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Author Topic: What kind of beer for ageing  (Read 1918 times)

Offline Pinchart

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What kind of beer for ageing
« on: November 01, 2018, 04:23:53 pm »
Bi everybody.
My daughter just had a baby five days ago. I'd like to celebrate by brewing a beer that I'd forget a few years and serve to the members of the family for a future birthday of my grand-daughter. Does someone has experience in long time ageing? What kind of beer is able to "survive" more than five years or more? I thought about a stout be they're not popular here. A Triple blond? What should I take into account?

Offline dannyjed

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What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2018, 05:25:22 pm »
Barleywine or Belgian Dark Strong.
I would bottle condition them also.

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Dan Chisholm

Offline tumarkin

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Re: What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2018, 05:29:39 pm »
high abv (8% or more) is the first thing to look at. a variety of styles do well when aged - barley wines, imperial stout, belgian dark strong, tripel, etc. hops don't fare well long term. so an Double IPA wouldn't be a good choice, even though it might be high abv. and yes, bottle conditioned is much preferable so the yeast will provide some continuing protection against oxidation.
Mark Tumarkin
Hogtown Brewers
Gainesville, FL

Offline Robert

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Re: What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2018, 05:50:35 pm »
Bottle seal wax may help forestall oxygen ingress.  And will make it look as special as it is.
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

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Offline Pinchart

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Re: What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2018, 02:22:41 am »
high abv (8% or more) is the first thing to look at. a variety of styles do well when aged - barley wines, imperial stout, belgian dark strong, tripel, etc. hops don't fare well long term.
Thanks a lot for the answers. Does one of you has a recipe of a beer that aged well for a so long time ? I never tried a barley wine, maybe it's the occasion. And, sure, a triple.

Offline dannyjed

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Re: What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #5 on: November 02, 2018, 05:19:20 am »
high abv (8% or more) is the first thing to look at. a variety of styles do well when aged - barley wines, imperial stout, belgian dark strong, tripel, etc. hops don't fare well long term.
Thanks a lot for the answers. Does one of you has a recipe of a beer that aged well for a so long time ? I never tried a barley wine, maybe it's the occasion. And, sure, a triple.
Here's my Barleywine
85% Two Row
11% Munich
4% Crystal 60
OG around 1.096
American Hops like the 4 C's or newer varieties
IBU around 100
WY 1056, 1272, or 1450

Sometimes I drop the Crystal malt and bump up the Munich


Dan Chisholm

Offline goose

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Re: What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2018, 07:16:34 am »
A local brewer friend of mine made and English Barleywine when his youngest daughter was born and they opened it on her 21st birthday.  From what he told me it was still pretty good.  If you make an American one the hop aroma and flavor will fade after a year or so.  That is why I would choose the English style.

Rob's idea of sealing it with wax is a good idea to reduce oxygen ingress.
Goose Steingass
Wooster, OH
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Offline Pinchart

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Re: What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2018, 10:50:58 am »
Thank you for your help.

Offline mainebrewer

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Re: What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2018, 10:56:52 am »
I read on another forum about someone putting the bottles into a keg, filling it with water and pushing the water out with CO2. Creating a sort of time capsule. Never tried it but it might buy you some more years. Not sure how many bottles you could get into a 5 gal keg but I imagine it would be enough to celebrate a future birthday.
"It's not that people are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that just isn't true." Ronald Reagan

Offline majorvices

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Re: What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #9 on: November 05, 2018, 05:34:02 am »
Only a few styles of beers improve with age and many of them mentioned here: Barley Wine is a very nice example as are strong dark Belgians a other strong dark beers like Imperial Stouts. Dark malts have some anti-oxygen power you will often notice dark beers age better than pale beer.

Offline ethinson

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Re: What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #10 on: November 05, 2018, 09:25:59 am »
I make a very simple Belgian Dark Strong that I bottle condition for around a year.  I don't know how it would hold up for 5 years but I assume it would do OK. 

For 3 gallon extract -
5 pounds light LME
1 pound Dark Candi Syrup (90 SRM)
1 pound dextrose
1 oz bittering hops (variety doesn't really matter) for about 35 IBU (10-11% alpha for 30 mins)
Wyeast 3787 (trappist high gravity) or Wyeast 1214 Belgian Ale (two smack packs)
Ferment for three weeks and then bottle.  Hold for however long you want.
OG 1.090, FG around 1.010 ~ 10%ABV
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Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: What kind of beer for ageing
« Reply #11 on: November 05, 2018, 09:29:33 am »
With an English barleywine you intend to age for years I think you would be fine with a recipe that is 100% pale malt. A good English variant like maris otter would be a good choice. I don't think you need any crystal or darker roasted grain because you'll build a lot of those flavors with age.
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