Bier van Kerstmis --- Home Brew Batch #2

Tonight I started the second batch of home brew.  This attempt is a Strong Dark Belgian Ale that will be flavored with holiday/winter spices -- vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and clove --- to become Coonhound Cellars Winter Seasonal offering.

Brewing process was greatly improved by borrowing Dad's turkey fryer base.  Was much easier to bring the wort to temperature and maintain the boil throughout the brew process.

I guess this recipe is called a "partial mash" as rather than use a kit, I built the recipe using BrewmastersWarehouse.com's recipe builder.  Slight aside - to me www.brewmasterswarehouse.com is a great site - got to tool around, build a recipe and with one click order all the ingredients -- couple with $7 fed ex shipping - was a great deal I thought and very easy.

Anyway, back to the partial mash --- so I started by making a mash on the stove while Rachael cooked her dinner - using 1.5 gallons of water and 2 lbs. Dark Crystal malt.  Kept that at 155 degrees for 45 minutes, and then brought the grains out to the back deck where on the turkey fryer I had another 2 gallons of water at 155 degrees.  Wise folks (internet message boards) recommended "tea-bagging" (that word cracks me up ever since the conservative tea parties) the grain bag and then dumping the wort into the turkey fryer pot.

You follow?

Then I brought to a boil, added the bittering hops - 1.5 oz of Sterling, US Pellets and boiled for 30 minutes.  At 30 minute point in boil I added 1 lb. of candi sugar and boiled for another 15 minutes.  For final 15 minutes of boil - I added 1 oz of Vanguard Plug Hops for flavoring and 1 tsp of Irish Moss.

Now comes the only problem in tonight's brewing saga.  Dropping the temperature of the boiling wort down to 70 degrees to pitch the yeast (White Labs Trappist Ale Yeast for the Record).  Started outside, as it was a brisk 36 degrees (no idea why I'm in shorts), then moved to icewater bath - however, realized ice water was only 44 degrees so back to the back deck we went to wait...and wait....now at approximately 78 degrees, have brought it inside as it is too damn cold outside and will be pitching yeast soon.

Hopefully this all works out well and we have  fine dark Christmas Ale right in time for the holidays.

Tomorrow I need to make the spice mixture and add that to the primary fermenter.