Harpoon Brewery: Winter Warmer

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.056 FG = 1.014 IBU = 23 SRM = 23 ABV = 5.9%
First brewed by Harpoon in 1988, this beer has become a New England seasonal classic. Cinnamon and nutmeg dominate the aroma. The taste is a rich combination of the holiday spices and the hearty malt backbone. There is a mild sweetness to the finish along with the lingering flavor of the spices.

Ingredients

9.33 lbs. (4.2 kg) 2-row malt
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) crystal malt (90 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) caramalt (15 °L)
2 oz. (57 g) black barley
6.25 AAU Clusters hops (60 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 5% alpha acids)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB) or White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) yeast
3/4 cups (150 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step

Mash the grains at 154 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes. Mash out, vorlauf, and then sparge at 170 °F (77 °C) to collect enough wort to result in 5 gallons (19 L) after a 90-minute boil. Boil 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Cool, aerate, and pitch yeast. Ferment at 70 °F (21 °C). After fermentation is complete, add cinnamon and nutmeg in secondary. Bottle or keg as usual one week later.

Extract with grains option: Reduce the 2-row pale malt in the all-grain recipe to 0.5 lbs. (0.23 kg) and add 1.66 lbs. (0.75 kg) light dried malt extract and 4.25 lbs. (1.9 kg) light liquid malt extract. Begin by heating 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water in your brewpot. Steep specialty grains for 30–45 minutes at 154 °F (68 °C) in 1 gallon (4 L) a separate pot. After steeping, remove bag and let drip dry for a minute. Then add “grain tea” and dried malt extract to brewpot. Bring to a boil, add hops and boil for 60 minutes. With 15 minutes left in the boil, add liquid malt extract, stirring well to ensure it dissolves completely. After boil, cool wort and siphon to fermenter. Add water to make 5 gallons (19 L). Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.