Brew Dudes

The Jar of Destiny series keeps things unpredictable as we continue this homebrewing challenge with pick number eighteen. We continue pulling random styles from the 2015 BJCP guidelines with no preparation beforehand. That randomness is what makes this challenge fun, frustrating, but educational. This round gave us two very different beer styles to figure out. Both styles bring unique challenges, especially within a three-month brewing window. The goal is simple: learn the style, brew the best version we can, and come back to taste it.

What Did The Jar Give Us This Time?

16A – Sweet Stout
For my pick, I landed on a sweet stout, also known as a milk stout. This style relies on lactose to create residual sweetness without fermenting out completely. The challenge is balancing that “sweetness” with the right roasted malt profile.  The roasted grains need to support the “sweetness” without becoming too bitter or harsh. I have brewed this style a couple of times before, but not recently. That means I will likely revisit some commercial examples before brewing to dial in expectations.

I put sweetness in quotes because I never really tasted sweetness from lactose in beer.

28C – Wild Specialty Beer

Mike pulled a wild specialty ale, which is essentially a flexible, experimental category. The base beer can be anything, but the defining feature is mixed fermentation. This could include Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, or other microbes contributing sour or funky characteristics. Unlike kettle sours, this approach takes longer and can be unpredictable. Mike discussed possibly culturing microbes from bottle dregs or even experimenting with a coolship method. Time is the biggest constraint here, since wild ales often benefit from extended aging. He may end up doing an early sample for the deadline and revisiting it later.

See You Again In A Few Months

This round highlights how different brewing approaches can be within the same challenge. The sweet stout focuses on balance and drinkability, while the wild ale leans into experimentation and time. Both styles require thoughtful planning, especially given the three-month turnaround. We will need to start brewing quickly to stay on schedule. It will be interesting to see how each beer develops by tasting time. The real takeaway is that the Jar of Destiny continues to push us outside our comfort zones. That is where the best learning happens in homebrewing.

The Jar of Destiny handed us Rauchbier, a smoked beer style that can be intense. I have brewed smoked beers before, but they can easily become overpowering. This time, Mike aimed for balance and restraint instead of full smoke dominance. The goal was simple: keep the smoke present, but let the base beer shine through.

The Recipe and Tasting Notes

Mike built this Rauchbier on a Märzen-style foundation with a restrained smoke profile.

Water:
50/50 spring water and tap water
Small additions of gypsum and magnesium sulfate

Grain Bill:
44% Pilsner malt
29% Beechwood smoked malt
15% Light Munich malt
11% Caramunich II (45L)
1% Carafa Special II (450L)

Hops:
Hallertau Mittelfrüh at 60 minutes
Small addition at flameout

Yeast:
1 packet of Saflager 34/70

Mash & Fermentation:
Mash at 152°F for 90 minutes
Slight temperature drop during fermentation, then corrected

Batch Details:

Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.016
ABV: ~4.5%
Bitterness: just under 20 IBUs
Color: ~12 SRM

Our Thoughts on Rauchbier

The beer pours a dark amber with lighter highlights and an off-white head. The aroma carries a pleasant, inviting smoke without being aggressive. On the flavor side, the smoke becomes more noticeable but stays balanced. There is a smooth, malty backbone with bready and toasted notes supporting the profile.

Compared to heavier smoked beers, this version avoids the “liquid bacon” effect. Instead, it leans into subtle smokiness that complements the base beer. That said, the flavor still evokes strong food memories like ham, baked beans, or sausage. It is one of those beers that pairs naturally with hearty, outdoor meals.

This beer lands in a really interesting place. The smoke is clearly present but never overwhelming. That balance makes it far more drinkable than many examples of the style. It feels like a fall beer, perfect for cool evenings and backyard cookouts.

Rauchbier remains a niche style. The smoky character is distinctive and tied closely to food memories, which can be polarizing. We enjoyed this version quite a bit, but we are still undecided on how often we would brew it.

What stood out most is how well the restrained approach worked. Keeping the smoke around 30% instead of pushing higher made all the difference. It allowed the Märzen-style base to come through cleanly while still delivering that signature Rauchbier character.

Thanks Jar. BREW ON!

The Jar of Destiny handed me a Winter Seasonal Beer in the 17th round. It’s 30C on the ol’ BJCP list. This style leans into cold weather, holiday flavors, and festive spice character.

In response, I wanted to brew something drinkable, balanced, and true to the season. Instead of guessing, I worked from a Harpoon Winter Warmer clone recipe.

My goal was simple: present spice without overwhelming the base beer. Here is my response to this JOD homebrewing challenge!

John’s Harpoon Winter Warmer Clone Recipe

Water:
SO4-2: 91 PPM
Cl- : 78 PPM

Grains:
9.5 pounds of Rahr American 2-Row Malt (4.3 Kg – 78% of grain bill)
2 pounds of Briess 90L Crystal Malt (0.9 Kg – 17% of grain bill)
8 ounces of Briess 20L Crystal Malt (226 g – 4% of grain bill)
2 ounces of Weyerman Carafa Type II Malt (56 g – 1% of grain bill)

Hops:
1 ounce (28g) of Saaz hops (6.5%AA) at 60 minutes to go in the boil

Spices:
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon (0.65 g)
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg (0.3 g)

Yeast:
1 packet of Safbrew S-33 Ale Yeast

Instructions:
Mash the grains at 154 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes.
Boil for 60 minutes, then cool, aerate, and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 70 °F (21 °C) for 1 week. Chilled for a few days. Then, add cinnamon and nutmeg in a keg when racking. Carbonated to 2.5 volumes.

Statistics:
Original Gravity: 1.058
Final Gravity: 1.012
IBUs: 29
SRM: 31°
ABV: 6.04%

How Did It Turn Out?

The finished beer poured a deep mahogany color with a rich aroma with cinnamon and nutmeg leading immediately, but not aggressively so. The aroma came across like holiday cookies or fresh gingerbread.

Flavor followed the same path with a strong malt backbone underneath. Crystal malts played a huge role in body and perceived sweetness. The spice balance worked perfectly without becoming cloying or sharp. Mike picked up ginger and even some vanilla-like impressions. We think those notes came from the malt structure enhancing familiar flavor memories. The yeast added a subtle fermentation character that supported the profile.

The result was a beer that felt festive, but still very drinkable. It avoided the common trap of being overly sweet or heavily spiced.

This batch proved that balance is everything in a winter seasonal beer. Small spice additions go a long way when paired correctly. In this recipe. crystal malts were essential for building body and flavor depth. The beer hit a sweet spot between holiday character and drinkability.

This is a style I usually avoid, but this version changed my mind. Next time, I would brew it earlier to have it ready for December and make it a gift for people.