Best Christmas Kits

[St. Ailbhe's Brewery]

What would ye recommend for a Christmas kit? I tweaked a Cooper's Dark Ale myself last year amd it was grand, but I want to see what the commercial kits are like.

Santa's Winter Warmer?

Donner and Blitzed?

Dasher the Flasher?

[Barloch]

Not actually done one yet, i was going to adapt a coopers bitter, but bought a Dasher the flasher, so will do this in a couple of weeks

[Monkeybrew]

What would ye recommend for a Christmas kit? I tweaked a Cooper's Dark Ale myself last year amd it was grand, but I want to see what the commercial kits are like.

Santa's Winter Warmer?

Donner and Blitzed?

Dasher the Flasher?

My work collegue brewed the Munton's Santa's Winter Warmer for last Xmas, and the 2 bottles that he gave me were very nice and malty and fruity

I would personally recommend Woodfordes Headcracker as a good Xmas brew if you like a hoppier ale

[St. Ailbhe's Brewery]

Yeah, I want fruit and I want spice. Would I ruin it if I tossed in some mulled wine mix?

[HantsBrewer]

I've brewed Santas Winter Warmer a couple of years ago, and I would concur that it is a very nice drop indeed. Had some people staying with us for that Christmas and New Year, and all 40 pints were consumed over those few days.

I've also brewed The Brewferm Christmas beer before, but wasn't too impressed. I'm usually a big fan of Brewferm kits, but the Christmas beer just didn't taste right to me.

[Pinto]

I'd put on a gallon or two of my Cinnamon & Clove Turbo cider recipie aged 6 months it'll make a fab xmas tipple or base for a mulled cider.

I have a brewferm xmas aging right now - im hoping that Hants Brewer's one was just a duff batch I'd be seriously dissapointed if I had a BrewFerm failure

[Barloch]

drinking a few innis and gun with rum finish. liked it that much just got a donner and blitz. just due to the description.

rum hint. anyone know if it's similar?

[St. Ailbhe's Brewery]

Got a Winter Warmer yesterday.

When do I tip the rum in!?

[lee1]

havent brewed it yet but muntons santas winter warmer is supposed to be the buissness its deffinatly on my christmas list

[graemet]

i made brewferm christrmas last year and it went down a treat. i only had one myself the rest were snatched up. I'm making a double batch this year to try to get some for myself.
i'm also making an attempt at an imperial stout, a mate gave me a recipe he used lastyear. coopers stout, coopers dark ale, coopers lager, a kilo of brewing sugar, a jar of holland and barrett malt, brewed to 25l. it was hard on the arms getting that much syrup to dissolve, but it's going like the clappers with the usual "coopers spew" a la ditch's stout. should be drinkable for christmas, and if i can keep a few, awesome for next year.

[Anigel]

The OH loves Santas Winter Warmer, Just brewed it again actually and its just conditioning in the keg.

I've Also just bought a Milestone Donner and Blitzed kit ready to try but as I haven't brewed that one before, I can't really say what its like.

[St. Ailbhe's Brewery]

Made up the Santa's Winter Warmer.

Juiced and zested two oranges and two lemons.
Added some nutmeg, cinnamon, all spice, ginger and a couple handfulls of cloves. A cup of soft brown sugar too, and a couple handfuls of mixed fruit (raisins, sultana, currants etc.) Glug of brandy for luck! Boiled it for about 45 minutes, and strained it. Added it to the FV.

It's starting out at 1.060, so it's going to be a good bit stronger than I was aiming for...

[St. Ailbhe's Brewery]

Right, a week on and this has brewed down to 1.018ish. I'll leave it alone for another week but does that strike ye as very high?

I didn't use the Munton's yeast either, Safale SO4 it was, the blue one.

That said, it did have a very high gravity to begin with, so can it be expected to finish high if it starts high?

Thanks.