On Friday November 22 I made a modified version of the Julebryg Ale recipe listed here. Essentially what I modified was the quantity of spices used. I doubled everything but the hop and brown sugar additions. The last time that I made a version of this beer I found that the spice level was quite low. I wanted to be able to detect the spices but not be overwhelmed so I was taking a chance.
My ingredients were:
- 1.7 kg Coopers Real Ale beer kit
- 1.5 kg Coopers Amber malt extract
- 250 g (8oz) Brown Sugar
- 2 stars anise
- 4 sticks cinnamon
- 2 vanilla been pods
- 4 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 oz. Saaz hops
- active Coopers commercial yeast culture
On Friday December 6 I packaged the beer in a keg and my tasting notes indicated a very slight banana note and that the spices were noticeable but mild.
After 10 days in the keg the beer is fully carbonated, reasonably clear and acclimated to serving temperature (55 F). Here is my early review of this beer. The beer has a nice frothy head. It is pretty clear. You can see through it although there is a slight haze ( I think the beer will clear more with time). The aroma is very nice. It definitely has a holiday smell to it. The slight banana fruity ester smell is gone. Also, the aroma is not too overwhelming. You can still smell the malt and hops. It is very tasty and appropriate for the season. It would do well a holiday party. Over time I’m sure the flavors will meld together more. It would be good to do another review in 2 weeks. I definitely prefer the measurement of spices that I used.
Cheers!!
Related articles
- Julebryg, Julebryg, Tuborg Julebryg (whileabroad.wordpress.com)
