Winter isn’t over yet, and winter warmers can — and should, if you ask me — be enjoyed throughout the winter, not just over the holidays. Here’s a 3.0-gallon (11-L) partial mash version of my spiced winter ale that could be ready by mid-February if you brew it around the New Year. [The 5.0-gallon (19-L) version was posted earlier.]
If you make the specified-sized yeast starter, the 8% ABV base beer should ferment and condition in about 6 weeks. Adding the “spice” — the Scandinavian liquor aquavit — bumps the beer up to 9% ABV and adds a hint of the anise-like character of caraway. Because the spicing of aquavit is consistent, you can be assured of hitting a reasonable level of spicing every time. [And since I only like a hint of spice, you can add more aquavit if you’d like more “licorice” character (and alcohol).]
Fimbulvinter Øl
(Winter Warmer)
by Chris Colby
Partial mash; English units
DESCRIPTION
This a dark, holiday ale whose name roughly translates as “ale for a cold winter.” (“Øl” means beer or ale in Norwegian and Swedish and “fimbulvinter” is a long or harsh winter, named after the 3-year winter that precedes Ragnarök in Norse mythology.) This ale is spiked with aquavit, a Scandinavian spirit spiced with caraway. This transforms the 8% ABV dark ale into a 9% ABV spiced ale.
INGREDIENTS (for 3 gallons)
Water
[HCO3–] = 250 pmm and [Ca2+] = 100 ppm
Malts (for an OG of 1.085 and 25 SRM)
4 lb. 3 oz. English pale ale malt
12 oz. Munich malt (10 °L)
3.0 oz. crystal malt (40 °L)
5.0 oz. crystal malt (60 °L)
2.5 oz. crystal malt (80 °L)
6.5 oz. chocolate malt
3.0 lb. light liquid malt extract
Hops and Other Spices (for 37 IBU total)
Northern Brewer hops (37 IBU)
0.75 oz. (at 8.0% alpha acids), boiled for 60 minutes
12 fl. oz. aquavit (at 40% ABV), added at bottling/kegging
(this raises the beer from 3.0 gallons at 8.0% ABV to 3 gallons and 12 oz. at 9.0% ABV)
Yeast (for an FG of 1.021 and 8.0% ABV, before addition of aquavit)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB) or White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) yeast
1.5-qt. yeast starter
Other
1/8 tsp yeast nutrients, boiled for 15 minutes
2.5 oz. corn sugar (to prime for 2.3 volumes of CO2)
PROCEDURE
Make yeast starter 2–3 days ahead of brew day. In your brewpot, heat 8.5 qts. of brewing liquor to 165 °F and 6.5 qts. of tap water to 170 °F. Place crushed grains in steeping bag and mash in your brewpot at 154 °F for 60 minutes. Apply short (~1 minute) bursts of heat when temperature dips. Recheck temperature after stirring and waiting two minutes. Heat mash to 170 °F (or slightly higher, then lift the bag out of the brewpot and into a 3.0-gallon (or larger) beverage cooler. (The kind with a spigot for dispensing drinks.) Scoop or pour the wort from your brewpot into the grains. Collect 2 cups of wort and pour it on top of the grains. Repeat this step (recirculation) ten to twelve times. Then, collect 2 cups of wort and place in brewpot. Add 2 cups of 170 °F water to top of grain bed. Repeat these two steps until hot water runs out, then simply collect wort until cooler is dry. Begin heating wort once you have collected about 2.0 qts. Add water to make at least 3.5 gallons in your brewpot, stir in roughly half of the malt extract and bring to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding boiling water if needed so boil volume doesn’t dip below 3.0 gallons. Add hops and yeast nutrients at times indicated in the ingredient list. Add remaining malt extract with 5 minutes left in boil. Cool wort to 68 °F and transfer to fermenter. Aerate wort and pitch yeast from yeast starter. Ferment at 68 °F. In keg or bottling bucket, add aquavit. (Stir to blend thoroughly, if bottling.)
Fimbulvinter Øl
(Winter Warmer)
by Chris Colby
Partial mash; metric units
INGREDIENTS (for 11 L)
Water
[HCO3–] = 250 pmm and [Ca2+] = 100 ppm
Malts (for an OG of 1.085 and 25 SRM)
1.9 kg English pale ale malt
340 g Munich malt (10 °L)
90 g crystal malt (40 °L)
140 g crystal malt (60 °L)
70 g crystal malt (80 °L)
190 g chocolate malt
1.4 kg light liquid malt extract
Hops and Other Spices (for 37 IBU total)
Northern Brewer hops (37 IBU)
22 g (at 8.0% alpha acids), boiled for 60 minutes
355 mL aquavit (at 40% ABV), added at bottling/kegging
(this raises the beer from 11 L at 8.0% ABV to 11.4 L at 9.0% ABV)
Yeast (for an FG of 1.021 and 8.0% ABV, before addition of aquavit)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB) or White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) yeast
1.5-L yeast starter
Other
1/8 tsp yeast nutrients, boiled for 15 minutes
71 g corn sugar (to prime for 2.3 volumes of CO2)
PROCEDURE
Make yeast starter 2–3 days ahead of brew day. In your brewpot, heat 7.8 L of brewing liquor to 74 °C and 6.25 L of tap water to 77 °C. Place crushed grains in steeping bag and mash in your brewpot at 68 °C for 60 minutes. Apply short (~1 minute) bursts of heat when temperature dips. Recheck temperature after stirring and waiting two minutes. Heat mash to 77 °C (or slightly higher, then lift the bag out of the brewpot and into a 3.0-gallon/11-L (or larger) beverage cooler. (The kind with a spigot for dispensing drinks.) Scoop or pour the wort from your brewpot into the grains. Collect 2 cups of wort and pour it on top of the grains. Repeat this step (recirculation) ten to twelve times. Then, collect 2 cups of wort and place in brewpot. Add 2 cups of 77 °C water to top of grain bed. Repeat these two steps until hot water runs out, then simply collect wort until cooler is dry. Begin heating wort once you have collected about 2 L. Add water to make at least 13 L in your brewpot, stir in roughly half of the malt extract and bring to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding boiling water if needed so boil volume doesn’t dip below 11 L. Add hops and yeast nutrients at times indicated in the ingredient list. Add remaining malt extract with 5 minutes left in boil. Cool wort to 20 °C and transfer to fermenter. Aerate wort and pitch yeast from yeast starter. Ferment at 20 °C. In keg or bottling bucket, add aquavit. (Stir to blend thoroughly, if bottling.)
SERVING SUGGESTION
Keep the rest of the bottle of aquavit in your freezer. When you’re going to enjoy a Fimbulvinter Øl, slice some cheese, pour a shot of aquavit and your beer. Enjoy periodic small sips of the aquavit with the beer and cheese.
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