Brewferm Xmas Ale Review

calumscott · Feb 7, 2012

A one (biggish - 1.8kg I think) can kit which is brewed to only 7 litres with no additional fermentibles to make an exceptionally tasty, high ABV, dark, seasonal beer.

It takes a very long time to condition though. I brewed one up mid-October and although perfectly drinkable around Christmas an extra month and a half after made all the difference. I would advise getting this on early summer at the latest to ensure you have a really impressive Christmas beer.

At the recommended 7l brew length you should be looking at a beer in the 7.5-8% range with a touch of residual sweetness, some spice, good malt and hop balance and it really is "Christmas". Cold winters nights with twinkly tree lights were made for this beer!

I bottled in 33cl bottles just because I've got some nice glasses (actually Rick Stein's Chalky's Bite ones) which are just right for a 33cl bottle, but that aside a beer of this strength and complexity probably doesn't want to be guzzled in pints!!

I've pretty much vowed to do one of these every year now, it's that good!

Archtronics · Feb 9, 2012

As above I brew mine usually Feb to April time annd leave them plenty of time to condition before christmas, it has a really thick notable head (almost like whipped cream) but not a session drink to say the least.

jobby · Feb 9, 2012

im going to start on of these next week so its got loads of time : cheers:

shearclass · Feb 14, 2012

I would suggest that you do not brew this as per instructions.

The instructions say to bottle this with no priming sugar at 1.020. My brew reacehd this gravity after it had been in the FV for 2-3 days (can't rememebr exactly) so when i bottled it it was very cloudy.

This lead to a hgue amount of sediment in my bottles. With being bottled at 1.020 there is a lot of carbonation in the bottles too, and this tends to drag up the sediment. If you really chill the bottles you can get away with this though, so it's not the end of the world.

However, when i do this this year for next Christmas, I will probably rack at 1.020, chill, fine, then bottle. Alternatively I will ferment right out, fine, then bottle with priming suagr. I doubt that the priming sugar will change the flavour a noticable amount.

calumscott · Feb 15, 2012

I went with the instructions.

It took two and a half weeks to get down to 1.020!! It was cloudy when bottled but has now (after many months in the bottle) formed a decent pack and a decent fizz and still pours clear...

Do you remember any other factors of your brew? Temperature particularly?

shearclass · Feb 15, 2012

Checking my notes the kit was started on the 14th July and bottled on 17th July!

Temperature would have been 20-22 i guess, i don't have any recollection of over doing it temp wise. It was in the garage, and i may have used an immersion heater if i though it was going to be cold.

OldChuffey · Mar 3, 2012

I brewed this myself a couple of years ago. According to my records it took 5 days to get down to 1020 from an OG of 1060 (5.4%).

blackcountry pie · Oct 24, 2012

My stepson just passed his driving test so to celebrate the occasion i gave him one of my bottles of my xmas ales which i bottled in july, its amazing and its still fairly young cant wait for xmas day when it should be even better.
Heres to xmas. : cheers:

pollymorph · Oct 24, 2012

started mine a week ago (don't worry, not for this christmas) just checked and at a reading of 1.020 so might bung in secondary ferment to be left till May time before bottling.

Or would I be better to go straight for bottling?

critty · Oct 24, 2012

I have been looking at this beer myself. Want to do it but I am in two minds if I should rack to secondary or put in bottles myself. I can see pro's and con's for both.

pollymorph · Oct 25, 2012

popped it in second FV in the end, had a sneaky snifter and although still immature, it promises to be a very nice beer indeed

calumscott · Oct 25, 2012

I've just opened one of this year's bottles...

Did it properly and bottled at 1.020 like it said. Yum!

Another month and a half in the bottle and it'll be a bit special I reckon...

bigboots · Oct 27, 2012

Did this one early last autumn and tbh was quite disappointed with it. Not remotely up to what it promised to deliver.

Per pint it was an expensive brew.
This week I will be starting a dark ale ( not sure which one yet ). I will be adding a small muslin bag with Christmas spices in, eg. cinnamon, nutmeg,clove. Will also add orange peel and lemon peel to the bag, and will regularly test to make sure the extra flavouring doesn't become too overpowering!
By using a 40 pint kit I can adjust sugar levels/ alc content (probs 8.5/9%) :thumb: AND I get 40PINTS of nectar. : cheers:

This means I may even have a few bottles to give to friends. :roll:

Actually scrap that last comment, it's all for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :drink:

Jamthesun · Jan 15, 2013

I brewed one of these in Sept 2011 but realised that it wouldn't be at it's best so left it all until Christmas 2012. Don't worry I didn't go short - lots of other beers to drink!

I can't find the notes I made but from memory I left it to ferment for quite a while and I wasn't convinced about not priming so I did add a bit of sugar when bottling.

The result - a very fizzy beer - that'll teach me. The flavour I have to say didn't really appeal to me. It was okay. Nothing wrong with it, I was just expecting something a bit more interesting. It's a rich full beer but with nothing special to remark on.

I've done 3 Brewferm kits and I'm about to do my 4th. The Triple is absolutely fantastic. Gallia is not bad. Christmas as above. About to do Ambiorix. I am definitely going to try Grand Cru and Abbey too.

One thing to say about all the Brewferm kits I've done is that they don't have any of that distinctive homebrew taste you can get with some kits, but you do have to leave them a good long time. I've still got some Triple that is about 2 years old and it is just amazing.

peelman · Feb 7, 2013

I love this beer too. But 7 ltrs is never enough!
If I bough 2 kits and brewed them in the same FV would I put the 2 yeast packs in or just the 1??
Cheers

GJB · Jul 1, 2013

Bottled this yesterday in advance prep for Xmas!!

After 12 days in a 10L FV, had to resort to using a jug and pouring into unprimed Duvel bottles. Very little waste but what waste there was "ran" very easily - one tilt and it was like a swamp!

Managed to get 20 x 330ml Duvel bottles and one that maybe be too yeast filled to clear!

It smells very good, and on inspection this morning, the top 2 inch's seem to be clear already!

Now, where to put them so I cannot be tempted...

syzygy · Dec 24, 2013

Just cracked opened my 1st bottle of this I brewed in the summer.

Lovely stuff!!!

Lesinge · Dec 25, 2013

Brewed and bottled this around August, early September and left it untouched in the garage until yesterday. Lovely sweet dark beer, very full flavour but not a great head and I think from other posters and from the Internet that I should leave it for a few more months for it to be fully ready. I shall ake another one at the end of this coming Frb and leave it until next Christmas...

Andysbrew · Jun 12, 2014

Going to be brewing this over the weekend. Ready for Christmas 2015, should be good, might go for the smaller bottles as stated, too rich for having a pint of it....... have to see if I have enough Budweiser bottles and j20 bottles.

mompessons · Nov 7, 2015

I've just got this kit and about to brew it tonight, so looks like it wont be any where near ready for Christmas. :-(

Brewferm Xmas Ale Review

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