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Author Topic: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback  (Read 3378 times)

Offline SecondRow_Sean

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Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« on: January 13, 2014, 03:02:21 pm »
I'm looking to make a belgian-ish barleywine for my brother's wedding, and I'd like to hear some feedback. I've never done a bw before, so this is mostly a shot in the dark.


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.48 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.18 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal   
Bottling Volume: 5.20 gal
Estimated OG: 1.113 SG
Estimated Color: 18.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 63.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 76.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 83.3 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
16 lbs                Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM)          Grain         1        72.7 %       
4 lbs                 Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)         Grain         2        18.2 %       
1 lbs                 Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)               Grain         3        4.5 %         
3.00 oz               Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - First Wort 6 Hop           4        39.0 IBUs     
1 lbs                 Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM)             Sugar         5        4.5 %         
2.00 oz               Tradition [6.00 %] - Boil 45.0 min       Hop           6        24.1 IBUs     
2.00 oz               Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Aroma Steep  Hop           7        0.0 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Belgian Abbey II (Wyeast Labs #1762) [12 Yeast         8        -             


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 22 lbs
----------------------------
Name              Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Mash In           Add 27.00 qt of water at 161.1 F        150.0 F       90 min       

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 3.86gal) of 168.0 F water

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2014, 03:32:50 pm »
Just to be clear, are you intending this as a quad, or as a loosely Belgian - type barleywine ?
Jon H.

Offline dannyjed

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2014, 03:41:10 pm »
It looks like you have a hoppy Quad. Also, a beer like this might not start to meld together nicely until 8-12 months in the bottle.
Dan Chisholm

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2014, 03:48:03 pm »
Yep.  If it is intended as a quad, I'd back the IBUs to ~30 IBUs and drop the clear candi in favor of ~ 2lbs of dark candi syrup for the dark fruit/rummy notes of a great quad.  You could drop base malt back until you hit your target OG. Love the choice of yeast - 1762 is my favorite yeast for a quad. Good luck !
Jon H.

Offline SecondRow_Sean

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2014, 04:02:04 pm »
Just to be clear, are you intending this as a quad, or as a loosely Belgian - type barleywine ?

More of a Belgiany-ish barleywine.

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2014, 04:04:24 pm »
It looks like you have a hoppy Quad. Also, a beer like this might not start to meld together nicely until 8-12 months in the bottle.

I don't know about that. If you use enough yeast and take care of them properly (lots of o2 or air at least, keep the ferm cool) there is no reason why it can't be good in 3 months or less. A well made American Barley wine should be drinkable as soon as it's carbed really.

Sure it will get better over time but that's half the fun with big beers like this. Taste them young and then age them to savor on anniversaries.


That being said, I'd either go with a darker candi sugar that has some flavor or save the money and use table sugar.
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Offline erockrph

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2014, 07:08:23 pm »
Overall, it looks pretty good to me. I'll agree with the recommendations about the sugar. Clear Candi Syrup is a waste of $$$, IMO. You get no real flavor contribution from it at all. I'd use plain table sugar if you're not looking for any flavor from your syrup addition. But I'd encourage you to use some Dark Candi Syrup (I like a pound each of D-90 and D-180 for some added complexity) if you really want to highlight that awesome plum/dried cherry note from the Special B and 1762.

If you're going for more of a Barleywine with Belgian accents, then ferment really cool. Like 60-62F. That will keep the banana esters real low, but you'll still get some of the fruit that you're looking for from the 1762.

One other option for yeast is WY3864 (Canadian-Belgian, i.e., Unibroue), which is currently available as a Private Collection strain through March. When fermented cool it is in the same ballpark as 1762, but will ferment a tad drier. It's more plums than dried cherries to me, and has a bit more spice. It also lets a lot of malt flavor through. It's probably my favorite Belgian strain, and I really wish it was available year-round.
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Offline SecondRow_Sean

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2014, 07:49:50 am »
Overall, it looks pretty good to me. I'll agree with the recommendations about the sugar. Clear Candi Syrup is a waste of $$$, IMO. You get no real flavor contribution from it at all. I'd use plain table sugar if you're not looking for any flavor from your syrup addition. But I'd encourage you to use some Dark Candi Syrup (I like a pound each of D-90 and D-180 for some added complexity) if you really want to highlight that awesome plum/dried cherry note from the Special B and 1762.

If you're going for more of a Barleywine with Belgian accents, then ferment really cool. Like 60-62F. That will keep the banana esters real low, but you'll still get some of the fruit that you're looking for from the 1762.

One other option for yeast is WY3864 (Canadian-Belgian, i.e., Unibroue), which is currently available as a Private Collection strain through March. When fermented cool it is in the same ballpark as 1762, but will ferment a tad drier. It's more plums than dried cherries to me, and has a bit more spice. It also lets a lot of malt flavor through. It's probably my favorite Belgian strain, and I really wish it was available year-round.

Awesome, thanks for the advice. I'll switch to dark candi syrup, and I didn't realize the Unibroue strain was available again. I may have to give that a try, I love love love their ales.

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2014, 07:51:57 am »
I didn't realize the Unibroue strain was available again. I may have to give that a try, I love love love their ales.

You can always culture it up from their bottles.
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2014, 08:14:12 am »
Sounds great but gotta say:    1.113OG + Belgian yeast + Special B + Dark Candi  =  straight Quad to me.  This isn't a knock - quad is one of my favorites. 
Jon H.

Offline SecondRow_Sean

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2014, 08:55:16 am »
I didn't realize the Unibroue strain was available again. I may have to give that a try, I love love love their ales.

You can always culture it up from their bottles.

I tried that a couple of times, but it didn't seem to work. User error, I'm sure.

Offline denny

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2014, 09:01:32 am »
Sounds great but gotta say:    1.113OG + Belgian yeast + Special B + Dark Candi  =  straight Quad to me.  This isn't a knock - quad is one of my favorites.

Yep.  I don't really see anything BW-ish about it.
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Offline majorvices

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2014, 03:23:01 pm »
+3. If you are going make a belgian barley wine make a barley wine and use a belgian ale yeast. Adding special B and dark candi is exactly what is going to make it taste just like a quad. I'd go 95% maris otter and 5% sugar and try to hit the gravity you want. Or, if quad is what you want brew that.

Offline SecondRow_Sean

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2014, 04:37:04 am »
+3. If you are going make a belgian barley wine make a barley wine and use a belgian ale yeast. Adding special B and dark candi is exactly what is going to make it taste just like a quad. I'd go 95% maris otter and 5% sugar and try to hit the gravity you want. Or, if quad is what you want brew that.

Yeah, after all the feedback I realized it's really just a quad that I want...

Offline denny

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Re: Belgian-ish Barleywine Feedback
« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2014, 09:09:25 am »
+3. If you are going make a belgian barley wine make a barley wine and use a belgian ale yeast. Adding special B and dark candi is exactly what is going to make it taste just like a quad. I'd go 95% maris otter and 5% sugar and try to hit the gravity you want. Or, if quad is what you want brew that.

Yeah, after all the feedback I realized it's really just a quad that I want...

Then take a look at this and com[pare it to yours....http://www.candisyrup.com/uploads/6/0/3/5/6035776/dennys_400th_-_variation_002x.pdf
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