Help with English Barleywine Recipe

I'm looking for something to pitch on a yeast cake of WLP005 that I have going right now and thought it might be interesting to try it with an English Barleywine. I also just finished building my cooler MLT, but I don't have a pot for a full boil yet, so I thought I'd put it through it's paces on a mini-mash. Working on a recipe that meets those points and uses up some of the stuff I have in stock. I was hoping I could get some feedback on it.

9# Briess Golden Light LME (late addition)
3.5# 2-row
1# Caramel 40L
.5# Caramel 120L
.25# Belgian Special B
2oz Fuggles (90 min)
2oz Kent Golding (15 min)

OG: 1.087
FG: 1.025
IBU: 53.5

I figure I'll collect from the mini-mash to 4.5 gallons and then add the LME over time, as I have room in my 5 gallon pot. Thanks in advance for any comments!

For starters, you might want to shoot for a higher gravity -- when I make a barley wine, I try to get to 1.100. I don't know that I would use any Special B. You could use some munich instead of (or in addition to) the pale malt, which will help add a little complexity.

Yea, get the gravity up near 1.100. The Special-B is no big deal. To me it's the same as C-120 just a shade darker. Munich would give it some nice maltiness. Try to sneak a lb or two in there. What yeast?

Ya...what yeast? This can be a critical ingredient!

big supper said:

Ya...what yeast? This can be a critical ingredient!

Click to expand...

It was noted in the original post -- WLP005, which is a British Ale Yeast.

My bad.....

Alright, so maybe swap out 1.5-2# of the 2-row for Munich? I thought the Special B would be nice for some raisiny flavors. I recall having a Barleywine with similar notes and enjoying it. I was keeping the gravity on the lower end since I'm not using a highly attenuative yeast, don't want it to end up too sweet. I'm looking for a malty brew, but balanced. Thoughts?

Oh, also. I've got .5oz of Summit (18.5%) sitting around. What do you guys think about bittering with that instead of the 2oz of Fuggles?

Given what you are looking for, then yes, I would substitute some Munich for the 2-row. If you like the Special B flavor, then leave it in -- it just happens to be a profile I don't like that much.

I would keep to the Fuggles to keep your beer a little truer to style.