My First Barleywine- Recipe Advice

I would like to brew a barley-wine next week, something to give to friends to crack open around the holidays.

Any thoughts/advice on this recipe are appreciated. It's a work in progress, but I like it so far....

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: CutThroat Barleywine
Author: KR

Brew Method: Extract
Style Name: American Barleywine
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Boil Size: 6.00 gallons
Efficiency: 70%

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.120
Final Gravity: 1.030
ABV (standard): 11.78%
IBU (tinseth): 88.76
SRM (morey): 40

FERMENTABLES:
12 lb - Dry Malt Extract - Dark (82.8%)
1 lb - Molasses (6.9%)

STEEPING GRAINS:
1 lb - Caramel / Crystal 120L (6.9%)
0.25 lb - Coffee Malt (1.7%)
0.25 lb - Chocolate (1.7%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Magnum (AA 15) for 60 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
1 oz - Chinook (AA 13) for 60 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
1 oz - Columbus (AA 15) for 10 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
2 oz - Fuggles (AA 4.5) for 5 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 each - Whirfloc, Time: 10 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil

YEAST:
White Labs - Dry English Ale Yeast WLP007
Starter: Yes
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 75%
Flocculation: Med-High
Optimum Temperature: 65 F - 70 F


Generated by Brewer's Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2012-05-29 22:24 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2012-05-29 22:24 UTC

Sounds very potent, and similar to barleywines I've brewed! I've only been brewing for about a year, but I've learned quite a bit from the mistakes I've made, especially with big beers. My first barleywine was a disaster...had a fermenter explode (sorry, didn't get pics), and I used molasses as a priming sugar per the recipe, which turned the brew into bottle bombs which had to be tossed (must've used too much). Here's what I learned from brewing my first barleywine...

* If you have the equipment, do a full wort boil instead of a partial boil. With that much extract, you run the risk of scorching your extract at the bottom of a smaller pot (although using DME may not be as risky as using LME).
* Definitely use a yeast starter...you need it for such a high OG.
* Use a carboy for primary fermentation. Create a blow-off tube using a large tube that fits inside the opening of the carboy. Your yeast are going to go insane, and anything smaller will get clogged and result in a messy explosion.
* Be patient! You'll need to let the brew ferment at least 2-3 months. Whether or not you secondary is up to you. I don't do it unless I'm dry hopping or adding something after primary fermentation.
* Don't be surprised if you lose a little brew due to the aggressive fermentation. Like I said, a blowoff tube is necessary to prevent a mess. I consider it a sacrifice unto the Beer Gods.
* Use plain old priming sugar (5oz) at bottling, unless you're really experienced at brewing and willing to experiment with other sugars.
* After you bottle, you need to let your beer condition for several weeks. If you open a bottle any earlier than a month, it will be flat.

My first barleywine was a disaster. I tried again brewing a clone of Gulden Draak, which is an awesome high gravity beer I got at the local farmer's market in Atlanta. I learned from those lessons the second go-round, and made a really awesome 10.7% barleywine. It took 3 months of fermentation plus 6 weeks of bottle conditioning to go from flat sugar-water to an amazing beer. Yours appears to be higher in alcohol, so be patient, and have fun!

still messing around with the final recipe. I made a 2 quart starter today with 2 vials of WLP007.

Do you think I am over-doing it on the hops? I am tempted to cut it back.

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: CutThroat Barleywine
Author: KR

Brew Method: Extract
Style Name: English Barleywine
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Boil Size: 6 gallons
Efficiency: 70%

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.113
Final Gravity: 1.028
ABV (standard): 11.12%
IBU (tinseth): 173.04
SRM (morey): 40

FERMENTABLES:
6.6 lb - Liquid Malt Extract - Dark (43.7%)
6 lb - Dry Malt Extract - Dark (39.7%)
1 lb - Molasses (6.6%)

STEEPING GRAINS:
1 lb - Caramel / Crystal 120L (6.6%)
0.25 lb - Carafa I (1.7%)
0.25 lb - Chocolate (1.7%)

HOPS:
2 oz - Magnum (AA 15) for 60 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
2 oz - Centennial (AA 10) for 20 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
2 oz - Chinook (AA 13) for 15 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
2 oz - Columbus (AA 15) for 10 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
2 oz - Fuggles (AA 4.5) for 5 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 each - Whirfloc, Time: 10 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil

YEAST:
White Labs - Dry English Ale Yeast WLP007
Starter: Yes
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 75%
Flocculation: Med-High
Optimum Temperature: 65 F - 70 F


Generated by Brewer's Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2012-06-04 23:26 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2012-06-04 23:26 UTC

I don't have much experience with writing extract recipes but from what I've gathered isn't the light extract typically more fermentable than the dark? I think it was in Designing Great Beers (maybe?) where it said to use light extract most of the time and to get color/flavor from specialty grains.

I only mention this because I made a few horrible high ABV beers before with extract that ended sickeningly sweet due to higher FG. That is not what you want. Trust me. But then again this was before I was making starters...

1 lbs. of molasses is a lot. 1 cup can give off a strong discernible flavor depending on the recipe. If it was me, I'd use 1 cup or less. Another factor is that you will get considerable darkening with molasses, and if you're trying to be a style Nazi, you will probably be disappointed.

thinking of changing 6.6 lbs dark DME to light...

40 SRM is really dark for a barleywine. The bjcp range for american b-wine is 10-19. I'd change all of your extract to light and see where that puts you.

Took a gravity reading after 2 weeks in primary- 1.032

I have no plans to move it to secondary until at least another two weeks or so.

-Do you think the FG will get any lower? What is reasonable?

Anything else I should be doing?

Did you make the switch to Light extract or leave it at dark? And how big of a starter did you make?

Your estimated FG (not that I really like to rely on those) is 1.028 so hypothetically you are not that far off. You could lightly swirl the carboy three times a day to make sure that the yeast stays in suspension, that might shave off a point or two if you you do it for a week. The important thing is how did it taste? Was it overly sweet or balanced enough with the booze and hops?

I went 7lbs light and 6 dark....

2.0L starter with 2 vials WLP007...

It was hot, but not sweet.

I am thinking of a secondary after 6 weeks or so, and rack onto whiskey soaked vanilla beans.

Is this a Imperial Stout or Barleywine????





HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: CutThroat Barleywine
Author: KR

Brew Method: Extract
Style Name: American Barleywine
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Boil Size: 6.25 gallons
Efficiency: 70%

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.126
Final Gravity: 1.031
ABV (standard): 12.36%
IBU (tinseth): 167.72
SRM (morey): 38.91

FERMENTABLES:
7 lb - Dry Malt Extract - Light (45.2%)
6 lb - Dry Malt Extract - Dark - (late addition) (38.7%)
1 lb - Molasses - (late addition) (6.5%)

STEEPING GRAINS:
1 lb - Caramel / Crystal 120L (6.5%)
0.25 lb - Carafa I (1.6%)
0.25 lb - Chocolate (1.6%)

HOPS:
2 oz - Magnum (AA 15) for 60 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
1 oz - Chinook (AA 13) for 20 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
1 oz - Columbus (AA 15) for 10 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
2 oz - Fuggles (AA 4.5) for 5 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
1 oz - Columbus (AA 15) for 0 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Aroma
1 oz - Chinook (AA 13) for 0 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Aroma

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 each - Whirfloc, Time: 10 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil

YEAST:
White Labs - Dry English Ale Yeast WLP007
Starter: Yes
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 75%
Flocculation: Med-High
Optimum Temperature: 65 F - 70 F

NOTES:
Big Starter: 67 oz water + 7oz DME

2 vials WLP007