OG - ~1.086
FG - ~1.017
IBU - ~30
ABV - ~8.5
16 lbs Maris Otter
1 oz Wintergreen Leaves
1 stick of Cinnamon
2 vanilla beans
30 AA of East Kent Goldings ~(1.25oz - 1.5oz) 60 mins.
2 pkts. US-05 yeast
Mash malt @ 155F for 60 min.
Batch sparge @ 168F.
Ferment 65F for 1 week, raise to at least 70F.
Make a tea from the wintergreen by pouring 2 cups of boiling water over the leaves. Stir and wet leaves thoroughly. Let sit for one week, stirring daily to prevent mold from forming. The wintergreen will ferment leaving a minty smelling tea. (Directions put together from various sources around the internet.)
After fermentation is complete, add tea to the resulting beer with 2 vanilla beans (slit and split) and 1 cinnamon stick for 1 week.
Rack off yeast after 4 weeks, cold crash and keg.
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Currently in the cold crash stage but looking forward to finishing, aging and trying this beer.
Wintergreen, vanilla and cinnamon are ingredients in bubblegum. Don't want this beer to taste like bubblegum, but also want to use the bubblegum ingredients for spices. The goal would be to have a slight warming effect and sweeter finish to the beer. The hardest part is balancing the cinnamon and vanilla to get that slightly sweet finish.
A "sweet" bourbon may blend well with this also.
Any constructive comments/suggestions to this work in progress are welcome.