Christmas Ale 2010

Our first attempt at making a Christmas Ale.

Studied others recipes hard, and then decided to wing it as usual.

3 x 3.3lbs Amber Liquid Malt Extract
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 LB Clover Honey
4 Tbsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp Orange Peel
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 oz Fuggle Hops (1.5 oz for 60 min / 0.5 oz for 5 min)
Y-Yeast #1056


There you have it...awaiting the first taste. Will report back.

Boiling Hops!

If you haven't read anywhere yet, hops offer three things to beer:

1)  Bitterness
2)  Flavor
3)  Aroma

And believe it or not, there are specific ways to extract the bitterness, flavor and aroma. The chart below gives a good visual on how to extract each based on the boiling times:

The timing that we use is:

60 minutes for bitterness

15 minutes for flavor

5 minutes for aroma

We came up with these timings based on various other recipes we found online. They seem to coincide with the chart above, so we are confident this is a good basis.

What's hops got to do with it?

In our first two recipes, Golden Amber Wheat (II), we chose to keep everything constant except for the hops. That way we would be able to understand what the hops really do to the beer. There wasn't any in depth reasoning for our choosing Centennial and Cascade hops for comparison, we just read some descriptions online and asked some friend's thoughts on what he uses.

I did some research and found this link (see below). Just so happens that Centennial and Cascade are listed as substitutes for one another...

Hops contain alpha and beta acids. Bittering hops have more alpha acids and aromatic hops have more beta acids, although hops are mainly measured in alpha acids (aromatic hops have alpha acids ~5%). Hops have 4 essential oils that aid in the aroma; sometimes brewers opt to add aroma hops after fermentation, to avoid boiling off the essential oils, in a process called "dry hopping".

Hops Profile Chart

Bullion-Bittering
Alpha Acid: 6.5-9% Beta Acid: 3.2-4.7%
Aroma: Intense, black currant aroma, spicy and pungent.
Storage: 40-50%
Used for: Mainly bittering. Stouts and Dark ales.
Substitutions: Northern Brewer and Galena.

Cascade- Finishing
Alpha Acid: 4.5-7% Beta Acid: 4.5-7%
Aroma: Pleasant, flowery and spicy, citrus-like.
Storage: 48-52%
Used For: Good for flavor and aroma, but an acceptable bittering hop. Ales and lagers.
Substitutions: Centennial

Centennial- Bittering
Alpha Acid: 9.5-11.5% Beta Acid: 3.5-4.5%
Aroma: Medium with floral and citrus tones.
Storage: 60-65%
Used For: Aromatic but acceptable for bittering. Medium to Dark American Ales.
Substitutions: Cascade

Challenger- All purpose
Alpha Acid: 7-10% Beta Acid: 4-4.5%
Aroma: Mild to Moderate, quite spicy.
Storage: 70-85%
Used For: Popular bittering hop used primarily in the UK. British ales and lagers
Substitutions: Undetermined

Chinook-Bittering
Alpha Acid: 12-14% Beta Acid: 3-4%
Aroma: Mild to medium-heavy, spicy, distinct piney aroma.
Storage: 60-70%
Used For: Strong bittering ability. All American lagers and ales.
Substitutions: Galena, Cluster, Nugget

Cluster- All Purpose
Alpha Acid: 5.5-8.5% Beta Acid: 4.5-5.5%
Aroma: floral
Storage: 80-85%
Used For: Bittering with good flavor. Light and dark American lagers.
Substitutions: Galena, Chinook.

Columbus- All Purpose
Alpha Acid: 14-16% Beta: 4.5-5.5%
Aroma: pleasant
Storage: under evaluation
Used For: Bittering mainly, good flavor.
Subs: Undetermined

Crystal- Finishing
Alpha: 2-4.5% Beta: 4.5-6.5%
Aroma: Mild and pleasant
Storage: 50%
Used For: Aroma
Substitutions: Liberty, Mt. Hood, German Hallertau

Eroica- All Purpose
Alpha Acid: 11-13% Beta Acid: 4-5.5%
Aroma: Quite strong but not unpleasant.
Storage: 55-65%
Used For: bittering and good aroma for high alpha hops (use sparingly). Pale ales, dark ales and Stouts
Substitutions: Chinook, Cluster, Galena, Nugget.

Fuggles- Finishing
Alpha Acid: 4-5.5% Beta Acid: 1.5-2%
Aroma: Mild and pleasant, spicy, soft, woody.
Storage: 60-65%
Used For: Finishing, Dry hopping. English ales, especially Pale ales, Porters, Stouts.
Substitutions: Willamette, East Kent Goldings, Styrian Goldings.

Galena- Bittering
Alpha Acid: 12-14% Beta Acid: 7-9%
Aroma: Medium but pleasant hoppiness.
Storage: 75-80%
Used For: Very bitter, but blends well with finishing hops. American ales and lagers. Suitable for all beer styles.
Substitutions: Nugget, Cluster, Chinook.

Hallertau- Finishing
Alpha: 4-6% Beta: 3.5-4.5%
Aroma: mild, pleasant and slightly flowery.
Storage: 45%
Used For: Good all around bittering and finishing. Stock ales, Altbiers, Belgian ales, and Continental style lagers.
Substitutions: Mt. Hood, Liberty, Crystal.

Hallertau- Finishing
Alpha: 3.5-5.5% Beta: 3-4%
Aroma: Mild to semi-strong, the most popular aroma variety.
Storage: 50-60%
Used For: Versatile bittering and finishing. Wheats, Altbiers, Pilseners, Belgian ales, American and German lagers.
Substitutions: Mt. Hood, Liberty, Crystal.

Kent Goldings- Finishing
Alpha Acid: 4-5.5% Beta Acid: 2-3.5%
Aroma: Gentle, Fragrant and pleasant
Storage: 65-80%
Used For: Classic English ales, kettle hopping, dry hopping, spicy flavor. Pale ales, Bitters, Porters, Stouts.
Substitutions: Goldings (British Columbia), Fuggles, Willamette.

Liberty- Finishing
Alpha Acid: 3-5% Beta Acid: 3-4%
Aroma: Mild and pleasant, quite fine.
Storage: 35-55%
Used For: Finishing. American and German ales and lagers.
Substitutions: German Hallertau, Mt. Hood, Crystal.

Mount Hood- Finishing
Alpha Acid: 5-8% Beta Acid: 5-7.5%
Aroma: Mild, pleasant, clean, light, and delicate.
Storage: 50-60%
Used For: Aroma and flavor. American and German ales and lagers.
Substitutions: German Hallertau, Liberty, Crystal.

Northern Brewer- All Purpose
Alpha Acid: 8-10% Beta Acid: 3-5%
Aroma: Medium-strong, woody with evergreen and mint overtones.
Storage: 70-80%
Used For: Good for bittering with strong flavors and very fragrant. Steam beers, Dark English ales, and German lagers.
Substitutions: Galena, Perle.

Nugget- All Purpose
Alpha Acid: 12-14% Beta Acid: 4-6%
Aroma: Quite heavy and herbal, spicy.
Storage: 70-80%
Used For: Extremely bitter. Medium to Dark ales and lagers.
Substitutions: Chinook, Galena, Cluster

Perle- All Purpose
Alpha Acid: 7-9.5% Beta Acid: 4-5%
Aroma: Pleasant, slightly spicy
Storage: 80-85%
Used For: Minty bittering and good "green hop" aromas. All non-pilsener lagers, wheats
Substitutions: Northern Brewer, Cluster, Galena

Pride of Ringwood- All Purpose
Alpha Acid: 7-10% Beta Acid: 5.3-6.5%
Aroma: Quite pronounced but not unpleasant, citrus-like.
Storage: 45-55%
Used For: Finishing, very flavorful. Pilseners, Continental
Used For: Disregard above. Predominantly bittering but with interesting aromatic qualities. British ales, Australian-style ales and lagers.
Substitutions: Centennial, Galena, Cluster

Saaz (U.S.A)- Finishing
Alpha Acid: 3-4.5% Beta Acid: 3-4.5%
Aroma: Very mild and pleasant, spicy and fragrant
Storage: 45-55%
Used For: Finishing, very flavorful. Pilseners, Continental lagers and Wheats.
Substitutions: Czech Saaz

Saaz- (Czechoslovakia) -Finishing
Alpha Acid: 3-4.5% Beta Acid: 3-4.5%
Aroma: Very mild with pleasant hoppy notes.
Storage: 45-55%
Used For: Finishing. Bohemian-style beers, Continental lagers, Wheats, Pilsener lagers.
Substitutions: Tettnang, U.S. Saaz

Styrian Goldings- Finishing

Alpha Acid: 4.5-6% Beta Acid: 2-3%
Aroma: Delicate, slightly spicy, soft and floral.
Storage: 65-80%
Used For: Bittering, finishing, dry hopping. English style ales, Vienna/Oktoberfest lagers, Belgian ales, Pilseners.
Substitutions: Fuggles, Willamette.

Target-All Purpose

Alpha Acid: 9.5-12.5% Beta Acid: 5-5.5%
Aroma: Pleasant English hop aroma, quite intense.
Storage: 45-55%
Used For: Robust bittering. British ales and lagers.
Substitutions: East Kent Goldings.

Tettnang- Finishing
Alpha Acid: 4-5% Beta Acid: 3-4%
Aroma: Fine, very spicy, mild, floral, very aromatic.
Storage: 55-60%
Used For: Finishing. Wheats and lagers.
Substitutions: Saaz

Willamette- Finishing
Alpha Acid: 4-6% Beta Acid: 3-4%
Aroma: mild and pleasant, slightly spicy, aromatic.
Storage: 60-65%
Used For: Finishing, dry hopping. American and British ales.
Substitutions: Fuggles, Styrian Goldings, Kent Goldings.

Golden Amber Wheat - Review

Bottling:
We took the specific gravity prior to bottling:  1.02, implying that our beer will be 5.2%. Here is the calculation that we use and HERE is the source.

1.05 x (1.06 – 1.02) = 0.042 kg/L. To calculate the percentage of alcohol is elementary from here. 0.042 / 1.02 = 0.041 or 4.1%.

This is the amount of alcohol by weight. The amount of alcohol by volume (the number you see quoted on cans and bottles) is a little larger. To convert one to the other is also easy. Just divide by the density of alcohol, 0.79 kg/L.

Alcohol by volume: 4.1% / 0.79 = 5.2%.

This does coincide with our hydrometer. We are using a "Triple Scale Wine Hydrometer". In addition to the Specific Gravity, it also shows Balling/Brix, and Potential Alcohol by Volume. Our Starting Potential Alcohol by Volume was 8% and our Terminal reading was 2.8. Difference is 5.2%. 

The beer looked a deep golden amber and we're pleased with how it looks. We did do a taste test; we noticed a lot of bitterness from the hops, but we're both fans of that so that's a good thing. There was a great aroma and overall flavor, so naturally we are excited to try it with some bubbles in it. 

One last thing we noticed during bottling, was the amount of, what I call, "sludge" at the bottom of the primary. In fact, there was so much, that we could only bottle 47 beers as opposed to our usual 48. 

We'll come back when we taste the first bottle in a week.

Golden Amber Wheat II - Recipe

For our second round of the Golden Amber Wheat, we decided to keep everything consistent with exception to the type of hops we used. Instead of using Centennial hops, we went for Cascade. The package says it is 5% Alpha Acids as opposed to the 6% Alpha Acids in the Centennial hops. The aroma and flavors should be different, and this is our goal:  To distinguish the flavors of Centennial and Cascade hops. 


Update:  We noticed that we only steeped the grains for 20 minutes this time and have changed the recipe accordingly.

Grains

½ LBS Torrified Wheat
1 ½ LBS Durst Wheat Malt

Malt
3.3 LBS Briess Sparking Amber Liquid Malt Extract
3.0 LBS Briess Golden Light Dry Malt Extract

Hop
2 OZ Cascade Pellets

Yeast
1 Package Nottingham

Directions
1) Heat 3 gallons of water to ~150 degrees Fahrenheit
2) Steep grains for 20 minutes and then remove
3) Bring mixture to a boil
4) Add both malt extracts and 1 ounce of the hops
5) Stir occasionally
6) Add ½ ounce of the hops after 45 minutes as well as 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss
7) Continue to stir occasionally
8) Add the remaining ½ ounce of the hops after 55 minutes
9) After 60 minutes, transfer the wort to the primary fermenter
10) Cool to 68 degrees Fahrenheit
11) Top off to 5 gallons
12) Measure Specific Gravity
13) Pitch the yeast
14) Attach Lid and Air Lock

Golden Amber Wheat - Recipe

Grains

½ LBS Torrified Wheat
1 ½ LBS Durst Wheat Malt

Malt
3.3 LBS Briess Sparking Amber Liquid Malt Extract
3.0 LBS Briess Golden Light Dry Malt Extract

Hop
2 OZ Centennial Pellets

Yeast
1 Package Nottingham 

Directions
1) Heat 3 gallons of water to ~150 degrees Fahrenheit
2) Steep grains for 25 minutes and then remove
3) Bring mixture to a boil
4) Add both malt extracts and 1 ounce of the hops
5) Stir occasionally
6) Add ½ ounce of the hops after 45 minutes as well as 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss
7) Continue to stir occasionally
8) Add the remaining ½ ounce of the hops after 55 minutes
9) After 60 minutes, transfer the wort to the primary fermenter
10) Cool to 68 degrees Fahrenheit
11) Top off to 5 gallons
12) Measure Specific Gravity
13) Pitch the yeast
14) Attach Lid and Air Lock

Starting Specific Gravity:
1.06