. Hood hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
5.75 AAU Cascade hops (5 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 5.75% alpha acids)
0.05 oz. (1.4 g) fresh cut ginger root (crushed or finely cut) (0 min.)
0.05 oz. (1.4 g) cinnamon stick (0 min.)
Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) or White Labs WLP007 (English Dry Ale) or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Using a 5-gallon (19-L) kettle, start by steeping just the unmalted wheat (placed in a muslin bag) in 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water at 152 °F (67 °C) for 30 minutes. Then, introduce the rest of the specialty grains into the bag and steep for another 10–15 minutes. Remove grain bag then increase kettle volume with water to about 4 gallons (15 L). Bring liquid to or near a boil. Turn off the flame and slowly add half the malt extract, stirring to avoid clumping or scorching. Adding just half of the extract here maximizes hop isomerization. Turn flame back on and bring to boil. Add remaining malt extract with 15 minutes until knockout. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe for boil, fermenting, and packaging instructions. After chilling the beer, but before pitching your yeast, remember to top up with water to 5 gallons (19 L).
Collision Bend Brewing Co.’s 8 Crazy Nights clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.078 FG = 1.018
IBU = 25 SRM = 13 ABV= 8.2%
8 Crazy nights is a full-bodied spiced winter ale brewed with cinnamon, honey, and apples.
Ingredients
13 lbs. (5.9 kg) 2-row pale malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Munich malt (8 °L)
13.5 oz. (0.38 kg) Gambrinus honey malt
5 oz. (0.14 kg) crystal malt (45 °L)
5 oz. (0.14 kg) Briess Victory® malt
2 oz. (0.06 kg) chocolate malt
8.5 oz. (0.24 kg) honey
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) crushed apples (or 1 pint/0.5 L apple cider) (60 min.)
5.4 AAU Simcoe® hops (60 min.) (0.4 oz./11.3 g at 13.5% alpha acids)
4.6 AAU Tradition hops (15 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 6.2% alpha acids)
0.02 oz. (0.57 g) cinnamon stick (60 min.)
Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP0013 (London Ale) or SafAle S-04 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
With a somewhat thick mash, and a fairly hard water profile featuring at least 50 ppm of calcium, target a mash temperature of 148 °F (64 °C) and mash for 90 minutes or until conversion is complete. Recirculate (vorlauf) 2 gallons (7.6 L) of wort from the bottom to the top of your mash tun to set the grain bed, then sparge with 5 gallons (19 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C) and collect about 7 gallons (26 L) of runoff to your boil kettle.
Boil for 90 minutes and add the hops, apples (in a muslin bag if using fresh apples), and spices at the times indicated in the ingredients list. At flameout, rapidly chill the wort to 60 °F (16 °C) and transfer the wort to your fermenter.
Pitch the yeast, oxygenate thoroughly, and ferment at about 65 °F (18 °C). Once fermentation is near completion after two weeks, raise the temperature to 70 °F (21 °C) to perform a diacetyl rest for two days. Then cool the beer about 6 °F (3 °C) per day for four days to help clear the beer. Rack the beer into a keg and force carbonate to 2.5 volumes (or prime and bottle condition). If bottle conditioning, leave the beer at 70–75 °F (21–24 °C) for a week or two. Lager at 35 °F (2 °C) for two weeks to a month. Serve at 40–45 °F (4–7 °C).
Collision Bend Brewing Co.’s 8 Crazy Nights clone
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.077 FG = 1.018
IBU = 25 SRM = 13 ABV= 8.2%
Ingredients
7 lbs. (3.18 kg) extra light dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Munich malt (8 °L)
13.5 oz. (0.38 kg) Gambrinus honey malt
5 oz. (0.14 kg) crystal malt (45 °L)
5 oz. (0.14 kg) Briess Victory® malt
2 oz. (0.06 kg) chocolate malt
8.5 oz. (0.24 kg) honey
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) crushed apples (or 1 pint/0.5 L apple cider) (60 min.)
5.4 AAU Simcoe® hops (60 min.) (0.4 oz./11.3 g at 13.5% alpha acids)
4.6 AAU Tradition hops (15 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 6.2% alpha acids)
0.02 oz. (0.57 g) cinnamon stick (60 min.)
Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP0013 (London Ale) or SafAle S-04 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Using a 5-gallon (19-L) kettle, start by raising about 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water to 148 °F (64 °C). In a muslin bag, mash the Munich, honey, and Victory® malts for at least 60 minutes or until converted. Once mash is complete, add the crystal and chocolate malts to the bag and allow to steep for another 10 minutes. Remove grain bag then add more water to your boil kettle to bring it to about 4 gallons (15 L). Once liquid is at or near boil, turn off the flame and slowly add half of the malt extract, stirring to avoid clumping or scorching. Turn flame back on and bring to boil, adding the rest of the malt extract with 15 minutes left in the boil.
Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe. Remember to top up with water to 5 gallons (19 L) before pitching yeast.
Tröegs Brewing Co.’s Mad Elf clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.092 FG = 1.015
IBU = 13 SRM = 17 ABV = 11%
Back in 2002, Owners Chris and John Trogner decided to brew a special beer — a big Belgian-style ale with cherries and honey — for the holidays, and thus, a superstar named Mad Elf was born. The calculated SRM is the color prior to the cherry puree addition. The final color of the beer will be ruby red.
Ingredients
12.5 lbs. (5.67 kg) Pilsner malt
2.63 lbs. (1.19 kg) Munich malt (8-10 °L)
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) dark Munich malt (20 °L)
0.31 lb. (0.14 kg) caramel malt (80 °L)
0.13 lb. (0.06 kg) chocolate malt
0.31 lb. (0.14 kg) Special B malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) cane sugar (sucrose) (0 min.)
0.25 lb. (11 g) (0.11 kg) honey (0 min.)
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) tart cherry puree
0.9 lb. (0.41 kg) sweet cherry puree
2.7 AAU Galena hops (90 min.) (0.2 oz./6 g at 13.6% alpha acids)
2.3 AAU Hersbrucker hops (10 min.) (0.5 oz./6 g at 4.6% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Wyeast 3787 (Trappist Style High Gravity) or LalBrew Abbaye yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Using 1.3 qts. per pound of grain, mash in at 146 °F (63 °C), rest for 10 minutes, then raise temperature to 152 °F (67 °C) and hold for 40 minutes. Increase temperature to 162 °F (72 °C) for final 10 minutes. Recirculate about 10 minutes to set the grain bed then sparge and collect 7 gallons (26 L).
Boil 90 minutes, adding the hops per the instructions. Add the cane sugar and honey at knockout, stirring well to dissolve. Chill rapidly to 65 °F (18 °C), pitch plenty of yeast (at least two packs with a starter), and oxygenate thoroughly. After 24 hours of fermentation, add the cherry purees. After 12–14 days, drop the beer about 6 °F (3 °C) per day for four days to help the beer clear. Rack the beer into a keg and force carbonate to 2.7 volumes, or prime and bottle condition. If bottle conditioning, leave the beer at 70–75 °F (21–24 °C) for at least two weeks.
Tröegs Brewing Co.’s Mad Elf clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.092 FG = 1.015
IBU = 13 SRM = 17 ABV = 11%
Ingredients
7 lbs. (3.2 kg) Briess Pilsen dried malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Munich or Vienna dried malt extract
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) dark Munich malt (20 °L)
0.31 lb. (0.14 kg) caramel malt (80 °L)
0.13 lb. (0.06 kg) chocolate malt
0.31 lb. (0.14 kg) Special B malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) cane sugar (sucrose) (0 min.)
0.25 lb. (11 g) (0.11 kg) honey (0 min.)
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) tart cherry puree
0.9 lb. (0.41 kg) sweet cherry puree
2.7 AAU Galena hops (90 min.) (0.2 oz./6 g at 13.6% alpha acids)
2.3 AAU Hersbrucker hops (10 min.) (0.5 oz./6 g at 4.6% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Wyeast 3787 (Trappist Style High Gravity) or LalBrew Abbaye yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Using a 5-gallon (19-L) kettle, start by steeping all the specialty grains (placed in a muslin bag) in about 2 gallons (7.5 L) of water at 152 °F (67 °C) for 15 minutes. Remove grain bag then add water bringing total volume in kettle to about 4 gallons (15 L). Bring liquid to or near a boil. Turn off the flame and slowly add half of the malt extract, stirring to avoid clumping or scorching. Adding just half of the extract maximizes hop isomerization. Turn flame back on and bring
to boil. With 15 minutes left in the boil, add the remaining malt extract.
Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe for boil, fermenting, and packaging instructions. After chilling the beer, but before pitching your yeast, remember to top up with water to 5 gallons (19 L).
Weekend Welcome (Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Homage Brew)
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.056 FG = 1.010
IBU = 32 SRM = 16 ABV = 6%
Samuel Smith’s Brewery holds the recipe for Winter Welcome — a beer first brewed over 30 years ago by retired Head Brewer Steve Barrett — close to the chest. This recipe for Weekend Welcome was created by Craig Hartinger, homebrewer and long-time employee of the importer of Sam Smith’s, Merchant du Vin, and is based on many years of Winter Welcome sampling and a little insider knowledge of the brewery. If not an exact clone, this recipe will get you most of the way there. Brew this recipe, then grab a bottle of Winter Welcome and compare.
Ingredients
9 lbs. (4.08 kg) English Maris Otter pale ale malt
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) crystal malt (80 °L)
1.13 lbs. (0.51 kg) crystal malt (20 °L)
7.5 AAU Fuggle whole leaf hops (60 min.) (1.15 oz./33 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Goldings whole leaf hops (5 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.75 % alpha acids)
Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) or White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale) or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Using a fairly thick mash of 1 lb. of grain per 1 qt. of water, with calcium chloride additions to achieve at least 50 ppm calcium, mash for 45 minutes at 158 °F (70 °C) or until conversion is complete. Recirculate for about ten minutes to set the grain bed, then sparge with 5 gallons (19 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C) and collect about 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) in your boil kettle. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops as indicated.
At flameout, rapidly chill the wort to 65 °F (18 °C) and pitch yeast, oxygenate thoroughly. Primary fermentation at 65 °F (18 °C) should complete in about four days, but let the beer sit for at least two weeks to fully absorb all fermentation byproducts. Rack beer and force carbonate to 2.1 volumes or prime and bottle condition.
Weekend Welcome (Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Homage Brew)
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.056 FG = 1.010
IBU = 32 SRM = 16 ABV = 6%
Ingredients
5 lbs. (2.3 kg) extra light dried malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) crystal malt (80 °L)
1.13 lbs. (0.51 kg) crystal malt (20 °L)
7.5 AAU Fuggle whole leaf hops (60 min.) (1.15 oz./33 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Goldings whole leaf hops (5 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.75 % alpha acids)
Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) or White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale) or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Using a 5-gallon (19-L) kettle, start by steeping only the crystal malt additions (placed in a muslin bag) in about 1 gallon (4 L) of water at 155 °F (68 °C) for 15 minutes. Remove grain bag then add more water to your boil kettle to bring it to 4 gallons (15 L). Once liquid is at or near boil, turn off the flame and slowly add half of the malt extract, stirring to avoid clumping or scorching. Adding just half of the extract at this time will help increase hop isomerization. Turn flame back on, bring to boil, and add bittering hops. With 15 minutes left in the boil, add the rest of the malt extract. At flameout, rapidly chill the wort to 65 °F (18 °C), top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Pitch yeast, oxygenate thoroughly. Primary fermentation at 65 °F (18 °C) should complete in about four days, but let the beer sit for at least two weeks to fully absorb all fermentation byproducts. Rack beer and force carbonate to 2.1 volumes or prime and bottle condition.
The Lost Abbey Brewing Co.’s Gnoel de Abbey clone
Gnoel de Abbey is a blend of two different beers. To re-create Gnoel de Abbey at home, brew both base beer styles, then blend in a 70/30 blonde-to-stout ratio. Bottle or keg what you don’t blend as standalone beers.
Gnoel de Abbey Blonde (Blending Beer)
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.008
IBU = 26 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.2%
Ingredients
9.75 lbs. (4.4 kg) American 2-row pale malt
5 oz. (0.23 kg) German Vienna malt
6.3 AAU US Magnum hops (90 min.) (0.45 oz./12.8 g at 14% alpha acids)
0.07 oz. (2 g) freshly ground coriander (15 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or Mangrove Jack’s M84 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Achieve a mash temperature of 148 °F (64 °C) and mash for at least 60 minutes or until conversion is complete. Recirculate enough wort to achieve wort clarity and set the grain bed for sparging. Target a sparge water temperature of 170 °F (77 °C) and collect 7 gallons (26 L) of wort.
Boil wort for 90 minutes adding hops after hot break has ensued. Add Irish moss and coriander 15 minutes before flameout. Whirlpool and chill to 56 °F (13 °C) for fermentation. Ferment at 56 °F (13 °C) until 70–75% of the attenuation is reached. Allow fermentation to free rise to 64 °F (18 °C) for diacetyl rest.
After fermentation and diacetyl rest, cold condition the beer by dropping temperature from 64 to 59 °F (18 to 15 °C) on day one and 10 °F (5 °C) per day thereafter until reaching 32 °F (0 °C). Hold for one week and ensure all yeast and trub has been removed from the beer. When both beers are ready, rack into blending vessel and marry with the imperial stout portion of the brew in a 70/30 blonde-to-stout ratio.
Gnoel de Abbey Blonde (Blending Beer)
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.008
IBU = 26 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.2%
Ingredients
5.25 lbs. (2.4 kg) extra light dried malt extract
5 oz. (0.23 kg) German Vienna malt
6.3 AAU US Magnum hops (90 min.) (0.45 oz./12.8 g at 14% alpha acids)
0.07 oz. (2 g) freshly ground coriander (15 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or Mangrove Jack’s M84 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Using a 5-gallon (19-L) kettle, start by steeping only the Vienna malt addition (placed in a muslin bag) in about 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water at 148 °F (64 °C) for 30 minutes. Remove grain bag then add more water to your boil kettle to bring it to 4 gallons (15 L). Once liquid is at or near boil, turn off the flame and slowly add half of the malt extract, stirring to avoid clumping or scorching, followed immediately after with the bittering hops. Turn flame back on, bring to boil, and with 15 minutes left in the boil, add the remaining malt extract. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe. After chilling the beer, but before pitching your yeast, remember to top up with water to 5 gallons (19 L).
Gnoel de Abbey Imperial Stout (blending beer)
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.094 FG= 1.015
IBU = 65 SRM = 52 ABV = 10.5%
Ingredients
13.4 lbs. (6.08 kg) American 2-row malt
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Gambrinus honey malt
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) crystal malt (70–80 °L)
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) crystal malt (120 °L)
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) crystal malt (165 °L)
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) chocolate malt
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Weyerman Carafa® II malt
0.8 lb. (0.36 kg) roasted barley
0.8 lb. (0.36 kg) flaked barley
1.75 lbs. (0.79 kg) dextrose
16.4 AAU US Magnum hops (90 min.) (1.1 oz./31 g at 14.9% alpha acids)
4.9 AAU Cascade hops (15 min.) (0.65 oz./18 g at 7.6% alpha acids)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss
4 oz. (113 g) Bourbon-soaked oak chips
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or SafAle US-05 yeast
Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) or White Labs WLP007 (English Dry Ale) or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
On brew day, target a mash temperature of 148 °F (64 °C) and mash for at least 60 minutes or until conversion is complete. Recirculate enough wort to achieve wort clarity and set the grain bed for sparging. Target a sparge water temperature of 170 °F (77 °C) and collect 7 gallons (26 L) of wort. Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops after hot break has ensued. Add Irish moss and Cascade hops 15 minutes before flameout. Whirlpool and chill to 68 °F (20 °C) for fermentation.
Ferment using both yeast strains at 68 °F (20 °C) until 70–75% of the attenuation is reached, then allow to free rise to 72 °F (22 °C) to ensure beer finishes fermentation. (The English strain should produce some esters and enhance the malt in a way that the American ale strain cannot.) Add Bourbon-soaked oak chips or cubes to beer. Cold condition the beer by dropping temperature from 72 to 67 °F (22 to 19 °C) on day one and 10 °F (5 °C) per day thereafter until reaching 32 °F (0 °C). Hold for one week and ensure all yeast and trub has been removed from the beer.
Once both beers are complete, rack into a 70/30 blonde-to-stout ratio. Package beer to your preferred methods targeting carbonation levels between 2.5–2.7 volumes of CO2.
Gnoel de Abbey Imperial Stout (Blending beer)
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.094 FG= 1.012
IBU = 65 SRM = 53 ABV = 10.5%
Ingredients
7 lbs. (3.2 kg) extra light dried malt extract
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Gambrinus honey malt
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) crystal malt (70–80 °L)
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) crystal malt (120 °L)
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) crystal malt (165 °L)
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) chocolate malt
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Weyerman Carafa® II malt
0.8 lb. (0.36 kg) roasted barley
0.8 lb. (0.36 kg) flaked barley
1.75 lbs. (0.79 kg) dextrose
16.4 AAU US Magnum hops (90 min.) (1.1 oz./31 g at 14.9% alpha acids)
4.9 AAU Cascade hops (15 min.) (0.65 oz./18 g at 7.6% alpha acids)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss
4 oz. (113 g) Bourbon-soaked oak chips
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or SafAle US-05 yeast
Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) or White Labs WLP007 (English Dry Ale) or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Using a 5-gallon (19-L) kettle, start by steeping all the specialty grains (placed in a muslin bag) in about 4 gallons (15 L) of water at 148 °F (64 °C) for 15 minutes. Remove grain bag then bring liquid to or near a boil. Turn off the flame and slowly add half of the malt extract, stirring to avoid clumping or scorching. Turn flame back on, bring to boil and immediately add bittering hops. With 15 minutes until knockout, add the remaining malt extract. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe for boil, fermenting, and packaging instructions. After chilling the beer, but before pitching your yeast, remember to top up with water to 5 gallons (19 L).
Tips for Success: While The Lost Abbey may have the luxury of using oak barrels for their barrel aging, most homebrewers need to find a more efficient way to replicate the process. About two weeks before your brew day, soak 4 oz. (113 g) of oak chips or cubes in Bourbon so the chips have time to absorb the Bourbon character. Using American oak may provide the closest replication to The Lost Abbey’s beer, but any origin of oak is acceptable, depending on what specific character the brewer is seeking to achieve.
