is this the right direction of a barley wine?

please give me a review on this... i plan to make this in the next month or two and age it until christmas time.. please give me suggestions.

7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 55.4 %
3.00 lb Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 23.8 %
1.00 lb Toasted Malt (27.0 SRM) Grain 7.9 %
0.75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 5.9 %
0.50 lb Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 4.0 %
0.38 lb Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 3.0 %
1.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00%] (70 min) Hops 88.3 IBU
1.50 oz Cascade [5.50%] (5 min) Hops 6.7 IBU

~maybe even dryhop with something like amarillo or cascade


this is from brew smith that i created, and is for a 3.00 gallon
~ 120 minute boil to get to amount due to lack of efficiency only about 73 (still working on)
~ on there its rated for 1.112 OG
~ 1.026 FG
~ 18.2 SRM which is dark red to brown
~ 95 IBU ~ but this would deminsih over time


i plan on using either nottingham yeast or wyeast 1056, looking for a real clean yeast mainly providing flavor on grain..

please let me know what you would think... or if you need additional information

rustbucket I have a few suggestions, but in the end it is your recipe, your beer, and you are the one who is going to be drinking it. So with that said brew it how you want to. Also might want to look at 1 gallon test batch, much cheaper to dial recipe in!!!

I like a simple grain bill for mine so here is what I would do. I would use just the Maris Otter for a base malt. Get rid of the Toasted Malt, if you want more toasted flavors. You can do it by placing a pound of two in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes. Keep the crystal 60. Hops Columbus at 60, add a 15 minute addition of cascade. Yeast I would use White Labs California Ale WLP001. Mash at 150. If you are using propane just turn your burner up and cut the boil time down to 90 maybe even 60.

Sorry I am at work and they won't put beersmith on the computer.
That is about the best I can do. I am sure others will pitch in soon. Best of luck with your brew.

rustbucket said:

please give me a review on this... i plan to make this in the next month or two and age it until christmas time.. please give me suggestions.

7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 55.4 %
3.00 lb Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 23.8 %
1.00 lb Toasted Malt (27.0 SRM) Grain 7.9 %
0.75 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 5.9 %
0.50 lb Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 4.0 %
0.38 lb Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 3.0 %
1.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00%] (70 min) Hops 88.3 IBU
1.50 oz Cascade [5.50%] (5 min) Hops 6.7 IBU

~maybe even dryhop with something like amarillo or cascade


this is from brew smith that i created, and is for a 3.00 gallon
~ 120 minute boil to get to amount due to lack of efficiency only about 73 (still working on)
~ on there its rated for 1.112 OG
~ 1.026 FG
~ 18.2 SRM which is dark red to brown
~ 95 IBU ~ but this would deminsih over time


i plan on using either nottingham yeast or wyeast 1056, looking for a real clean yeast mainly providing flavor on grain..

please let me know what you would think... or if you need additional information

Click to expand...

I haven't run the gravity point math, but I'm a little surprised to see an OG of 1.112 for a grain bill that's ~ 12.5 lbs total and only 10lbs base malt.

Edit: Nevermind, I missed the 3 gallon part and assumed a 5 gal batch.

You're going for an American BarleyWine, right?

I wouldn't dry hop a BarleyWine, but you can if you really want... With that many IBU's it's either going to age for a LONG time, dropping a good number of them, or it's still going to be a face implosion in a bottle. With less hops (lower IBU's) you'll get more of the malt characters coming through.

You didn't put in your mash temp you're looking to do... I would go for 156-158F for 60-90 minutes for the mash. I would also drop the Melanoiden malt and toasted malt. You can increase either of the base malts, my preference being for more MO... I would even go with converting the US 2 Row to all Maris Otter 2 Row. Go with 10 pounds of MO for the base malt, and you should still hit over 1.100 for the OG (1.102 according to Beer Smith).

Personally, since I simply cannot drink IPA's, I would go to 1 ounce of Columbus (90 minute boil) and .75 ounce of Cascade (keep the 5 minute boil there)...

Another yeast choice would be Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale (also lists American BarleyWine in the styles it's used for)...

If you want it good come next xmas, I would say start sooner rather than later. Figure 1-2 months in primary, then a couple of month aging on some oak chips/cubes, before setting it aside for a couple more months. I would plan on letting it carbonate (if you use sugars) for at least two months. Aging on oak should help to reduce the 'rocket fuel' character from the ~10% ABV this will be...

ditch the melanoidin, the long boil will sufficiently account for this. definitely keep the mash low, with the high OG it'll give you all the body you need. id move the 5min add to a flavor add since any aroma it gives will be gone by the time you plan to bottle. dry hop as late as possible if you want to keep some aroma around. I'd go with 2 packs S-05 if you want a nice clean yeast, make sure to keep your temps low to make sure you dont get any fusels.

thanks for the suggestions guys... with barely wine i was really not sure what way to go or really to put one together, i don't drink many of them.. and this would be my first one brewed so in easy terms im a NOOB to them...

I would go with fewer IBU. I made mine to 90 in August, and still it's too much. This year's I'm going to go more like 60.

ok, i will do that.. i was just figuring that the IBU would decrease with time.. figuring 9 months from now.. but i really don't now how much dissipates over time..

that would be an interesting experiment.. age given bottles over a year or two and see how much it dissipates... saying you can measure IBU other than by taste...

ok, here it is again, after looking at your suggestions i made a few changes. i know i know i was told 1 gallon batch trial, but im just doing it in here for pure sake of it... at a 3 gallon

Amount Item Type % or IBU
11.50 lb Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 82.9 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 7.2 %
1.00 lb Toasted Malt (27.0 SRM) Grain 7.2 %
0.38 lb Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 2.7 %
1.25 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00%] (60 min) Hops 66.1 IBU
0.75 oz Cascade [5.50%] (5 min) Hops 3.1 IBU
1 Pkgs Scottish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1728) Yeast-Ale


~90 minute boil
~ 3 gallon size
~ my eff at 73
~ gravity OG 1.116
~ 69.2 IBU
~ 19.9 SRM

Mash at 151 for 90 minutes, or should i go with a higher mash temp like 158?

Note: the toasted malt is in there for pure sake for my notes (i would toast 1 lb of marris otter), as well as age on light American oak cubes for one to two months in secondary

I think im almost there... , if my grain bill looks good what about the hops, any suggestions to use other that those? now i think about it, almost like a nugget or kent or even mt hood, i kinda changed what im looking for but im still looking for a nice malty with some toasted flavor, i was even thinking now ever so slight in smoked malt? like .25 lb or less?

sounds like a solid english barleywine with american hops. I'd FWH the columbus to lend more of its characteristics, but its up to you.
i used a similar bill last year and split it among a few different yeasts (american, scottish, abbey, brett) and I liked the scottish least, it just attenuated less than the others. it still came out well, but just a little sweeter than i wanted. I'd guess as is you would finish > 1.03. do not mash higher unless you want poor attenutation
id give this a read, especially about mash temps: http://beerdujour.com/Howtobrewabigbeer.htm

My first ever beer was a barleywine. My one suggestion is to use something darker than the light toast cubes. The flavor you'll get from them will be a little bit harsh compared to the other flavors you've got (potentially). If you decide to keep the light toast, I'd soak them in your favorite spirit first, then add to secondary.

Sounds like a tasty beer.

dcp27 that was an interesting read.. ok ill keep my mash down at 151, i think that im going to keep the scottich yeast and add slight amount of smoked malt (only .25lbs i just want it to have a very suddle amount of smokey flavor with the roasted maltyness..)

what i ask is do you think .25 lb would be too much for that type of flavor im looking for? should i back it down? i figure a very little smoke flavor would compliment the oaking of the beer

yes beersmith figured 1.029ish for the FG

and after reading on the oak flavor im going to go with medium to heavy dark cubes.. i miss interpreted the information when i first read it.

plus i like the american hops much more then European ones i find that those really add alot of grassy flavors that im not a big fan of

For the oak cubes, keep in mind that you'll need to have the BarleyWine sit on them LONGER than if you used chips. Less surface area with cubes, than with chips, makes for slower extractions.

So far, I'm liking what medium toast wood is giving my BarleyWine aging on it...

depends which type of smoked malt. it could be too much peat, but should be fine for other types

ok, yah i figured that i would let it sit on cubes for 4 - 6 months

dcp ~ ok... so saying i get other than peat smoked malt would you say .25 is enough? or to much? for just a suddle under laying flavor...

now you have me thinking about my yeast.. im thinking about wyeast Trappist High Gravity 3787.. it Ferments dry, rich ester profile and malty palate. but i cant think of what the ester profile taste like...

rustbucket said:

ok, here it is again, after looking at your suggestions i made a few changes. i know i know i was told 1 gallon batch trial, but im just doing it in here for pure sake of it... at a 3 gallon

Amount Item Type % or IBU
11.50 lb Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 82.9 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 7.2 %
1.00 lb Toasted Malt (27.0 SRM) Grain 7.2 %
0.38 lb Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 2.7 %
1.25 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00%] (60 min) Hops 66.1 IBU
0.75 oz Cascade [5.50%] (5 min) Hops 3.1 IBU
1 Pkgs Scottish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1728) Yeast-Ale


~90 minute boil
~ 3 gallon size
~ my eff at 73
~ gravity OG 1.116
~ 69.2 IBU
~ 19.9 SRM

Mash at 151 for 90 minutes, or should i go with a higher mash temp like 158?

Note: the toasted malt is in there for pure sake for my notes (i would toast 1 lb of marris otter), as well as age on light American oak cubes for one to two months in secondary

I think im almost there... , if my grain bill looks good what about the hops, any suggestions to use other that those? now i think about it, almost like a nugget or kent or even mt hood, i kinda changed what im looking for but im still looking for a nice malty with some toasted flavor, i was even thinking now ever so slight in smoked malt? like .25 lb or less?

Click to expand...

Ok I'm new to the scence 2 all grains under my belt. My question is can I use this grain bill, only upping the quantities, to do a parti-glye with the big beer being a barley wine and the smaller beer being an IPA? Any help is appreciated.

Mash temp will determine how much body the brew has... Around 150 it will be a light body brew... Around 154 you get into medium body, with 158 giving you a full body (not to be confused with a full Monty, unless you have too many)...

rustbucket said:

ok, yah i figured that i would let it sit on cubes for 4 - 6 months

dcp ~ ok... so saying i get other than peat smoked malt would you say .25 is enough? or to much? for just a suddle under laying flavor...

now you have me thinking about my yeast.. im thinking about wyeast Trappist High Gravity 3787.. it Ferments dry, rich ester profile and malty palate. but i cant think of what the ester profile taste like...

Click to expand...

depends how much you like smoked malt. IIRC, I recently tried an ESB that had <1lb cherry smoked in a 10 gallon batch and you could pick it out, but it was pretty mellow. I really like what 3787 did in my barleywine. got great attenuation and the esters made it seem like it was aged much longer than it was.

Coach_Hogleg said:

Ok I'm new to the scence 2 all grains under my belt. My question is can I use this grain bill, only upping the quantities, to do a parti-glye with the big beer being a barley wine and the smaller beer being an IPA? Any help is appreciated.

Click to expand...

yup, should work great.

ok, i just wanted to give an update on my recipe

10.25 lb Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 78.1 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 7.8 %
1.00 lb Home Toasted Grain - Marris Otter (4.7 SRM) Grain 7.8 %
0.40 lb Aromatic Malt (19.0 SRM) Grain 3.9 %
0.30 lb Smoked Malt (cherry wood) (5.0 SRM) Grain 2.3 %
0.84 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.40%] (90 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 67.7 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.00%] (20 min) Hops 7.2 IBU
1 Pkgs Trappist High Gravity (Wyeast Labs #3787) Yeast-Wheat

~90 minute boil
~ 3 gallon size
~ my eff at 73
~ gravity OG 1.118
~ 75 IBU
~ 17.2 SRM

mash would be at 150 for 90 to 120 minutes to have full conversion

toasted malt will be 1 lb of Maris otter toasted at 350 for 10 minutes

1.75 oz of either medium toast french or American oak cubes for 4 months

note: my initial calculations had Maris otter with only 1.035 potential i had to fix it to 1.038 and it made my gravity go sky high so i backed it down 1 - 1/4 lbs