Big Barley Wine

[wilfh]

Right here’s my plan in its current form

Brew a 80 shilling of about 1.04 using the WLP 028 Edinburgh yeast and then use the yeast cake for a Barley wine

I’ve been reading the Durden Park book and was going to go for an og 1.10.

Having never done one before I am not sure how high the mash temp should be. Should I mash low to help the yeast attenuate, say 64-65 (or lower?) or go high to retain some body.

None of the recipes have an aroma hop as I guess that the aroma will be long gone after a year of aging but what about TASTE. Will all the flavour of aroma hops added say at 15 minutes be gone after the aging?

I was thinking about bottling in champagne bottles with a cork and cage and stashing some away for a year or 2.

Any idea’s

Wilf

[Underground Joe]

You certainly won't be lacking body with an OG that high. I would either mash lower or mash at 66 and add sugar to the recipe to thin it out a bit, unless you want a chewy thick finished beer. I prefer a drier finish.

[TC2642]

I would also go for adding sugar, I add about a kilo to my big beers, since it will not only thin the beer out but help dilute the nitrogen content. I do like fuller beers so I tend to go for the 66oC mark at mashing. As for late hops I think that they will be somewhat wasted as, you correctly identify, the aging process will fade them out completely.

[wilfh]

Thanks for the thoughts. Will put in 10% sugar to lighten the fg.

Will the yeast go that strong. I guess that asking it to go down to 1.01 ish is too much?
Cheers
Wilf

[wilfh]

So here is my receipt which is based on the Durden Park Youngers 160/-. The yeast will come from a Belhaven 80/ clone with a bit of added nutrient (seems like a good idea given the strength unless told otherwise). I've no idea how high it will finish but will give it 3-4 weeks before racking off.

Due to the huge amount of grain I don't think I will be able to get it all in my 30 litre mash tun (although I haven't tried yet) so will have to do it in two batches before combining for the boil.
I am probably going to add the sugar 4-5 days into the ferment although that depends on the practicality and timing of things.

Not having done anything this strong before I have assumed that the efficiency will be shot so have estimated at 60%. Is there anything I should bear in mind? Perhaps mash for longer?


Big Barley Wine

English Barleywi
Recipe by Wilf

Recipe Specs

Original Gravity Final Gravity
Colour (SRM / EBC)
Bitterness Alcohol by Volume
1.126 1.030 9.4 / 18.5 138.3 IBU 12.5%

Brewhouse Specs

Recipe Type Batch Size Boil Time Efficiency
All Grain 25.0 Litres / 6.6 Gal 120.0 min 60.0%

Fermentables

Name Type SRM Percentage Amount
Pale Ale Malt Grain 3.0 90.00 % 14.59 Kg / 32.17 Lbs
Cane Sugar Sugar 0.0 10.00 % 1.62 Kg / 3.57 Lbs

Hops
Name AA% Amount Use Time
Fuggles 5.7% 354.37 g / 12.50 oz Boil 120 mins

Misc
Name Amount Use Time
Irish Moss 10.00 g / 0.35 oz Boil 15 mins

Yeast
Name Attenuation
WLP028 - Edinburgh Scottish Ale 70 %

Mash Steps
Step Name Time Temperature Type
Saccharification Rest 120.0 min 64.0 °C / 147.2 °F Infusion

Notes

mature for 12 months Bottle in champagne corks and wire Based on Durden Park 160/- W Youngers Edinburgh


Recipe Generated with BrewMate

Any thoughts and comments welcome.

[Rookie]

When I make a barleywine I hop enough so that the beer will be just where I want it hop wise after 12-18 months.
Several years ago I brewed a British barleywine and entered it into a comp at a fairly young age. I got so-so scores because the beer was "too hoppy for style". A year later a bottle from that same batch scored over 42 and took second in BOS.

[wilfh]

Thanks rookie
My idea is to sit in for at least a year and longer if I can hold out that long.
We're your hops in the same sorts of quantities as I'm not sure how they will age.

Wilf

[Rookie]

Thanks rookie
My idea is to sit in for at least a year and longer if I can hold out that long.
We're your hops in the same sorts of quantities as I'm not sure how they will age.

Wilf

I bittered to low 80s. The amount can vary depending on how high the AA% is. I bitter with phoenix or challenger and finish with EKG. The last batch I brewed I used WGV to dry hop. I normally dry hop with EKG, but had the right amount of WGV on hand so I used them up.