Christmas Ale Recipe

If you’re looking for a festive beer to share with friends and family during the holidays, this Christmas Ale recipe is the perfect choice. With a dark and malty base and subtle hints of Christmas spices, this strong and special beer is sure to be a hit.

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Christmas Ale

A dark and malty festive brew with a subtle hint of Christmas spices, this strong, special beer should be left to mature for three months before being savoured.

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

To Ferment28 days d

Course: Beer

Cuisine: Ale

Keyword: Christmas Ale

Servings: 40 Pints

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Dan Smullen

Equipment

• 1 Large brew kettle (at least 10-gallon capacity)
• 1 Mash tun (insulated cooler or dedicated mash tun)
• 1 Stainless steel mesh grain bag
• 1 Burner (propane or natural gas)
• 1 Immersion chiller or counterflow chiller
• 1 Fermenter (glass carboy or plastic bucket)
• 1 Airlock and stopper
• 1 Transfer tubing (food-grade plastic or silicone)
• 1 Bottling bucket with spigot
• 1 Bottles or kegging equipment
• 1 Hydrometer and test jar
• 1 Thermometer
• 1 Scale
• 1 Stirring spoon or mash paddle
• 1 Sanitizer solution (such as Star San)
• 1 Cleaning solution (such as PBW or OxiClean)

Ingredients

For the Mash – Liquor 14 Litres (24½ Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 67°c/149 °F

• 9.11 lb Pale Malt Quantity 4.4kg
• 1.2 lb Biscuit Malt Quantity 500g
• 12 oz Caramunich I Quantity 350g
• 10½ oz Medium Crystal Malth Quantity 300g
• 3½ oz Torrified Wheat Malth Quantity 100g
• 3½ oz Carafa Special I Malth Quantity 100g

For the Boil – 27 Litres (47½ Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 10 mins

• ⅔ oz (Hops) Challenger 7% When to add – At start of boil (IBU 13.2)
• 1 oz (Hops) Styrian Golding 4.5% When to add – For last 15 mins of boil (IBU 5.9)
• 1 oz (Hops) Styrian Golding 4.5% When to add – At turn off (IBU 0.0)
• 1 tsp Protofloc Other – When to add – For last 15 mins of boil
• ⅓ oz Star Anise Other – When to add – For last 10 mins of
• 2 Sticks Cinnamon Sticks Other – When to add – For last 10 mins of
• 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg Other – When to add – For last 10 mins of
• 1.2 lb Light Candi Crystals Other – When to add – For last 5 mins of

To Ferment – 22°C (72°F) – Conditioning 8 weeks at 12°C (54°F)

• 1 Wyeast 1028 London Ale

Instructions

• Heat 14 litres (24½ pints) of liquor to 67°C/149°F in a mash tun.
• Add the Pale Malt, Biscuit Malt, Caramunich I, Medium Crystal Malt, Torrified Wheat Malt, and Carafa Special I Malt to the mash tun.
• Stir the grains to ensure they are evenly distributed in the mash tun.
• Mash for 1 hour at 67°C/149°F.
• After the mash is complete, begin the sparge process to extract the wort.
• Collect 27 litres (47½ pints) of wort in a brew kettle.
• Bring the wort to a boil.
• Add ⅔ oz of Challenger Hops at the start of the boil.
• Add 1 tsp of Protofloc for the last 15 minutes of the boil.
• Add 1 oz of Styrian Golding Hops for the last 15 minutes of the boil.
• Add ⅓ oz of Star Anise, 2 sticks of Cinnamon, and 1 tsp of Ground Nutmeg for the last 10 minutes of the boil.
• Add 1.2 lb of Light Candi Crystals for the last 5 minutes of the boil.
• After boiling for 1 hour and 10 minutes, turn off the heat and add 1 oz of Styrian Golding Hops.
• Chill the wort to 22°C (72°F) and transfer it to a sanitized fermenter.
• Pitch the Wyeast 1028 London Ale yeast into the fermenter.
• Ferment for 28 days at 22°C (72°F).
• After fermentation is complete, condition the beer for 8 weeks at 12°C (54°F).
• Bottle or keg the beer and enjoy!

Unique Flavors for the Holiday Season

If you’re tired of the same old holiday beers, give this Christmas Ale recipe a try! With its unique blend of malts and spices, this beer is sure to impress your taste buds and add some excitement to your holiday gatherings.

Perfect for Sharing

This recipe makes a large batch of 40 pints, making it the perfect beer to share with friends and family during the holiday season. Serve it at your next holiday party or give it as a gift to the beer lover in your life.

Easy to Make

Despite its complex flavors, this Christmas Ale recipe is surprisingly easy to make. With just a few basic pieces of equipment and some patience, you can brew up a batch of this delicious beer in no time.

A Festive Addition to Any Celebration

Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other winter holiday, this Christmas Ale is the perfect addition to your festivities. So why not give it a try and add some extra cheer to your holiday season?

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