Brett Beer Two Score (20 Year) Barleywine w/ Brett

All,

This is my first attempt at a barleywine that I plan on aging a long time (hence the name). My wife and I will be having our first child soon and I thought that it would be killer to make a beer I could have every year on our kids birthday with the hope that one their 21st birthday he/she could enjoy one with me. Anyway this is what did...

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
6 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 36.8 %
5 lbs Golden Promise (Simpsons) (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 30.7 %
1 lbs Crystal Rye Malt (Thomas Fawcett) (80.0 Grain 3 6.1 %
1 lbs Munich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 4 6.1 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 5 4.6 %
8.0 oz Oats, Flaked (Briess) (1.4 SRM) Grain 6 3.1 %
5.0 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 7 1.9 %
1 lbs DME Golden Light (Briess) (4.0 SRM) Dry Extract 8 6.1 %
12.0 oz Brown Sugar, Light (8.0 SRM) Sugar 9 4.6 %
1.25 oz Warrior [15.00 %] - Boil 75.0 min Hop 10 65.5 IBUs
0.60 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 11 -
1.00 oz Simcoe [12.70 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 12 21.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [12.70 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 13 8.5 IBUs
2.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [ Yeast 14 -

I was able to get my OG @ 1.115, and primary is settling down (krausen has fallen). My question to you all is I would like to add some Brett to secondary to help the beer thin with time. What would you suggest as far as Brett strains go?

Long aged beers naturally thin out as proteins and starches settle over time causing the beer to become thinner. So adding brett for that reason could easily result in a watery beer by the time you consume it. If you ever have something like a jw lees barley wine when it's fresh it is way too heavy; but they are built for long aging so in time the body gets where they want it. Kind of like a high end French wine, drunk young it's tannins are over the top; give it a couple decades and the tannins subside and the wine shines.

Just FYI, a two score barley wine would be a 40 year, not 20 year, beer. And I think this section is for tried and true recipes. There's another section in the "Home Brewing Beer" forum area for recipe discussions.

The brett would probably help it keep over time, but time itself will also thin a beer, as stated above. Brett plus time may be overkill. Mash good and high to keep it thick at first (as in, finishing in the 30s), then bulk age so the brett doesn't overcarbonate your bottles. Consider how your hops will age, too. Lots of high alpha hops will oxidize on you over a long period of time (5-10+ years) and lose their potency. Beta acids do quite the opposite. If you're looking to make a beer that will age well for 20 years or so, I'd recommend picking up a copy of Dawson's "Vintage Beer."