a couple of quick barleywine questions

Hello All

I have a barleywine sitting on a yeast cake in primary for 3 weeks now. My questions are:

1. How long should I leave in primary?
2. Should I bulk age or bottle?
3. When bottling, should I use 1/2 cup corn sugar? I have heard about using yeast to carbonate but I am unfamiliar with this process.

If you have experience or knowledge with these issues, please advise!

1. I would rack it now, assuming fermentation is complete (should be)
2. I would age it in a secondary for a month or more.
3. At bottling, definitely add the corn sugar and some additional yeast if it makes you feel better. Be sure that the yeast will be able to handle the high alcohol levels. I would use a dry yeast (ie. Nottingham), and would only use ~1/2 the packet.

What was your recipe?

I dont have my recipe with me at the moment but this is basically it
5gallons
90 min boil
1lb Crystal Mount
.10oz Carapils
9lbs light/Amber DME
5 oz of hops up front
2 oz finishing hops @flameout
pitched on to huge yeast cake (English Ale)

As many have said in other threads, it won't harm it to leave it on the yeast cake--age will do this one some good. I'd let it go 6 weeks if it were my beer. Than bottle it, tuck it away in a closet, and forget about it for a few months. When you remember it, it'll taste amazing!

Unless, of course, you need to free up your primary. But that would provoke the question, why do you only have one primary?

I have read so many threads they begin to conflict with one another but I agree with the majority who believe 1-2 months on a primary wont harm the brew. I have several primarys but I dont want to rack and have to deal with purging oxygen from carboy or risk other contamination. It just looks so happy right now, I want to give it some time.

michiganjoe said:

I have read so many threads they begin to conflict with one another but I agree with the majority who believe 1-2 months on a primary wont harm the brew. I have several primarys but I dont want to rack and have to deal with purging oxygen from carboy or risk other contamination. It just looks so happy right now, I want to give it some time.

Click to expand...

I would leave it in the primary for about 6 weeks total. That's what I do with my barleywines. Adding a 1/2 packet of a dry neutral ale yeast with the corn sugar.