spice help with a holiday ale

[mookow]

Sunday I'm going to brew my first holiday brew. For a 5 gallon batch, what amount of ginger and cinnamon would you guys recommend? This will be a semi-attempt at a Great Lakes Christmas Ale clone, so that is about the level of spice I am looking for. Also, how do I prepare and when do I add the ginger and cinnamon?

This is really just a calibration batch of Drunk Santa Ale (that's what I'm calling it), but I'd like to get it somewhat reasonable.

[markaberrant]

Originally posted by mookow
Sunday I'm going to brew my first holiday brew. For a 5 gallon batch, what amount of ginger and cinnamon would you guys recommend? This will be a semi-attempt at a Great Lakes Christmas Ale clone, so that is about the level of spice I am looking for. Also, how do I prepare and when do I add the ginger and cinnamon?

This is really just a calibration batch of Drunk Santa Ale (that's what I'm calling it), but I'd like to get it somewhat reasonable.

Whatever you do, keep your hopping to a minimum with a spiced holiday ale. No aroma/flavour hops, and bitter to a BU:GU of .5

I used the following spices last year which came out just about right in a 1.075 beer:

added at 5 min left in boil:
4 sticks cinnamon
2 oz fresh ginger
1/2tsp nutmeg
1/4tsp clove
1/2tsp allspice