Best method for drying out a barleywine

Okay, there are a lot of threads on this, but most have to do with dropping the gravity a lot (stuck fermentations at 1030+). I've got a barleywine that has been in primary for just shy of three weeks - OG 1096, current gravity 1026, mashed at 150. Technically, it's fine, but I'd like to get this down to ~1015-1018. I initially pitched a big starter of 1028, then about 5 days ago (@ 1030) added ~1/2 packet of Nottingham I had laying around. What would be my best course of action to hitting the 1015-1018 range for this beer?

Thanks in advance.

Depends on why it's stopped, personally I wouldn't mess with it. Try to keep in mind that this is a 9-10% beer so getting it down further may not happen.

But if I wanted to dry it out a bit more I'd try rousing the yeast and warming it up first. Then try adding some yeast energizer, your yeast may need more nutrients to get moving again. If it's stopped because there are no more fermentable sugars in the beer then amylase enzyme could help. Also pitching an actively fermenting starter at high krauesen can get a beer down a little further because the yeast are active and hungry.

What yeast did you use? Also, did you use any extract? Any unfermentables in your recipe?

FWIW, by my calculations, you are currently at 73% attenuation. The numbers you are looking for will put you over 80% attenuation so a better maximum goal is probably around 1.020 unless you try to further attenuate it with champagne yeast or the like. I have no experience doing that but if you attempt to get down below 1.020 your only chance will be with a very, very highly attenuating yeast.

FWIW, champagne and wine yeasts will only eat the simplest of sugars. It's not a good option for a barleywine.

Thanks guys, might try warming it up a bit as a first step. I used Wyeast 1028 then a 1/2 packet of Nottingham I had laying around a few days ago. Recipe as follows:

13# 2row
1# crystal 120
1oz magnum @ 30
1oz Challenger @20
Yeast nutrient @ 15
Goldings @ 10
1# brown sugar @ 2 min

Mash 150; boil for 60

Try adding yeast energizer to it as well. I had the same problem with a RIS and it finally came down.

Yeast energizer = yeast nutrient? I added some @ the boil, but can certainly add more and see what happens. Do you just add to the bucket, or do I need to boil some water, cool, add nutrient, add to primary?

bjohnson29 said:

Yeast energizer = yeast nutrient? I added some @ the boil, but can certainly add more and see what happens. Do you just add to the bucket, or do I need to boil some water, cool, add nutrient, add to primary?

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No yeast nutrient = Nitrogen (usually DAP), yeast energizer = nitrogen, yeast hulls, magnesium sulfate & vitamin B. The energizer is for tough ferments or stuck ferments. Use around 1/4tsp per gallon in your beer to see what happens.

Ya yeast energizer is usually labeled just as that "Yeast Energizer" and should be able to get it at you LHBS. I usually boil around a cup of water and add it, but with a gravity like that you can probably just mix it up in water and pour it in. When I added it to my RIS it was started up again the next day

Alright, we're down to 1023 from 1096. Added the yeast energizer ~24 hours ago. Think it's going to dry out any further or should I secondary and begin bulk conditioning? Also, better to condition for a few months ~60° or in the 30's?

Thanks again.

bjohnson29 said:

Alright, we're down to 1023 from 1096. Added the yeast energizer ~24 hours ago. Think it's going to dry out any further or should I secondary and begin bulk conditioning? Also, better to condition for a few months ~60° or in the 30's?

Thanks again.

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It may or may not drop down further, that all depends on the yeast. FWIW, I doubt it could go down much farther. I'd leave it in the primary for a minimum of 6 weeks and then start bulk conditioning/tertiary.

Something this big I'd let go in the 60F range for a bit.

If the yeast can take the alcohol, adding a pound of table sugar should bring it down 2 or 3 points. But if the yeast isn't man enough for it, it will leave you with a sweeter beer.

Why will it bring down the FG? 1 lb of sugar in half a gallon is about 1.092 (about the same as your beer). Sugar can be fermented greater than 100% (apparent attenuation), and can get down to 0.990, or 33 points lower than your current FG. If the added sugar is about 10% of your fermentables, it can potentially bring down the FG by 33/10 or about 3 points.