Last thing most people are thinking about this time of year is the upcoming Holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving and Christmas) and like most people I for the most part don't or want to start thinking about them either but I must when it comes to brewing.
Last year I brewed five batches of homebrew which I gave as gifts to family and friends which were:
- Biere de Festivus - a winter warmer ale
- Zum Wohl Oktoberfest
- Empire State Maple Porter - made with NY maple syrup
- Minty Moose Stout - a stout with peppermint and spearmint (think a peppermint patty)
- Indian Ladder Hard Cider - my first ever attempt at making a hard cider which turned out great
For the most part I think (and hope) these were a hit with the people I gave them to. Personally I think the Oktoberfest was the weakest of the five because it was a lager and those are just too much work with trying to get the temperatures for fermentation stable.
This year I want to try some recipes I have found from a homebrewing book I got from Barnes & Noble about a month ago.
This is a really nice book because it has recipes for beer, gluten free beer, mead, cider, and soda (something I really would like to try soon)
These are the brews I am considering doing this time:
- Pumpkin Ale (from book)
- Belgian Christmas Ale (from book)
- A Winter Warmer (from local homebrew shop mailer)
- Cider w. hefewiezen yeast
- Cider w. Belgian or Saison yeast
- TBD (Maybe Raspberry Rhubarb Hefe if it turns out well)
I really should start these soon especially the Belgian Christmas Ale since it is a high gravity beer and needs at least 3 months to bottle condition.
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