Winter Home Brew Ideas Pt. 2
What Will You Brew This Winter?
Hello there, and welcome back to our blog! Here at Brau Supply, we love all things beer. We love drinking beer, talking about beer, and, as you may have already guessed, brewing beer. Brewing beer on your very own home brew system is, in our opinion, one of the most satisfying tasks that a person can undertake and is a great hobby to get into. In today’s post, we are going to continue where we left off last time and continue to go over another beer style that we feel is a great brew for the coming winter months. Continue reading below to learn more.
Winter Warmers
Winter warmers are a style of beer that, unfortunately, many people are unfamiliar with. While stouts, porters, and other malt heavy beers receive the lion’s share of attention during the colder months of the year, winter warmers have been a traditional winter beer for centuries. Like most types of beer, winter warmers are actually a variation of another type of beer. Old ales, sometimes called strong ales, are a traditional category of English beers that feature dark colors, strong malt flavors, and an ABV that is generally above 5 percent. Developed in London, old ales historically served as a complement to mild ales and were set apart by the amount of secondary fermentation that took place from the Brettanomyces yeast that was present in the beer. Eventually, winter warmers developed as a variation of these strong ales, featuring a distinct malty-sweet flavoring. This style of beer is typically dark, although not as dark as a stout, contains a heavy malt presence and contains spices that are added at various stages of the brewing process. Winter warmers are typically higher in ABV than their strong ale brethren with the average alcohol content falling in the 6 to 8 percent range.
Although a little more involved than other beers, winter warmers are one of our favorite beers to brew at home. The heavy male presence and the freedom to choose different combinations of spices makes winter warmers a fun and challenging brew. In addition to being a delicious style of beer, winter warmers make great Christmas gifts and, if you start brewing now, you will have plenty of time to make a batch to give away to friends or family.
Thank you for taking the time to read our short blog series on the types of winter beers that we here at Brau Supply enjoy brewing the most. While we only listed out two styles, there are many different styles of beers that are perfect for winter so don’t limit yourself to just the styles that we have listed out. Home brewing is about getting creative, exploring different beer styles, and enjoying the creative aspect of making a beer that is entirely your own. If after reading this blog you want to try your hand at brewing a winter warmer but don’t have the home brew system with which to accomplish this task, please visit our website and browse our selection of products.
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