[Pawtucket Patriot]

For my 150th batch, which I'll brew later this month, I'll be brewing my first barleywine.  I don't usually brew big beers; I prefer 4-6% beers most of the time.  Anyway, this is sort of a milestone for me, so I'm going big!

Here's what I've got so far.  Any of you barleywine connoisseurs out there have any suggestions?

American Barleywine
19-C American Barleywine
Author: Matt Schwandt

Size: 5.26 gal
Efficiency: 65.0%
Attenuation: 78.0%
Calories: 343.19 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.102 (1.080 - 1.120)
Terminal Gravity: 1.023 (1.016 - 1.030)
Color: 15.22 (10.0 - 19.0)
Alcohol: 10.62% (8.0% - 12.0%)
Bitterness: 101.5 (50.0 - 120.0)

Ingredients:
18 lb (75.0%) 2-Row - added during mash
4.5 lb (18.8%) Light Munich - added during mash
.75 lb (3.1%) Caramel Malt 60L  - added during mash
.50 lb (2.1%) Victory® Malt - added during mash
.25 lb (1.0%) Caramel Malt 120L - added during mash
1.75 oz (25.9%) Columbus (12.9%) - added during boil, boiled 60 m
1.5 oz (22.2%) Centennial (8.7%) - added during boil, boiled 20 m
1.5 oz (22.2%) Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 20 m
1 oz (14.8%) Centennial (9.0%) - added during boil, boiled 1 m
1 oz (14.8%) Columbus (12.9%) - added during boil, boiled 1 m
2 ea Fermentis US-56 American Ale
1 ea Danstar  Nottingham (Bottling)

Notes
Single infusion batch sparge
-Saccharification @ 154*F [60 min]
-Mashout @ 165*F [10 min]
-Sparge @ 170*F [10 min]

-Primary for 1 month
-Secondary for 2 months
-Add 1 pkg Nottingham dry yeast to bottling bucket when bottling
-Bottle condition for as long as humanly possible before cracking one open!

[hopfenundmalz]

You might want some of that 2 Row to be Marris Otter.

The most important thing that I have found to make a good barleywine is to have very good temperature control in the fermantation. You don't want that running away as it can in a big beer. I assume 2 packs hits what mrmalty says for pitch rate.

Good luck!

[majorvices]

If this is your first beer that big you may want to have some DME on hand to make up for a possible unexpected low efficiency.

[morticaixavier]

This may be a personaly taste thing but I don't like any crystal in BW. I think that with a gravity that high you will get plenty of body.

+1 to the marris otter suggestion or, what I do, is way up the light munich. in fact, that's all I use in barley wine.

I like the hop schedule for an AmBW. I may be totally off on a wrong tack here but in my mind the difference between a English BW and an American BW is a more aggressive hop profile combined with recipe and technique that allow for much younger enjoyment so those hops are still bright and present.

Course, I LOVE bigfoot after 3 or 4 years in the bottle so I could be wrong.

[Pawtucket Patriot]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

Keith, good idea re: keeping some DME on hand.  That's easy enough, as I have several pounds on hand for making starters.

Also, I was actually thinking about incorporating some Maris Otter.  I just picked up a 50# sack of Warminster Floor-Malted MO that I've been itching to dig into, so I'll work it in there.  Would you suggest a 50:50 split between 2-row and MO?

[rjharper]

I add 1% C120L to my American Barleywine, as well as oats and wheat for that thick chewy mouthfeel. If this is a 19C, I think you are way short on hops.  I go against most thinking on dry hopping, as my BWs are dry hopped for at least a month, preferably longer.  I know people say that's too long, and 5 days is good, but for something that's suppose to age, you don't want so much fresh hop as that little bit dank and resinous flavor IMHO. My last BW recipe was. 1.104 OG, 120 IBU with columbus, chinook, cluster and cascade, and sat on 4oz of cascade for 6 weeks.  It's taken 3 golds so far this year, and runner up BOS.

[Pawtucket Patriot]

I add 1% C120L to my American Barleywine, as well as oats and wheat for that thick chewy mouthfeel. If this is a 19C, I think you are way short on hops.  I go against most thinking on dry hopping, as my BWs are dry hopped for at least a month, preferably longer.  I know people say that's too long, and 5 days is good, but for something that's suppose to age, you don't want so much fresh hop as that little bit dank and resinous flavor IMHO. My last BW recipe was. 1.104 OG, 120 IBU with columbus, chinook, cluster and cascade, and sat on 4oz of cascade for 6 weeks.  It's taken 3 golds so far this year, and runner up BOS.

101.05 IBUs isn't enough?     If the taste threshold is right around 100 IBUs, then why waste hops by increasing IBUs?  If you're talking about the lack of dry hops, I get that.  I might think about dry hopping.

[dannyjed]

I always use an entire slurry from a 1050 ish beer and a blow off tube is a must.  100 IBU's might seem like a lot, but if you plan on ageing this the hops will fade over time.

[hamiltont]

Just throwing this out if you have the capacity (mash & fermentation)...  You could do a parti-gyle and get 2 beers for just a little more work. I usually approach big beers this way (Barleywine, RIS, Strong Scotch). Your 2nd beer could be an APA or similar. Good Luck regardless...  Cheers!!!

[rjharper]

I add 1% C120L to my American Barleywine, as well as oats and wheat for that thick chewy mouthfeel. If this is a 19C, I think you are way short on hops.  I go against most thinking on dry hopping, as my BWs are dry hopped for at least a month, preferably longer.  I know people say that's too long, and 5 days is good, but for something that's suppose to age, you don't want so much fresh hop as that little bit dank and resinous flavor IMHO. My last BW recipe was. 1.104 OG, 120 IBU with columbus, chinook, cluster and cascade, and sat on 4oz of cascade for 6 weeks.  It's taken 3 golds so far this year, and runner up BOS.

101.05 IBUs isn't enough?     If the taste threshold is right around 100 IBUs, then why waste hops by increasing IBUs?  If you're talking about the lack of dry hops, I get that.  I might think about dry hopping.

Yes, I meant you have no dry hops. Bitterness is fine but Am. BW needs a noticeable hop presence beyond bitterness.

[The Professor]

Looks pretty good...I  agree with the suggestion of having some DME on hand, or using some sugar (that's what I use in mine...it's a traditional ingredient and not evil  )  If you opt to use some sugar in the boil, I'd keep the crystal malt in there.  Come to think of it, I'd keep it in there anyway.

Also, I'd personally keep it in secondary for longer...but that's just me (some of my barleywines/Burton ales have stayed in secondary for a year).   I just find that it results in (to me) a better brew and lessens the likelihood of  foamouts or bottle bombs for those bottles that make it to the two year mark (or longer)...and it's those bottles that will be the best tasting, hands down.  You will wish you had made more or, at the very least, you'll wish that you had saved more.  Trust me on this.

[mihalybaci]

Also, I'd personally keep it in secondary for longer...but that's just me (some of my barleywines/Burton ales have stayed in secondary for a year).   I just find that it results in (to me) a better brew and lessens the likelihood of  foamouts or bottle bombs for those bottles that make it to the two year mark (or longer)...and it's those bottles that will be the best tasting, hands down.  You will wish you had made more or, at the very least, you'll wish that you had saved more.  Trust me on this.

So there's a difference between bulk ageing and bottle ageing? Say you made two batches of barleywine and bottled one after one month and bottled the other after 10 months, then tasted both after one year total conditioning time (carboy+bottle), do you think there would be a big difference?

[lornemagill]

+1 party gyle

[garc_mall]

Also, I'd personally keep it in secondary for longer...but that's just me (some of my barleywines/Burton ales have stayed in secondary for a year).   I just find that it results in (to me) a better brew and lessens the likelihood of  foamouts or bottle bombs for those bottles that make it to the two year mark (or longer)...and it's those bottles that will be the best tasting, hands down.  You will wish you had made more or, at the very least, you'll wish that you had saved more.  Trust me on this.

So there's a difference between bulk ageing and bottle ageing? Say you made two batches of barleywine and bottled one after one month and bottled the other after 10 months, then tasted both after one year total conditioning time (carboy+bottle), do you think there would be a big difference?

My understanding is that it is more about consistency (and in this case left over sugars). If you bottle a barleywine after 1 month, and then age for a year, the yeast all change the beer in slightly different ways. If you bulk age, all of the beer ages the same way.

[rjharper]

Also, I'd personally keep it in secondary for longer...but that's just me (some of my barleywines/Burton ales have stayed in secondary for a year).   I just find that it results in (to me) a better brew and lessens the likelihood of  foamouts or bottle bombs for those bottles that make it to the two year mark (or longer)...and it's those bottles that will be the best tasting, hands down.  You will wish you had made more or, at the very least, you'll wish that you had saved more.  Trust me on this.

So there's a difference between bulk ageing and bottle ageing? Say you made two batches of barleywine and bottled one after one month and bottled the other after 10 months, then tasted both after one year total conditioning time (carboy+bottle), do you think there would be a big difference?

My understanding is that it is more about consistency (and in this case left over sugars). If you bottle a barleywine after 1 month, and then age for a year, the yeast all change the beer in slightly different ways. If you bulk age, all of the beer ages the same way.

I'm happy to be corrected, but I'm not sure I buy that theory.  A properly mixed beer with priming solution should be homogenous from racking into the bottling bucket, so there should not be inconsistencies like that. Yes I can understand bulk aging to be sure you don't bottle too early and avoid bottle bombs from tired yeast, but I don't buy the argument that they'll all have different sugar amounts in there if you don't.  To me that just suggests poor bottling practice.