X-Mas Ale 2022

In 2022, I started thinking about the recipe around the end of November.

For some reason, I thought a vanilla beer would be good this year, so that is what I went with.

The rich caramel / chocolate malt notes seemed like they would go well with vanilla flavoring.

I decided to go a little lighter in alcohol this year, targeting around 6.2% instead of the usual 7% abv's.

I ended up brewing the beer in my Anvil Foundry on the 4th of December and kegged it a couple weeks later on the 18th. It hung out on my back patio a couple of days while it waited for a kegerator slot to open.

It was in the kegerator on the 20th, chilled and somewhat carbonated.

I enjoyed the beer quite a bit during the week of Christmas.

As it turned out, the vanilla was a great choice for the X-Mas Ale. Between the vanilla beans and the flavoring, I thought the amount of vanilla was perfect.

Merry Christmas to me!

Read about my brew day on Sheppy's Blog: 2022 X-Mas Ale (Batch 325)

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 - 2022.

X-Mas Ale 2022 --- Batch 1 (325)

Style		Winter Seasonal Beer		Batch Size		5.50 gal
Type		All Grain		Boil Size		6.60 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency		65.00		Boil Time		60 minutes

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity		1.061 SG		Estimated FG		1.014 SG
Recipe Bitterness		32.2 IBUs (Rager)		Alcohol by Volume		6.2 %
BU : GU		0.527
Recipe Color		20.7 SRM		Color
Measured OG:		1.061		Measured FG:		1.012
ADF:		79		Measured ABV:		6.5

Ingredients

Ingredients

Amt	Name	Type	#	%/IBU	Volume
8.15 gal	Denver, Colorado	Water	1	-	-
4.00 g	Calcium Chloride (Mash)	Water Agent	2	-	-
3.00 g	Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash)	Water Agent	3	-	-
1.00 g	Chalk (Mash)	Water Agent	4	-	-
1.00 tsp	Lactic Acid (Mash)	Water Agent	5	-	-
11 lbs 8.0 oz	Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)	Grain	6	80.0 %	0.90 gal
1 lbs 8.0 oz	Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM)	Grain	7	10.4 %	0.12 gal
8.0 oz	Crystal, Medium (Simpsons) (55.0 SRM)	Grain	8	3.5 %	0.04 gal
6.0 oz	Crystal, Dark (Simpsons) (80.0 SRM)	Grain	9	2.6 %	0.03 gal
4.0 oz	Crystal Extra Dark - 120L (Crisp) (120.0 SRM)	Grain	10	1.7 %	0.02 gal
4.0 oz	Midnight Wheat Malt (550.0 SRM)	Grain	11	1.7 %	0.02 gal
1.000 oz	Magnum [15.80 %] - Boil 30.0 min	Hop	12	32.2 IBUs	-
1.00 Items	Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)	Fining	13	-	-
1.00 tsp	Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins)	Other	14	-	-
1.0 pkg	Nottingham (Danstar #-) [23.66 ml]	Yeast	15	-	-
3.00 Items	Vanilla Beans (Secondary 10.0 days)	Flavor	16	-	-
3.00 oz	Vanilla Extract (Bottling)	Spice	17	-	-

Mash Profile

Mash Steps

Name	Description	Step Temperature	Step Time
Saccharification	Add 32.61 qt of water at 159.7 F	152.0 F	45 min
Heat	Heat to 158.0 F over 10 min	158.0 F	15 min
Mash Out	Heat to 170.0 F over 7 min	170.0 F	10 min

If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort

Recipe Notes
Water salts bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=102,Mg=8,Na=21,SO4=105,Cl=86,HCO3=123
Acid addition to bring expected mash pH to 5.4
Mash as instructed.
60 minute boil making additions as instructed in recipe.
Cool wort to as close to 60F as possible. Add to fermenter. Aerate wort and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 60F for 24 hours or so. Try to keep fermentation between 60 and 65 for a couple days, then let the temperature go where it want to.
After 1 week of fermentation, transfer beer to secondary on top of vanilla beans.
Keg after a week on the beans with Vanilla extract to taste.

Brewing Record

Brew Date:				Strike Temp:
Mash Temps:
Pre-boil OG		(1.056 SG)		Pre-boil Vol		(6.60 gal)
Actual Mash Efficiency				Pitch Temp
Fermentation
Day 1:
Day ...
Day ...