XMAS BREWING 2023

[Classic Brewing Co]

What's everybody brewing for Xmas? 

I have several planned starting this weekend.

1. All Grain Barrel Makers Pale Ale - this recipe uses Coopers Malts & POR hops; the grain bill is 5kg & I am keeping it simple & using Verdant yeast.

2. American Pale Ale - I am going to use Pilsner Malt 4kg, Vienna Malt 750kg, Carapils 250gm with Eclipse hops & US West Coast M44 yeast.

3. Berliner Weisse - KegLand Grain Kit 5kg, Lallemand Philly Sour Yeast, 100gm Wai-Iti Hops.

I should be able to do all of these & have them in kegs by Xmas.

Cheers.

 

[Malter White]

I'm keeping things even simpler. Coopers APA extract with dextrose and LDM and I'm making a simple cider with pear, apple and raspberry juice using Safcider yeast.
On previous celebratory occasions I've tried being too clever for my level of skill, pimping extracts with different hops and yeasts and the results have been mixed. Some good and some not so good. By sticking to tried and true recipes I'm hoping for less of those, "Yeah, it's alright?" with a distorted face reactions from those drinking them.

[Classic Brewing Co]

3 minutes ago, Malter White said:

I'm keeping things even simpler. Coopers APA extract with dextrose and LDM and I'm making a simple cider with pear, apple and raspberry juice using Safcider yeast.
On previous celebratory occasions I've tried being too clever for my level of skill, pimping extracts with different hops and yeasts and the results have been mixed. Some good and some not so good. By sticking to tried and true recipes I'm hoping for less of those, "Yeah, it's alright?" with a distorted face reactions from those drinking them.

Fair enough Malter, keep it simple & you can't go wrong hopefully! 

[Kegory]

I really don't know but there's not much time left when you consider bottle conditioning time. I can really only get one in and done between now and Christmas.

I've got a couple of English Ale kits on hand but it's starting to get a bit warm for that. I've got a Galaxy Pale Ale kit coming but it hasn't shipped yet. It's from a somewhat local store but Aussie Post can stuff around a bit. I'd love to have a crack at my Little Creatures Pale Ale clone but I want to build my hop spider for that, and that also involves thoroughly cleaning all the bits so I may not get time to do that. We'll see.

My Cream Ale is ready to bottle and I reckon that's a pretty festive beer. I'll just have to try to not drink it all before Santa arrives.

[NBillett09]

I actually saw Christmas coming with enough forethought to prepare this time!

I have the All Inn Brewing NEIPA (attempt 2.0) to bottle early next week

i have an All Inn Brewing mosaic XPA FWK ready to go with some dried oat extract and more mosaic hops

And I have all the bits ready to have a go at Coopers “The Hoff” Hefeweizen also.

the last two are not specifically to be done by Christmas just around Christmas

[Otto Von Blotto]

I have a pilsner in a cube waiting for me to get some malt extract to get the yeast sorted. Can't really do it this week so it'll have to be next week. Might have it kegged by Xmas. Next brew planned is a pale ale with Vic secret, not sure when I'll make that one yet. I only have the one cube at the moment. 

I have all of January off so I'm gonna try to do a bit of brewing over that time. I might grab another 2 or 3 cubes before then as well so I can get a little stockpile happening. 

[Shamus O'Sean]

I will be on leave from mid next week for a couple of weeks, so no more brewing by me until mid-December.  Therefore, no new brews for Christmas. 

However, I have a good pipeline of brews in kegs waiting for a place in the kegerator  

• Cherry Sour
• Munich Dunkel
• Hazy Pale Ale
• Nut Brown Ale; and
• Blue Moon

Plus bottles of 

• Coopers 2023 Vintage Ale
• Duvel; and 
• Quarvel

I might have my brother, brother-in-law and neighbour come calling for a keg or two, but I still think I will be right for the festive season.

[Tricky Micky]

Would be my first brew since April, wanting to do Al's AG COPA. Can someone help me out here - the yeast to be used should be Coopers Commercial yeast - any suggestions for a substitute using dry packaged yeast which might go alright? Thinking of doing a cuppla FWK's to bolster stocks for Xmas and really wanting to redo the Coopers Hefe Preachers brew as well. TIA

[Kegory]

28 minutes ago, Tricky Micky said:

Would be my first brew since April, wanting to do Al's AG COPA. Can someone help me out here - the yeast to be used should be Coopers Commercial yeast - any suggestions for a substitute using dry packaged yeast which might go alright? Thinking of doing a cuppla FWK's to bolster stocks for Xmas and really wanting to redo the Coopers Hefe Preachers brew as well. TIA

Nottingham?

The very first thing I learned about home brewing was when in doubt throw a packet of Nottingham at it.

[Classic Brewing Co]

36 minutes ago, Tricky Micky said:

Would be my first brew since April, wanting to do Al's AG COPA. Can someone help me out here - the yeast to be used should be Coopers Commercial yeast - any suggestions for a substitute using dry packaged yeast which might go alright? Thinking of doing a cuppla FWK's to bolster stocks for Xmas and really wanting to redo the Coopers Hefe Preachers brew as well. TIA

Mick there are others you could try as well, Lalbrew Verdant, M44, American West Coast Ale yeast for a slight twist

[kmar92]

2 hours ago, Tricky Micky said:

Would be my first brew since April, wanting to do Al's AG COPA. Can someone help me out here - the yeast to be used should be Coopers Commercial yeast - any suggestions for a substitute using dry packaged yeast which might go alright? Thinking of doing a cuppla FWK's to bolster stocks for Xmas and really wanting to redo the Coopers Hefe Preachers brew as well. TIA

I'd also suggest Notty, Mick. Pretty good all rounder.

[Tricky Micky]

1 hour ago, Kegory said:

Nottingham?

The very first thing I learned about home brewing was when in doubt throw a packet of Nottingham at it.

Thanks K, much appreciated

[Tricky Micky]

1 hour ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Mick there are others you could try as well, Lalbrew Verdant, M44, American West Coast Ale yeast for a slight twist

Cheers Phil, thanks for the suggestions mate.

[Tricky Micky]

14 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

I'd also suggest Notty, Mick. Pretty good all rounder.

Thanks Kmar, sounds like Notty might be a good choice. 

[Shamus O'Sean]

11 hours ago, Tricky Micky said:

Would be my first brew since April, wanting to do Al's AG COPA. Can someone help me out here - the yeast to be used should be Coopers Commercial yeast - any suggestions for a substitute using dry packaged yeast which might go alright? Thinking of doing a cuppla FWK's to bolster stocks for Xmas and really wanting to redo the Coopers Hefe Preachers brew as well. TIA

As a couple have said, Nottingham tends to attenuate pretty well, which is similar to my experiences with Coopers Commercial Yeast.  A point against it though is that it ferments quite clean.  I find Coopers brews have a bit of a citrus and banana aroma/flavour.  I almost suggest a wheat ale yeast, brewed cool 18-22°C.  However, it could be too much banana.  But wheat yeasts also tend to attenuate pretty well.  Might be an interesting experiment.

[Back Brewing]

29 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

As a couple have said, Nottingham tends to attenuate pretty well, which is similar to my experiences with Coopers Commercial Yeast.  A point against it though is that it ferments quite clean.  I find Coopers brews have a bit of a citrus and banana aroma/flavour.  I almost suggest a wheat ale yeast, brewed cool 18-22°C.  However, it could be too much banana.  But wheat yeasts also tend to attenuate pretty well.  Might be an interesting experiment.

I agree mate I used to always go Nottingham but I found it always made the beer a bit too dry verdant as an example doesn't dry it out

[Classic Brewing Co]

Big cleanup for the Brewzilla today, all washed, sanitised, my water is ready & tomorrow is Brewday followd 2 days later with another brew. I  am attempting 3 before xmas.

[Malter White]

2 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

 my water is ready 

How do you prepare your water, Phil? I thought you were a Puratap user like me.

[Classic Brewing Co]

54 minutes ago, Malter White said:

How do you prepare your water, Phil? I thought you were a Puratap user like me.

Yes Malter, but I fill a couple of cleaned/sanitised FV & leave them uncovered overnight uncovered to further assist in chlorine removal much to the horror of some members, however I usually only do it for a few hours these days.

[Back Brewing]

48 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Yes Malter, but I fill a couple of cleaned/sanitised FV & leave them uncovered overnight uncovered to further assist in chlorine removal much to the horror of some members, however I usually only do it for a few hours these days.

Your going to boil it so it's no big deal

[Classic Brewing Co]

Just now, Back Brewing said:

Your going to boil it so it's no big deal

Yes, I am totally aware of that.

[kmar92]

1 hour ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Yes Malter, but I fill a couple of cleaned/sanitised FV & leave them uncovered overnight uncovered to further assist in chlorine removal much to the horror of some members, however I usually only do it for a few hours these days.

I had no horror about your method.

I was just pointing out that your Puratap is supposed to remove 99.9% of chlorine from your town water, so leaving your filtered water uncovered overnight is probably not going to remove the residual 0.1% of chlorine left anyway. I really do not care much about how you prepare your water, I was just suggesting that the uncovered overnight water preparation really does not do much.

Your method is what you like so keep doing it.

[Back Brewing]

4 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

I had no horror about your method.

I was just pointing out that your Puratap is supposed to remove 99.9% of chlorine from your town water, so leaving your filtered water uncovered overnight is probably not going to remove the residual 0.1% of chlorine left anyway. I really do not care much about how you prepare your water, I was just suggesting that the uncovered overnight water preparation really does not do much.

Your method is what you like so keep doing it.

Kegory is right up on this subject so he might be along to point a few things out 

[Classic Brewing Co]

9 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

I had no horror about your method.

I was just pointing out that your Puratap is supposed to remove 99.9% of chlorine from your town water, so leaving your filtered water uncovered overnight is probably not going to remove the residual 0.1% of chlorine left anyway. I really do not care much about how you prepare your water, I was just suggesting that the uncovered overnight water preparation really does not do much.

Your method is what you like so keep doing it.

All good @kmar92 I just do it because I can, as I said earlier a LBHS owner put me on to it & does it all of the time,  so whether it actually works or not, who cares.

I am retired so I guess I have time to muck about, but the main mission is to make great beer.

[Kegory]

35 minutes ago, Back Brewing said:

Kegory is right up on this subject so he might be along to point a few things out 

Hey, leave me out of it. I can get in enough strife without any assistance