X-Mas Ale 2025

 

Every year since I started homebrewing (way back in 2009), I've brewed an X-Mas Ale to have around the holidays.
 
The base beer was always a very similar "Winter Warmer", and I'd add various ingredients to make it more of a "Holiday" Beer.
 
Over the years, I added wood spirals, vanilla, cherry pomegranate, chocolate, peppermint, peanut butter, hazelnut, cherry, and many other flavorings.
 
When I was thinking about brewing my 2025 X-Mas Ale, I wanted to pick a style on my Roll-a-Style list, and I decided that the closest style to my typical X-Mas Ale recipes was 17D. English Barley Wine.

So, I pretended to roll a 20 on my 20-sided online die.

Then, I came up with a quick recipe for this beer.

It is lighter in color than most (maybe all) of my previous X-Mas Ales. It is almost certainly the biggest of the X-Mas Ales I've brewed.

For more about X-Mas Ales, see Sheppy's Blog: X-Mas Ales.
 
To see all the X-Mas Ales I've made over the years, see X-Mas Ales 2009 - 2025.

 

X-Mas Ale 2025 --- Batch 1 (383) 
Style   English Barleywine   Batch Size   5.00 gal
Type   All Grain   Boil Size   6.08 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency   60.00   Boil Time   60 minutes

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity   1.080 SG   Estimated FG   1.017 SG
Recipe Bitterness   36.0 IBUs (Rager)   Alcohol by Volume   8.5 %
BU : GU   0.449        
Recipe Color   14.5 SRM  
Color
   
Measured OG:       Measured FG:    
ADF:       Measured ABV:    

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU Volume
7.87 gal Denver, Colorado Water 1 - -
4.00 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash) Water Agent 2 - -
3.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash) Water Agent 3 - -
2.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) Water Agent 4 - -
1.00 tsp Lactic Acid (Mash) Water Agent 5 - -
17 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 6 96.5 % 1.33 gal
10.0 oz Crystal, Extra Dark (Simpsons) (160.0 SRM) Grain 7 3.5 % 0.05 gal
1.000 oz Magnum [13.20 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 27.1 IBUs -
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 9 - -
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 10 - -
1.000 oz Magnum [13.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 11 8.9 IBUs -
2.0 pkg Nottingham (Danstar #-) [23.66 ml] Yeast 12 - -

Mash Profile

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Saccharification Add 31.48 qt of water at 159.2 F 150.0 F 45 min
Heat Heat to 156.0 F over 10 min 156.0 F 20 min


If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort

Recipe Notes
Brewing salts in the mash water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=75,Mg=22,Na=21,SO4=141,Cl=72,HCO3=104
18 lbs of malt is more than the Foundry can handle. Do a double mash: half the base grains at 152 for 45 minutes, and drain for the wort to be "strike water" for the second half of grains. Follow the recipe mash schedule for this second half.
After double mash is done, check pre-boil gravity.
If gravity is low, adjust with table sugar and/or DME and/or boil length to reach target OG. (if gravity is high, dilute as appropriate)
Cool wort to as close to 60 degrees as possible.
Ferment 2 weeks at ambient temperature.
Transfer to keg to be stored for another 4 weeks.
Chill and Keg carbonate.

Brewing Record

Brew Date:       Strike Temp:    
Mash Temps:    
Pre-boil OG   (1.072 SG)   Pre-boil Vol   (6.08 gal)
Actual Mash Efficiency       Pitch Temp    
Fermentation            
Day 1: 
Day ... 
Day ... 

 


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Brewing Notes