Winter Wilderness

Source: Dave Campbell
Recipe added: 01/03/02
Email: dcampbell@po-box.esu.edu

Another one of my famous spiced/fruit beers than I just can't resist making. I am pleased with how this turned out for the most part. It wasn't as alcoholic as I'd hoped (6.4%--I was hoping for 7.5%), nor as hoppy, but the spice blend came out incredibly perfect. It has a spicy, citrusy nose and a complex flavor that will only improve with age. It is the perfect sipping beer--I had a few on my porch the other night when it was like 25 degrees out, and it was keeping me warm. Enjoy!

Specifics

Recipe type: Extract
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Starting Gravity: 1.062
Finishing Gravity: 1.014
Time in Boil: 75 min
Primary Fermentation: 2 weeks
Secondary Fermentation: 6 weeks

Ingredients:

-6 lbs light DME
-1 lb crystal malt (60 L)
-1/3 lb special B malt
-2 cups brown sugar
-1 oz Columbus hops
-2 oz Ultra hops
-1 pack Wyeast German Ale yeast (from 2 L starter)
-1/2 cup malto-dextrine
-4 cinnamon sticks
-3 whole cloves
-1 tsp ginger
-1 tsp allspice
-1.5 oz. bitter orange peel
-zest and juice of one lemon
-3/4 cup corn sugar for priming

Procedure:

Steeped grains; brought 5 gallons of water to a boil. Added DME, 1 oz. Columbus hops at start of boil. At 30 min, added .5 oz. Ultra hops and 1/2 of all spices and peels. At 45 min, added .5 oz. Ultra hops. At flameout, added remaining spices and 1 oz. Ultra hops. Pitched yeast at 75 degrees. Fermented warm (75 degrees) for two weeks. Racked to secondary, added another cinnamon stick and piece of orange peel for 6 more weeks at about 50 degrees. Primed with 3/4 cup corn sugar when bottled.

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