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AggieChemDoc

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I have an impending new arrival to the family. I was considering doing something huge (barleywine, quadruppel, imperial stout, etc) and bottling it in 24 24 oz bottles and laying it away. Just a little something for Daddy to have a bottle of on Junior's birthday each year.

Has anybody done this, and what were the results? Can I reasonably expect something to last 20 years, or am I going to be drinking garbage at 5+?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Idears?

Thanks!

:mug:
 
I had a bottle of Thomas Hardy's last year that was from 1988, so about 20 years old, that was damn delicious. If you make a huge beer, it should age nicely. I personally love the idea of what you're doing.

I'd go with a barleywine myself, but any of the styles you mention should work if big enough.
 
Grimtas did something similar in this thread.

Grimtas said:
I have a bottle of stout that's nearly 9 years old. I brewed it the weekend after my son was born. Gonna make him drink it at 21

I think it's an awesome idea, and one I alread told the SWMBO I'll be doing when the time comes.

"What if they don't like beer?" she asked.

I replied that my son or daughter should be able to choke down a beer with me when they turn 21, no matter how horrible it is.
 
If you are going to age that long i would make at least 21 bottles, so Junior can have one on his 21st. Maybe it will get him(or her) into Homebrewing.
 
Mead and/or wines stand up to the test of time better than beer. I've had a few aged barleywines, and it's an aquired taste to be sure. It's pretty common to make a "21 year mead" when the kid is born, and pop a bottle when they hit the magic number.
 
If you are going to age that long i would make at least 21 bottles, so Junior can have one on his 21st. Maybe it will get him(or her) into Homebrewing.

Better yet, have them help you brew something a month or so before they turn 21. Then they can have it on their birthday and share amongst their BMC friends. ;)
 
I would go with a wine or mead instead of a beer as others have mentioned. And the idea of having the little one make a batch with you that they can drink when it is done/they turn 21 sounds fun too!
 
Thought I would update y'all on this one.

I DID, in fact, brew a large 1.100 barleywine with an egregious hop bill after my son was born. It finished out at around 1.024 and I bottled it in 24 oz bottles.

I tried one at six months just to see how it was... and it was good. Very good, in fact. It is more aggressively carbed than I had planned, leading me to believe that even after a month of secondary, it dropped a couple points in the bottle.

I had my first "official" bottle on Junior's birthday back on 12/16. The alcohol bite the brew had at six months had disappeared. The hops had also really mellowed, without nearly the aroma that I thought it might have. It does have a nice bitter backbone to stand up to all the malt, and was really a good brew at 1 year old.

I have twenty more layed away in the basement.
 
I am planning on doing the same thing here soon. Not sure on style yet but leaning towards barleywine. Planning two mashes. Probably all MO base malt. The first mashes runnings will get boiled down to 25% then the other mashes runnings will get added to the kettle and boiled for another 120 minutes. Hoping to get 22-25, 24 oz bottles. I've kept a few smaller stouts around for a few years and they all were very good with no issue from oxidation or infection. I have a batch of imperial porter still unopened that I brewed 8 years ago.
 
This is a GREAT idea. I'm hoping to have my first child soon and am now planning on the same thing. Might be a good idea to make both a BW and RIS.
 
jlpred, my grain bill was all Marris Otter, with the exception of (IIRC) a pound of Special B. Hops were big additions of C hops at 60, 40, 20, and flameout.
 
After aging some mead this year, I am hooked...I would go with a mead for this...I've read many success stories...I plan to do it myself
 
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