Troeg’s Mad Elf
With
Christmas just around the corner, many breweries bring out their
seasonal beer. One of the tastiest that I have consumed is Troeg’s Mad
Elf. With an alcohol content around 11% it is not a beer that you pound
down, but is more of a sipping beer. I came up with a recipe that I
think would make a Mad Elf Clone but I haven’t tried it. Just one for
everyone to experiment with and should make a 5 gallon batch.
Ingredients:
4 pounds Pilsner Malt
4 pounds Munich Malt
1/2 pound Chocolate Malt
1 pound Honey
3.5 pounds Amber Liquid Malt Extract
2 pounds Amber Dry Malt Extract
4 ounces Cherry Juice concentrate
3/4 ounce Hallertau Hops for 50 minutes
1/4 ounce Saaz Hops for 20 minutes
Procedure:
Do
a partial mash with the grains. Add the honey and malt extracts and
bring to a boil. Add the hops and continue boiling. Chill and transfer
to primary fermenter. Add the yeast. I’m not sure what type Troeg’s
uses, but a Belgian style triple yeast would be real close. Or, you can
experiment and try different types by splitting up the batch. After
primary fermentation is complete, rack to secondary and add the cherry
juice. I would let this in the secondary for about 4 - 6 weeks before
bottling.
The Mad Elf Holiday Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 11% alcohol by volume
Hop Bitterness (IBU’s) : 15
Color (SRM) : Ruby Red
Availability: Seasonal, 12 oz. bottles, 1/2 and 1/6 kegs (contact your local retailer to pre-order)
Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Chocolate
Hops: Saaz, Hallertau
Yeast: Spicy Yeast
Pennsylvania Honey West Coast Cherries
The
Mad Elf, a cheerful creation to warm your heart and enlighten your
tongue. The combination of Cherries, Honey, and Chocolate Malts
delivers gentle fruits and subtle spices. Fermented and aged with a
unique yeast, this ruby red beer has significant warming strength that
underlies the pleasant character of this intriguing yet delicious Ale.
The Mad Elf, a jolly and delicious beer for the Holidays.
2006 Elf
First Batch Brewed: Wed., Aug. 16
Cases Go on Sale: Monday, Oct. 30
Tasting Room Keg Tapped: November 4
Kegs Go on Sale: Nov. 20th
Ok I have a question I am a beginner at making beer. But I have seen from other people that they add about 3/4 cups of sugar to the mixture before they bottle. Would I need to do this for this recipe you have posted also?