Holiday Rye

For the holiday's this year I wanted to make three beers to add some variety to the beer I give as gifts. I decided to make a spiced rye to go with the annual Cranberry Kolsch and a second go at my Orange Ale, which was very good but this time I will spice a little heavier for the season.

I really dumped in the malts with this one going a little overboard with the number of specialty malts. I must have already had a few beers before structuring this recipe because it appears I formed it while looking at the jars of malt rather than thinking it through.

I would have like to added some orange to this but I didn't have any around, so I added a 1/2 cup of Apricot Brandy to secondary. I used this brandy in secondary of an imperial wit and it turned out nice, so what the hell. I also dumped some frozen raspberries from the garden into secondary and I don't expect much from them but again, what the hell?

Holiday Rye Recipe:

Specifics:
5.25 gallons
OG 1.056
TG 1.014
SRM 18.71
IBU 45

Grain:
3 lbs. US 2-row
5 lbs. Rye Malt
.5 lbs. Crystal Rye
.5 lbs. Special Roast
.5 lbs. Flaked Maize
.5 lbs. Amber Malt
.5 lbs. Vienna Malt
.5 lbs. Mild Malt
.25 lbs. Caramel 60L
.25 lbs. Aromatic
.25 lbs. Melanoidin
.25 lbs. Carawheat
.25 lbs. Carared

Hops:
1 oz. Northern Brewer @ 60 min
.5 oz Centennial @ 20 min
.5 oz Northern Brewer @ 5 min
.5 oz Centennial @ 5 min

Yeast:
Safbrew T-58

Extras:
1/3 Cup Molasses at 20 min
2 oz Fenugreek at 10 min
Star of Anise, 3 stars--left whole at 5 min
Black Cardamom, 3 pods--seeds crushed at 5 min
2 oz Elderberries at 5 min
1/2 Cup Apricot Brandy to Secondary
12 oz Frozen Raspberries to Secondary

Notes: Collected 7 gallons of wort and boiled down to 5.25 gallons in one hour.