Old Helicon Barleywine 2009

It's getting to be that time of year again, so I'm be brewing up the annual barleywine before the end of the year. After having recently tried last years and finding it fantastic, I decided to turn the dial to eleven this year and go a little bigger all around. I've got my pale ale going as a big yeast starter right now. Here it is:

#99 Old Helicon Barleywine 2009

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
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19-C Strong Ale, American Barleywine
Min OG: 1.080 Max OG: 1.144
Min IBU: 50 Max IBU: 100
Min Clr: 10 Max Clr: 19 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
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Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 25.00
Anticipated OG: 1.116 Plato: 27.24
Anticipated SRM: 15.0
Anticipated IBU: 137.5
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
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Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 7.10 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.090 SG 21.57 Plato

Formulas Used
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Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.
Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager
Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
48.0 12.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
40.0 10.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain 1.038 3
5.0 1.25 lbs. Flaked Barley America 1.032 2
2.0 0.50 lbs. Aromatic Malt Belgium 1.036 25
2.0 0.50 lbs. Crystal 35L America 1.035 35
2.0 0.50 lbs. Crystal 75L America 1.034 75
1.0 0.25 lbs. Crystal 150L Great Britain 1.033 150
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.50 oz. Columbus Pellet 14.00 77.7 90 min.
1.50 oz. Centennial Pellet 8.70 48.3 90 min.
1.00 oz. Crystal Pellet 3.10 2.8 15 min.
1.00 oz. Willamette Pellet 4.80 4.3 15 min.
1.00 oz. Crystal Pellet 3.10 1.7 5 min.
1.00 oz. Willamette Pellet 4.80 2.7 5 min.

Yeast
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White Labs WLP001 California Ale

Mash Schedule
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Mash Type: Single Step
Grain Lbs: 25.00
Water Qts: 25.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 6.25 - Before Additional Infusions
Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Saccharification Rest Temp : 147 Time: 90
Mash-out Rest Temp : 168 Time: 15
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 60
Total Mash Volume Gal: 8.25 - Dough-In Infusion Only
All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit

I'm brewing right now. Sparge is done.

I ran off 9 gallons of wort that I'm going to boil down to 5.5 gallons.

The rest of the runnings I'm drinking right now. It's cool and drizzling right now, so it's like warm sweet tea, which with the cold homebrew, makes a nice brew session. I can just pour off a glass from the mash tun and refill.

So after a long brew day complete with pump breakdowns, rain and hops clogging up the kettle screen, I finally got the brew finished with a full 5.5 gallons in the carboy. OG came in at 1.115, so this beer should clock in somewhere around 12% ABV.

I just racked this to the keg. Fermentation seemed done a little after a week, but I let it go over 2. Starting Gravity was 1.115 and the finishing gravity ended at 1.023 for 12.4% ABV. I mashed at 148 for 2 hours, and it dried out well. I was expecting it to taste much harsher, but it is quite drinkable now. A little sweetness up front, but a good amount of bitterness and hop flavor to balance. It's malty, and a little caramely. No hot alcohol, but you do get the alcohol warmth. This should be great once it ages a little. It will mellow a bit by the time all the summer comps come up.