Brewing Tomorrow AM - Need Help! (amount of yeast for barleywine?)

JJWP · 03-21-2010, 03:37 AM

So I'm hoping someone can help me out.

I'm brewing my first barleywine tomorrow morning (estimated OG ~1.100) and I've got 2 vials of white labs WLP007... is this enough yeast? I'm really worried that its not. I had meant to have 4 vials, but I didn't make the shopping trip, so 2 it is.

Is it possible to make a useful overnight starter? I've got some dry extract laying around.. Any tips? Or, am I just worrying about no big deal?

Thanks for any advice or tips anyone can lend

**masonsjax** · 03-21-2010, 03:48 AM

When I made mine, I made a starter (w/olive oil trick), and pitched that to a 1.055 or so ale. Then a few weeks later I pitched my 1.100 barleywine on that yeast cake. I also added yeast nutrient several times during fermentation. I don't think 2 vials will be enough.

JJWP · 03-21-2010, 04:02 AM

wow - im must be tired, because it took me this long to realize that I am also bottling two beers tomorrow - so I've got two yeast cakes at my disposal.

I've got a pale ale using wlp001 and a brown on wlp002... any thoughts on which would work better in a barleywine? im already using more american style hops (magnum, chinook, cascade) so maybe i should just go with the wlp001?

I have never used a yeast cake before - I'm assuming I simply rack off the beer I'm bottling, reseal up the fermenter with foil or something, then rack the chilled new wort onto it? thats it?

ive read that pitching onto yeast cakes requires a blow off tube - the wlp001 cake is in a bucket, so is that out? is there a way to use a blow off on a bucket?

sorry - ill itemize:
1. is pitching onto a yest cake for barleywine a good idea?
2. wlp001 or wlp002 cake?
3. just rack onto it?
4. blow off tube for buckets?

thanks for the help