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MedicMang · 10-04-2012, 01:01 AM

I'm wanting to do a huge beer on Halloween. A MONSTER MASH, if you will. Looking to do a giant barleywine or something in the 15% area. I have a 50 lb sack of Vienna. Looking to use it as a base malt in this. Any suggestions would be helpful. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

edecambra · 10-04-2012, 02:43 AM

Yess, keep it simple! Maybe some special B, caramel and/or victory. No more than 15 percent since Vinna is plenty flavorful. Also consider some simple sugar during the end of fermentation, say 3-5 percent of your target for 15 percent beer.

Sounds good and good luck,

Mongrel · 10-04-2012, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edecambra

Yess, keep it simple! Maybe some special B, caramel and/or victory. No more than 15 percent since Vinna is plenty flavorful. Also consider some simple sugar during the end of fermentation, say 3-5 percent of your target for 15 percent beer.

Sounds good and good luck,

I'd have to go to 10% sugar to hit 15% ABV with my 10 gallon cooler. OP how big is your mash tun? I do like the idea of sticking almost entirely to Vienna, and a hint of specialty malt. Maybe ESM. I'm thinking of doing something similar, not quite as big, but with Munich.

dougdecinces · 10-04-2012, 01:33 PM

If you're doing a monster mash, shouldn't you then do a graveyard SMaSH?

**Homercidal** · 10-04-2012, 02:16 PM

It will catch on in a flash.

MedicMang · 10-04-2012, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougdecinces

If you're doing a monster mash, shouldn't you then do a graveyard SMaSH?

I LOVE IT! Its only fitting. I've never done a smash. Can anyone give some recommendations to a hop to use on such a big beer? I have Apollo, Cascade, US Goldings, Willamette, Nugget, Hallertauer, Northern Brewer, Fuggles, and Columbus. I will probably toast some of the vienna, just to get some more flavor out of it, if anyone can give some hints on how to do that. Thanks everybody. I think this deserves a dancing banana.

MedicMang · 10-04-2012, 02:24 PM

Ooooooo waaaa oooooooo waaaa waaaaaa waaaaaaa oooooooooo.

**dannyhawkins** · 10-04-2012, 03:03 PM

Why not make the MONSTER MASH and the graveyard SMaSH one and the same? That way you could, bear with me here, do the MONSTER MASH and it could in fact be a graveyard SMaSH!
I'm not sure a 15% ABV SMaSH has been done but it sounds intriguing.

Edit: I think I realized this thought has already occurred to you.

Maybe Hallertauer if you want the malt to dominate, a big beer can take a lot of hop abuse and not even show it, so perhaps one of the higher AA% varietals.
Too bad there is not one that fits the Halloween theme.

dougdecinces · 10-04-2012, 03:24 PM

I vote for Fuggle or Willamette. The English-style hops scream barleywine to me. Though it will take a crapload of hops to get the necessary IBU.

You also might want to cheat and add about 8-10% unrefined sugar or honey. Though since it is technically not a malt, you can justify the addition and still call it a SMaSH.

**dannyhawkins** · 10-06-2012, 02:32 PM

MedicMang what have you decided? I am very interested in this brew, what hops? How monster will this mash be?
I'm planning on doing the same thing with Munich and hop TBD.