Excited to get back into it!

[McSwervy]

I haven't brewed anything in probably close to 10 years, and I'm both excited, and a little sad.

I'm excited to get brewing again, but I'm sad because the reason is that Bell's got rid of Winter White/Bright White whatever they were calling it before they stopped.

And don't start with Oberon Eclipse - not the same.

Happy brewing!

 

[Kevin58]

There are clues online about this beer... the Bells website says "a blend of barley and wheat malts", and that it is fermented "with a Belgian ale yeast strain", it goes on to say "a mixture of clove and fruity aromas, all without the use of any spices". The last part indicates that the clove-like aromas all come from that Belgian yeast. Another clue comes from other websites who all describe this beer as "a stylish and refreshing Wheat Ale" so a solid base for your version should be a wheat or Belgian witbier.

Also, despite the marketing and hype statement of it being "an alternative to dark and heavy winter warmers and stouts" it is not a high alcohol beer coming in at just 5% ABV.

There is a good description of this beer here: https://thefullpint.com/beer-reviews/bells-winter-ale/

There are clone recipes online but I hesitate to link to any of them. Recipes found on most online databases are unvetted and can cause a brewer much more frustration than success.

One last note... this is a seasonal beer and summer is only now coming to an end here in Michigan where Bell's is brewed. I usually don't see this one on store shelves until late October or early November.

 

[McSwervy]

That’s really interesting because I haven’t actually seen this beer in a couple of years but maybe they do still make it? I didn’t even think to look at their website.

Thanks for the tips, though! I always thought more wit than wheat, but their website does make it sound more wheat.

I have a follow up question - does BeerSmith 2 have most features of 3 other than the cloud recipes? When I was still brewing heavily it managed to do everything I ever needed it for, and I’m not a fan of subscriptions for software.

 

[Kevin58]

Version 2 will still do what you want but if possible I suggest moving to version 3... and are you aware that version 4 is coming out soon? I've been a subscriber since before v.3 was released but I don't recall the changes. I do remember that they were significant enough to entice me to upgrade as soon as v.3 came out.

 

[The Klondike]

I haven't brewed anything in probably close to 10 years

Welcome back, I myself recently am returning of a 15-18 year hiatus. I wonder if you still have all or most of your brewing/fermenting gear?

 

[NovaElyse]

Hello!