# Upcoming fall/winter brews



## Mike (Sep 28, 2009)

I'm excited to brew some cool beers in the near future, a pumpkin ale I'll brew on Columbus Day and a chocolate coffee stout sometime later.


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## Malkore (Sep 28, 2009)

I am planning an oktoberfest this weekend, and then aging it til March (kind of the reverse of normal).

Just got all moved into a new house and thus I couldn't brew on 9-9-09 so I thought I'd do a reverse O-fest since it'll be easy to lager in the cool garage.


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## smurfe (Sep 28, 2009)

Pumpkin Ale is the only out of ordinary brew I have planned. Other than that it's the normal IPA's and Pale Ales


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## Mike (Dec 3, 2009)

I brewed the pumpkin ale and it barely had any spice flavor. I guess they were all driven off during primary since. I ended up steeping the same amount of spices in 1/4 of water, filtering it, and adding to the keg and it's perfect now. I think I'm going to do this from now on with spices including the coffee I plan on adding to the previously-mentioned breakfast stout.


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## Malkore (Dec 3, 2009)

I just did a pumpkin ale last weekend. the recipe i used did suggest doing spices (as a steeped 'tea') when you went to secondary.

on the coffee, try to do a cold brewing of the coffee. it'll pull fewer volatile oils outta the coffee that could ruin head retention.


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## Mike (Dec 3, 2009)

Thanks for the tip, Malkore.


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## Midwest Vintner (Dec 3, 2009)

we are doing a rasp. chipotle wine. keeps ya warm when you need it. that and iti'll clear the sinuses right up!


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## TheTooth (Dec 8, 2009)

I'm looking forward to making my first lager. I've been making ales for years, but had no way to really keep the temp down for lagers until recently. So, if I can find a free day this month, I'm going to try to make a Munich Dunkel for next year.

I usually make my holiday beers in the summer so they can age and be ready for the holiday season. I've got a few 9+% brews on tap now that I made back in March.


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## Mike (Dec 22, 2009)

Ok, tried the chocolate breakfast stout after 2.5 days of force carbing. It's got a harsh taste to it, a bit "hot" (it is 7.8% ABV), I'm hoping from being young. seems like the flavors need to meld together more. Leave it in the kegerator for another month and re-visit? Will a month be enough time?


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## TheTooth (Dec 22, 2009)

At 7.8% abv, it definitely needs more time for the flavors to integrate and the alcohol flavor to subside.

Trying it again in a month is a good plan.

If it were me, I'd wait 3 months. I make my holiday ales (usually 7.5 - 10% abv) in the spring and leave the kegs in my cellar to age until Thanksgiving. Then I bottle up a bunch for gifts and put the rest on tap for the holidays.


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## Mike (Dec 22, 2009)

I could stand to plan better :\
But I will drink a stout any time of year 

Should I keep it in my kegerator to mellow or put it in my basement (~63 degrees)?


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## TheTooth (Dec 22, 2009)

I also drink stout year-round. I don't buy into the "summer beer"/"winter beer" thing. I just like to make special high-abv beers for gifts and as winter warmers. They also give me a good reason to experiment with spices and interesting beers that I wouldn't want to drink 5 gallons of. LOL

I'd store it in the cellar. The warmer temps will help it age a bit quicker. Plus, that leaves room in your kegerator for something else to enjoy while it ages.


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## Mike (Dec 22, 2009)

+1 

Listen to you talking about "winter" beers in Long Beach...


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## TheTooth (Dec 22, 2009)

LOL... yeah, it got down into the 40's this morning. I had to put on the big jacket to ride my motorcycle to work.

Hey... there's got to be some reason I live in this crazy place.


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## Mike (Dec 22, 2009)

Having shoveled my car out of 24" of snow yesterday in Philly, I'm not amused.


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