Diluting a barley wine

[spook100]

I have more barley wine sitting in the shed that I am going to get through in the next couple of years. One of the barrels is a fairly simple recipe with nothing more than pale malt and some English hops and is around 9% ABV. How would it turn out if I diluted it 50/50 with water, aiming for an ordinary bitter?

[McMullan]

High gravity brewing is nothing new. Try it with water. If that doesn't work, try diluting it with a small beer. Ideally, if you set out to do this, you'd have adjusted the recipe to accommodate the dilution factor.

[HTH1975]

What’s the rush? - it should keep for years at that ABV.

If you really want to dilute, I’d use a lower ABV beer rather than water as you’ll just make the beer flat with water.

[McMullan]

As a test you could try carbonated water, but I too think a small beer would be better. It'll give you some control anyway.

Edit: Presumably you've got kegs to recondition the stuff?

[spook100]

So if I were to dilute with just water, would I need to worry about pH? Finished beer should have a pH of around 4.5. If I mix the barley wine with a pH of, say, 4.5, with tap water with a pH of around 7.5 then the final product will have a pH of around 6. How and when do I treat for that, if at all.

[McMullan]

So if I were to dilute with just water, would I need to worry about pH?

If you use carbonated water, I doubt it.

[spook100]

So if I were to dilute with just water, would I need to worry about pH?

If you use carbonated water, I doubt it.

Good point!

[caskman]

Why dilute it ? Bottle it and save it for winter.

[spook100]

Why dilute it ? Bottle it and save it for winter.

I've got three kegs of the stuff and none of my mates drink it so it will take me years to get through it. Also need one of the kegs for another brew so going to keep two of barley wine and repurpose the other. I tried mixing it 50/50 in a glass for an ESB and it tastes OK, just need to add a little hop tea because there isn't much bitterness.

[caskman]

OK back when beers were made with alcohol content greater than say 12%abv they would recommend cellar storage for up to 25 years !!
I myself frequently brewed to the 12~14% ABV strength I still have a few Courage Imperial Ale's I made ~10 years back 12.5%abv taste like alcoholic Christmas cake...beautiful.

[Robwalkeragain]

Water post ferment = introducing oxygen, yeast aren't that hungry any more. Wouldn't recommend it as oxygen will spoil the beer regardless of whether it's kept cool and sterile.
By far the best way is to dilute in the glass with supermarket carbonated water if you don't want to affect the flavour much. It's almost pH neutral and very low in minerals so shouldn't leave any mineral taste behind. Otherwise yeah, lower abv beer like others have said.
Or buy a water deoxygenater and remortgage!

[Marshbrewer]

I'd be tempted to re-prime, bottle it and put it down for storage.