[jaftak22]

So I got this recipe off the BYO website. It's by Gordon Strong

Holiday Prowler

5 gallon/19 L, all-grain; OG = 1.058  FG = 1.014; IBU = 19  ABV = 5.8%

Ingredients:

9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) Crisp Maris Otter malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) Scotmalt crystal malt (40 °L)
0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) Crisp chocolate malt
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) clover honey
½ can Lyle’s Golden Syrup
¼ cup blackstrap molasses
6.1 AAU Goldings hops (60 mins) (1 oz./28 g of 6.1% alpha acids)
1.0 oz. (28 g) Fuggles hops (5 mins)
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) yeast
Spices: 4 cinnamon sticks, 1 nutmeg seed, 1 vanilla bean, 7 allspice berries, 1.5 tsp. whole cloves, 8 coriander seeds, 2 nectarine peels
Step by Step:

Old ale base. Mash grains at 158 °F (70 °C). 90 minute boil. Steep spices (chopped up) in tight mesh bag at knockout for 10 minutes, remove, then chill rapidly. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C). Prime with muscavado sugar and cask-condition.


So I have never attempted a beer this complex before nor have I done additions with syrup, honey or molasses. Are these three things added at the end of the boil? If someone could give me insight it would be appreciated.

[denny]

You can pretty much add the honey and syrups at any point during the boil.  You won't get much flavor from the honey or Lyle's, anyway.  The molasses will come through no matter when you add it.

[jaftak22]

Thanks Denny. Never had to use those ingredients before. Hope to give some of it away at Christmas

[troybinso]

That is a lot of spices!

Are you really putting an entire nutmeg in there? I see that you are just steeping it in a bag for 10 minutes, so I am not sure how much that will add, but if I were to use nutmeg, I would scrape it across the microplaner a few times and call it good. There is enough nutmeg in one seed to do this more than 100 times. Then, you are adding all the other spices too. I would check out some other spiced christmas beer recipes to verify that you aren't overdoing it.

[erockrph]

I wouldn't recommend using a whole nutmeg seed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmeg#Psychoactivity_and_toxicity

[Slowbrew]

I wouldn't recommend using a whole nutmeg seed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmeg#Psychoactivity_and_toxicity

Interesting.  I think the amount of chemicals is limited by the contact time in this recipe but it's good to know what too much nutmeg can do.

Paul

[69franx]

I wouldn't recommend using a whole nutmeg seed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmeg#Psychoactivity_and_toxicity

That's some pretty scary stuff. tastes great though!

[jaftak22]

Some good advice here. Never used any of the spices in a brew either. So you guys think that the nutmeg would be over powering even though it's only in for 10 minutes?

[TMX]

In my Christmas ale, I "Dry Spice"...2 cinnamon sticks in my 5 gal batch was way strong early on.  This beer will need to age for at least 3-4 months IMHO.

T

[blackislandbrewer]

So I got this recipe off the BYO website. It's by Gordon Strong
text deleted
So I have never attempted a beer this complex before nor have I done additions with syrup, honey or molasses. Are these three things added at the end of the boil? If someone could give me insight it would be appreciated.

Did you ever brew this? And if so, is it really NECTARINE peel? Never heard of using it, seems odd. I would think tangerine peel.

[klickitat jim]

If it is nectarines two peels is not going to do anything against all that spice other than give the recipe a Martha Stewart feel. They are nothing but nude peaches. It takes about 5 pounds of whole peaches to be barely noticeable. I'm guessing they meant something else probably with a zest, so tangerines make sense

[reverseapachemaster]

I believe this is the same recipe in his book and yes, it is nectarines.

[blackislandbrewer]

My thoughts too, Jim. I'm hoping someone who's made it will chime in... Wondering if it's necessary, or just one of those ingredients that are thrown in to track recipe origins...

[klickitat jim]

My guess, its Gordon being funny and seeing how many people he can get to peel two nectarines.

[blackislandbrewer]

Maybe then in the spirit of Gordon's style, I'll make it without, and make a nectarine ale, and just blend them to taste.

Oh, and greetings from the wet side of the state, Jim!

Tacoma David