Home for the Holidays Red Ale

About a week before brew combine 1 vanilla bean and 1/4 tsp cardamom
seed (both coarsely ground) in 3 oz. vodka. Add this "tea" to priming
bucket when bottling.

Brewer:	Charlie Mangum		Email:	hnsguy@aol.com
Beer:	Home for the Holidays Red Ale		Style:	American Amber Ale
Type:	Extract w/grain		Size:	5.5 gallons
Color:	19 HCU (~11 SRM)		Bitterness:	29 IBU
OG:	1.051		FG:	1.010
Alcohol:	5.3% v/v (4.2% w/w)
Grain:	4 oz. Wheat malt 1 lb. American crystal 60L .5 oz. Roasted barley
Steep:	Put 1.5 gallons distilled water in brew pot. Add specialty grains (in muslin bag). Bring to 160° F over 30 minutes. Remove grain bag.
Boil:	60 minutes	SG 1.188	1.5 gallons
	4 lb. Light dry malt extract 2 lb. Honey
	Bring wort to a rolling boil and remove from heat. Add extract and honey, stirring well. When extracts are completely dissolved return to boil. Add the Northern Brewers hops at beginning of boil and the Williamette 30 minutes later. Add 1 tsp. Irish moss and .5 oz. Williamette hops at last 15 minutes. At 2 minutes to end of boil add .5 oz. Williamette hops. Add to 3.5 gallons distilled water (in primary fermenter) and pitch yeast when wort is below 70° F.
Hops:	1 oz. Northern Brewer (8.5% AA, 60 min.) 1 oz. Willamette (5% AA, 30 min.) .5 oz. Willamette (5% AA, 15 min.) .5 oz. Willamette (aroma)
Yeast:	White Labs WLP004- Irish Ale Yeast
Log:	Ferment in primary @ 65-68° F for 3-5 days or when fermentation slows noticeably. Rack to secondary for 1 week. When bottling, prime with 1 cup of dried malt extract boiled in 1 pint water for 5 minutes and add vodka "tea". Age 3 to 4 weeks and enjoy.
Tasting:	Really good! The spices were just enough to taste, but not overpowering. I bottled on 11/9/1999 and popped the first one on Thanksgiving Day. At first that cardamom seemed stronger than the vanilla, but now (12/19/1999) the spices are more balanced. Beer color more to the deep amber than red. Next time, I'll add more Crystal 60L.

Recipe posted 12/20/99.