suggestions for high gravity ale to brew

I've recently gotten my AG setup going and have my kegerator full with backup kegs waiting. Now I'm looking for a good high-gravity ale that will need to be aged for months to mellow and become all it can be. Does anyone have any recommendations (recipes) for a beer to fit this bill? a barleywine? a imperial stout?

We can find you the recipes, the question is what do you want. Personally I love Imperial Stouts, but I also have a killer Old Ale recipe. And Barley Wine that has aged well is hard to beat. So, you see, it is your call. What do you fancy and then let us see what we can come up with.

well really the only high gravity ale I've tried before was a imperial stout. (downside of living in an old blue law state, we're limited to 6.0 abv and 16oz containers - thus can't try best beer in the world). Never tried a barleywine or old ale. I used to say I liked IPA's that had a strong hop profile, but recently I've started to love malty ales like Scottish ales. I have a pretty wide taste so let me know your favorites.

BrewPastor, I'd really like to see your old ale recipe!

What state are you in? We (NC) popped our cap last year and now have a plethora of powerful libations.

mmmm.... plethora.... </homer>

we're trying to "free the hops " here in Alabama

dantodd said:

BrewPastor, I'd really like to see your old ale recipe!

Click to expand...

Wasted Dazes and Wasted Nights
A ProMash Recipe Report
BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------
19-A Strong Ale, Old Ale
Min OG: 1.060 Max OG: 1.108
Min IBU: 30 Max IBU: 80
Min Clr: 10 Max Clr: 26 Color in SRM, Lovibond
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 20.00 Wort Size (Gal): 20.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 62.00
Anticipated OG: 1.08715 Plato: 20.928
Anticipated SRM: 15.3
Anticipated IBU: 62.2
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Formulas Used
-------------
Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.
Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Tinseth
Tinseth Concentration Factor: 1.30
Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
40.3 25.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain 1.03800 3
39.5 24.50 lbs. Pilsener Germany 1.03800 2
9.7 6.00 lbs. Rye Malt America 1.03000 4
9.7 6.00 lbs. Maple Syrup Generic 1.03100 35
0.8 0.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt Belgium 1.03000 500
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 4.75 38.7 60 min.
10.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 4.75 23.5 20 min.

Yeast
-----
WYeast 1968 London Extra Special Bitter

Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Type: Single Step
Grain Lbs: 56.00
Water Qts: 57.81 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 14.45 - Before Additional Infusions
Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.03 - Before Additional Infusions
Saccharification Rest Temp : 146 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 0 Time: 0
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 0

Total Mash Volume Gal: 18.93 - Dough-In Infusion Only
All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.

Thanks boss... I'm sure Beersmith can bring this down to 5gal. for me.

dantodd said:

Thanks boss... I'm sure Beersmith can bring this down to 5gal. for me.

Click to expand...

5 gallons it is!

Wasted Dazes and Wasted Nights
A ProMash Recipe Report
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 15.50
Anticipated OG: 1.08715 Plato: 20.928
Anticipated SRM: 15.3
Anticipated IBU: 62.2
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Formulas Used
-------------
Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.
Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Tinseth
Tinseth Concentration Factor: 1.30
Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
40.3 6.25 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain 1.03800 3
39.5 6.13 lbs. Pilsener Germany 1.03800 2
9.7 1.50 lbs. Rye Malt America 1.03000 4
9.7 1.50 lbs. Maple Syrup Generic 1.03100 35
0.8 0.12 lbs. Chocolate Malt Belgium 1.03000 500
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 4.75 38.7 60 min.
2.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 4.75 23.5 20 min.

Yeast
-----
WYeast 1968 London Extra Special Bitter

Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Type: Single Step
Grain Lbs: 14.00
Water Qts: 57.81 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 14.45 - Before Additional Infusions
Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 4.13 - Before Additional Infusions
Saccharification Rest Temp : 146 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 0 Time: 0
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 0

Total Mash Volume Gal: 15.57 - Dough-In Infusion Only
All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.

A couple questions before I try scaling the recipe.

1) I'm getting 53.2 IBU. I'm using Tensith formula (-10% whole, -8% plug)

2) What about the mash temp? At 146 don't you get an excessively highly fermentable wort? I'm getting FG of 1.021 but I think it would be lower with such a low mash temp. (Sorry if this is a stupid Q. I don't AG brew yet.)

Thanks. looks like a great high gravity brew!

heh... you can see it took me 20 minutes to triple check all the data!

anyone got a good imperial stout or barleywine recipe?

I brewed this one in Feb and just started drinking it last night.
A very evil imperial stout, worth waiting for.


Midnight Sun Imperial Stout
Russian Imperial Stout


Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer: Jsin
Boil Size: 5.72 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 74.0
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 41.7 %
5 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 20.8 %
5 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 20.8 %
1 lbs Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 4.2 %
1 lbs Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 4.2 %
1 lbs Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4.2 %
1 lbs Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 4.2 %
3.00 oz Cascade [5.60%] (60 min) Hops 34.2 IBU
0.50 oz Fuggles [4.50%] (10 min) Hops 1.7 IBU
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (Dry Hop 8 days) Hops -
1 Pkgs Irish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1084) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.124 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.124 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.031 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.035 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 12.3 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 11.7 %
Bitterness: 35.9 IBU Calories: 603 cal/pint
Est Color: 78.0 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: My Mash Total Grain Weight: 24.00 lb
Sparge Water: 8.60 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

we brewed this up two sundays ago...

i'm not really sure what it is, it was supposed to be a barley wine, but i messed up the crystal malt addition, shoulda been two pounds... so it's really really blonde, but really really heavy.. 1.090 or so...

14 lbs of pale malt
1 lbs of cara-vienna

3 lbs of clover honey (full boil)

2 oz of columbus hops (full boil)

large yeast cake of white labs dry english ale yeast.

infusion mash for 90 minutes.. we batch sparged, cause we were impatient/lazy for the fly. collected 7 gallons of wort, boiled two hours.

it fermented for over a week very violently, and has calmed down a bit. gonna give it a month in primary, then rack to secondary and and begin dry hopping the hell out of it.