Winter Warmer Recipe
Ingredients
- Yeast
- Wyeast 1028 London Ale
- Steeping Grains
- 12 ounces Crystal 120°L
- 8 ounces Crystal 40°L
- 4 ounces chocolate malt
- 4 ounces black patent malt
- Fermentables
- 12.5 pounds pale ale liquid malt extract (LME)
- 1/2 cup molasses (optional), not blackstrap
- Hops
- 1 ounce Magnum 15% AA for 60 minutes
- Spices
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for 1 minute
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger for 1 minute
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom for 1 minute
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg for 1 minute
Instructions
- One day before brew day, make a starter with your yeast.
- Heat 1 gallon of water to 170°F. Remove from heat and add steeping grains to the water, contained in a mesh bag. Cover and let steep for 1 hour, then discard the malt.
- Bring 3 gallons water to a boil. Add steeping tea from Step 2. Slowly add extract and molasses, if using, stirring. Add enough water to reach a total of 7 gallons. Bring to a boil on high heat.
- When you reach a boil, start a countdown timer for 90 minutes. Add hops quantities at 60 minutes left and spices at 1 minute left.
- At the end of 90 minutes, remove from heat. Cool the wort to below 70°F with an ice bath or a wort chiller. Remember to keep things sanitary for every stage after the boil.
- Transfer the wort to a sanitized fermentation bucket or carboy. Add an airlock and cool to 62°F. Also cool the yeast starter to 62°F.
- Once the wort reaches 62°F, aerate the wort and pitch the yeast.
- Let the beer temperature rise to 68°F, hold there at least three days, then let it rise as high as 74°F until fermentation is complete.
- Bottle or keg the beer. Because this beer is high in alcohol and complex it may take two to three months for the flavors to become balanced.
