Winter Ale

I bought this kit back in June in order to prepare for the holidays. They recommend you give the beer a good 5-6 months for best results and I'd have to agree. Sure, you can drink it sooner, but to get all the flavors working together and make it a really great beer you need to give it time.

I brewed it and then gave it a month in a primary at around 68 degrees. I then racked to secondary for another 2 months at the same temp. Then I bottled the beer where they sat for another 2 months or so and they are just now really taking shape. I've tasted samples along the way and you can really tell how it improves with age.

I'd recommend this kit as an easy introduction to the style as long as you go into it knowing you can't rush a bigger beer if you want to get the best flavors. Plan ahead and start brewing this in the late summer or early autumn so it's in its prime by winter.

Brought this one to a brew club meeting and recv'd positive feedback. The only thing mentioned by the judges was a hint of oxidation probably from the liquid extract, otherwise a good beer. I would HIGHLY recommend using a yeast starter or extra packs of yeast, one pack is not enough. I would also crush the caraway seeds before boiling to bring out more of the flavor.

Brewed last night to give it time to be ready for this coming winter. Very impressed by the makeup of the kit, with the exception that this really should be sold with an option for 2 propagators- with a SG of 1.075, 100m yeast cells is not sufficient. I picked up a second smackpack locally. Obviously, you could culture a larger volume with a starter (I'll have that shortly), but I think you should offer it with 2 smackpacks and be clear that you really want to be pitching ~250m cells in this big baby.
I'll come back and update the progress...

This one is a home run! This one sat for 3 months in keg. I tapped it today after force carbing the brew. All I have to say is AWESOME . I will be brewing this one again for sure.

This is the third kit that I have brewed, and by far the longest one I have set in the fermenter. I took the advice of others and purchased 2 smackpacks for brewing. I let it sit in the primary for about a week and a half, and let it sit in the secondary for about 2-2.5 months. I believe that taking time with this one and letting it develop together in the carboy since it is a bigger beer was the way to go. No twangy taste that my others have had, this one is a hit! I waited 3 weeks after bottling, and wow what a head on this winter ale... The taste is lightly spiced, but with a great aroma and smoked flavor (not overpowering though!) It will keep me warm for the rest of the season, and only improve with age! Cheers!

Followed directions and just tasted first one after 2 months in bottle. Only used one smack pack and don't have equipment to do a starter. I think it came out just fine. Spicy, dark, and tasty. Two weeks in primary, two weeks secondary. Can certainly tell its a higher acohol beer. Overall very satisfied. Will be interesting to see if the flavor changes over the next couple months.

Really good winter ale. Loved the spices. Primary for one week. Secondary for 2.5 months. Bottles for 2.5 months. Deliciousness. Mind didn't carbonate the best, (probably user error) but still very good. Perhaps the best I've made in a year of brewing

This beer is a little pricey and takes a while to complete, but is well worth the wait. It is a rich, malty, slightly-spiced, unique flavor that hit the spot on a cold winter day. I let this baby sit in secondary for a full 5 months before bottling. Very pleased with results.

I decided to try this because Coors quit making their Winterfest beer a few Christmas ago. It was excellent. A week in a bucket and then racked it to a second bucket for a week. At that point we poured it into a keg. I didn't age it at all and started drinking it a couple of days later. I have to admit it was getting better a month later when I ran out. I'll try to let it age longer next time, I just have to make sure I have a second keg tapped so I won't drink that one until its ready.