Spicy Winter Ale

This is my first shot at a spicey winter ale. Had trouble with my RIMS, and could not stabalize mash temperature right away, ended up with some scorching in the bottom of the mash kettle. Oh well, I was committed at that point so we'll see what happens.

Brewer:	Cheesehead Mike		Email:	mmayer13@aol.com
Beer:	Spicy Winter Ale		Style:	English Strong (Extra Special) Bitter
Type:	All grain		Size:	10 gallons
Color:	21 HCU (~12 SRM)		Bitterness:	19 IBU
OG:	1.072		FG:	1.022
Alcohol:	6.5% v/v (5.1% w/w)
Water:	Ran all water through 5.0 micron filter
Grain:	18.0 lb. British pale 1 lb. Belgian aromatic 1 lb. Belgian biscuit 8 oz. Belgian Special B 1 lb. Flaked wheat
Mash:	64% efficiency
	Used 8.5gal of water, protien rest at 131° F for 15 minutes, raised to (153° to 158° F) for 1 hour 15 minutes. Had trouble stabalizing temperature for about 10 minutes.
Boil:	90 minutes	SG 1.052	14 gallons
	5 lb. Honey
	At 15 minutes I added the following spices: 4-6" Cinnamon sticks 1 oz grated ginger 2 oz grated orang peel 1 tsp ground nutmeg 3 tsp ground allspice 1 tbs cardamon
Hops:	0.90 oz. Tettnanger (4.5% AA, 60 min.) 1.35 oz. Styrian Goldings (5.5% AA, 30 min.) 0.45 oz. Styrian Goldings (5.5% AA, 15 min.)
Yeast:	Chilled using counterflow chiller to 65° F, aerated, and pitched 1056 yeast slurry from local brewery. Will ferment in primary for 7 days, secondary for 14 days.
Log:	Brewed 10/26/02, 1 week in primary, 2 weeks in secondary, chilled to 40 degrees, filtered (5 micron filter) and kegged 11/16/02.
Carbonation:	Not there yet.
Tasting:	I tasted the beer just prior to kegging, Wow, the spices are overwelming! Should be great in a couple of months.

Recipe posted 11/16/02.