WLP099 ate my barleywine down to 1.000!

I wasn't really expecting that... OG was 1.092 (no sugar, 11% crystal malt, 10% flaked wheat), mash temp 152, aerated with pure O2 for a min before pitching, re aerated at 24 hrs. Primary (room temp) for 14 days and secondary (room temp) on oak for 45 days. It was 1.009 going into secondary. Guess I can put this one in the closet and forget about it till next christmas.

Whats with the thread title?

What were the fermenting/aging brew temps? I've had my BW sitting in a 55F room for almost two months. Plan to take a sg reading soon. I've not let the fermenting beer get above 61F for the entire time (reason for the longer ferment time).

F250 said:

Whats with the thread title?

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The thread title was acknowledging the fact that the yeast did such surprising job during the fermentation. Beersmith had calculated it as finishing around 1.016

Golddiggie said:

What were the fermenting/aging brew temps? I've had my BW sitting in a 55F room for almost two months. Plan to take a sg reading soon. I've not let the fermenting beer get above 61F for the entire time (reason for the longer ferment time).

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I pitched at 65. The only temp control I did was let the bucket sit in a rubbermaid tub filled 1/3 the way with water, and I threw a handful of ice cubes in every 8 or 12 hours just to keep it from possibly getting out of control. After 3 days I took it out of the water and it sat at room temp for the duration, primary and secondary. So... No real temps measured except when I pitched, and today when I bottled, which was 70.

**EDIT** A thermowell is on my list of things to get so I can get accurate temps like when the bucket is in a water bath.

Fermenting that warm, I'm not at all surprised the yeast went to 1.000...

I emailed with White Labs about using WLP099, before I did, to see what I would get in the lower temperatures I'm able to keep it at. Only negative they could come up with was a longer fermentation time. Plenty of positive effects though. Such as avoiding the off-flavors many seem to get from the yeast when they ferment in the upper 60's (or above). Since I had already planned on this batch ferment for up to three months, with several months of aging time, there was zero negatives for me in keeping it cooler.

My OG was 1.130 for the batch (was aiming for higher, but couldn't boil longer due to losing light). I'm hoping it stays above 1.016 for the FG. Once fermentation is complete, I'll probably move it to the cooler part of the basement (under 50F right now) to let it sit for a couple of weeks/month before transferring it to an aging vessel and some oak. I might transfer it again after a few more months and see if I need to add more oak to it. Around November 2013, I plan to keg and carbonate it. With any luck, it will be about 15% ABV. :rockin:

With all the time and care in your process, I hope your BW rocks!! I got that Barleywine book and learned a thing or two for my next batch. Not having a basement to cellar batches makes for a logistical challenge that involves money to buy temp control type stuff. If my beer has off flavors, then I (already) know what I need to do so it doesn't happen again. I tasted the hydro sample today and it tasted straight up like scotch! I am a scotch drinker so we will see what happens when I crack a bottle on Christmas 2013. Next batch definitely needs to finish with a higher FG though, I would like *some* sweetness to it.

This is how mine started out (~12 hours from pitch)...

I used the swamp cooler to keep it around 60-62F initially. After about 5-6 days I was able to fit the airlock and pull it out of the tub. :rockin: Oh, and yes, I tossed the vinyl tubing out after this.

This is how it was towards the end (there's a heating pad under the reflectix wraps)...

your setup is awesome! I wish I lived somewhere like that where you can use stuff to heat your batch. So much easier.

Yeah, basements in the northeast make things MUCH easier. Hell, basements in most of the northern US (and above) makes things easier for brewers or those that ferment things. :fro::rockin: