Help with Barleywine Recipe Tweak

[c2mcclel]

So I will be brewing this week, on either Thursday or Friday, and it will be Northern Brewer English-style Barleywine extract. It came with a pack of US-05. Here are my two thoughts/questions:

1. I'd like to bump up the abv another 1-2%. Original gravity claims 1.086. Could I add some honey, sugar, or something else?

2. I have had attenuation issues in the past....too sweet finish. I temp control in a chest freezer and keep my fermentation between 62-66. I always hit my OG and hit the high range of FG. I have only used dry yeast and rehydrate. Here's my question: I also have a Wyeast 1056 liquid yeast. Could I dump the Wyeast and US-05 to get a better attenuation?

Any other suggestions are welcome as I have made only mediocre beer in the 5-6 batches I've done thus far.

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

Have you tried a free recipe calculator to see what you can add to add how much gravity? Just Google a calculator and you will see. I've added brown sugar, corn sugar, honey, and maple syrup in the past.

For a barleywine, I like corn sugar.

 

[ong]

Adding more DME or LME (or mashing more base malt, depending what you're doing) will alter the body and flavor the least, I believe. For really big barleywines, I've made a very low OG beer (1.030-1.040), like a mild or ordinary bitter, and then pitched on the cake after racking that beer, essentially using the small beer as a starter. Plus, you know, extra beer.

 

[RM-MN]

If you've had attenuation problems my suggestion would be to increase the amount of yeast at the start and change your fermentation schedule. Your barleywine needs more yeast, probably 2 packets of US-05 rehydrated. Start it in your temperature controlled freezer to keep it under control while the yeast go through the sugars as that is where the off flavors are developed. Once the ferment slows, usually in 3 to 5 days, let the beer warm to room temperature as that will help the yeast get the last of the sugars, the intermediate products, and any off flavor compounds. Give it plenty of time too. I usually go 3 to 4 weeks on a 1.050 to 1.060 beer but with the higher gravity of this batch I'd suggest 4 to 6 weeks in the fermenter.

 

[mrdauber64]

Add invert sugar or Lyle's Golden syrup. This will increase the ABV and help get better attenuation. They are traditional ingredients in English Ales. There are a couple recipes for making invert sugar if you do a search.

 

[c2mcclel]

I guess I'll go to my homebrew store and pick up a second US-05 and double pitch. Thanks for the recipe calculator....looks like I need to go to the store again to pick up more DME and hops.

Should I leave the beer in primary for 4-6 weeks or rack to secondary during that time?

 

[rodwha]

Allow to ferment 4-6 weeks and then secondary.

 

[eriktlupus]

you also might try letting your temps rise a bit. -05 is ok up to about 70* iirc. the low temps might be cause of your lack of attenuation in previous attempts

 

[Weezy]

+1 on brewing a small batch of 1.035-1.040 simple, low hop beer and using that yeast cake... and adding a couple pounds of extract to boost your OG would be preferred. Actually, use a can of maris otter LME if the LHBS has it.

A yeast with some English fruity character would be nice.

 

[c2mcclel]

If I add a can of Maris Otter, won't I have to alter the ratio of hops and/or steeping grains?

 

[rodwha]

It would reduce their impact a bit. Run it through a brew calculator and see if it's acceptable to you.

 

[c2mcclel]

Looks like it won't affect much. Can I dump the US-05 and Wyeast 1056 in together instead of going to buy another US-05? I have to go to LHBS anyway, but I'd rather not spend extra money if I don't have to...

 

[fuzzy2133]

Looks like it won't affect much. Can I dump the US-05 and Wyeast 1056 in together instead of going to buy another US-05? I have to go to LHBS anyway, but I'd rather not spend extra money if I don't have to...

You can do that. I am not familiar with the 1056. Some people speculate that a yeast that drops out faster might drag a yeast that drops out slowly down with it a little more than "normal". This can also change your attenuation.

EDIT: How much higher is your FG compared to the estimated?

 

[c2mcclel]

If I add 3 pounds of extract, it would go from 8% to 10%. 1.106 to 1.03

 

[c2mcclel]

Original recipe has 1.086 to 1.024

 

[c2mcclel]

Just finished the boil....Starting gravity was 1.100. I did a starter yesterday with 1056, pitched that and a pack of US-05. I was thinking in a few days to add a pound of turbinado sugar and pitch another US-05. Bad idea? I really don't want to be stuck around 1.030-1.035 and have a cloyingly sweet beer. I'd also consider pitching champagne yeast in secondary.

 

[c2mcclel]

Added the 3 pounds of Maris Otter btw, which put me at 15 pounds of LME.

 

[Calder]

Adding more yeast a few days into fermentation is a waste of yeast.

No-one mentioned it, but S-05 and 1056 are basically the same yeast.

I'm suspicious that you will not get below 1.030. If it is an all-extract batch, you will probably not get lower than 1.025. I suspect you are using some specialty grains, which will increase the FG. Could you post the recipe you brewed.

 

[c2mcclel]

0.5 lbs caramel 90

12 lbs amber LME

3.3 lbs Maris Otter LME (this was my own addition)

2.5 oz cascade 60 minute

1 oz centennial 30 minute

1 oz williamette 15 minute

yeast starter with 1056 and pitched one pack of US-05

Should I toss in the other US-05 since it's only been a few hours since boil? I'm already getting action in blow-off 5 hours later...

 

[Calder]

You don't need the other pack of US-05.

With all that extract I think I would have replaced a pound or two with plain table sugar. But I like my BWs a little drier than most.

If your OG was 1.100 you should be able to get down to 1.025.

How much did you make? 15.5 lbs of LME in 5 gallons will get you 1.111. 5.5 gallons would be 1.100.

 

[c2mcclel]

I did 5.5 gallons just because I was afraid SG would get too high.

 

[c2mcclel]

Does anyone think I should do a gravity reading now that I am a week into fermentation? It's still bubbling once every 5-8 seconds, but was thinking that if the gravity is still really high, I could do something to increase attenuation. Temperature has been between 64-68.

 

[rodwha]

I let my beers ride out the 2-4 weeks and don't check them until bottling day. I don't see any good reason to check along the way disturbing the CO2 blanket unless you are in a hurry.

 

[c2mcclel]

Sounds good to me. I'll let her ride it out! Thanks

 

[RM-MN]

Does anyone think I should do a gravity reading now that I am a week into fermentation? It's still bubbling once every 5-8 seconds, but was thinking that if the gravity is still really high, I could do something to increase attenuation. Temperature has been between 64-68.

Without taking a hydrometer reading you cannot know if the gravity is really high but lets just assume it is. What I would suggest is that within the next couple days you let the beer warm up to the low 70's to encourage the yeast to complete the job that they have begun. The work better when it is a more comfortable temperature.

 

[c2mcclel]

I can do that. My upstairs gets pretty warm so I'll careful transfer it there while hopefully awakening some of the yeast.

 

[rodwha]

What gives you the impression that the gravity is higher than it ought to be?

 

[c2mcclel]

None. Lol I am just nervous because I read how so many extract barleywines don't make it to even 1.020-1.025. I promise not to open the lid until January though.

 

[rodwha]

If you get to that point there are a few things you can try. One is to warm it up to room temp and with a sanitized spoon carefully give a gentle stir to resuspend the yeast that fell, and if that doesn't work you can even try using a little sugar to see if it'll get them going again.

I've had a brown ale that stalled out as I had gone to the hospital leaving SWMBO to care for the water bath. It got too warm so she added a bunch of frozen water bottles which stalled them. It worked for one.

 

[Calder]

I would normally say let it ride where it is. However, I think you are going to struggle to get anywhere close to 1.020, so if you have the ability to warm it up, you should do that.

 

[rodwha]

My recent old ale was calculated to have a FG of 17, but I ended with 25. I fermented it at 64* for 2 weeks and allowed it to sit at ~73* for about 1 1/2 months so I didn't bother. 8% ABV is good enough I figure, though it was supposed to be 8.9%.

Sure hope it's not too sweet. Hopefully the 55 IBU's will help offset it if it does.

 

[c2mcclel]

What final gravity is intolerable? I have no problem brewing a double ipa and mixing it at bottling time.

My house temp is set at 68 and beer is sitting in the spare bedroom quite a bit warmer. Airlock is still bubbling away. I'll spin the fermenter every few days to wake any dropped yeast.

 

[rodwha]

Good question. I had a stout that didn't reach FG, but I had created unfermentables as the mash temp reached 180* while I wasn't looking (stovetop BIAB). It was sickly sweet.

 

[c2mcclel]

So I racked to secondary today, exactly six weeks after boil. Final Gravity ended up being 1.027. Tasted the hydrometer sample and it wasn't as sweet as I feared. Really boozy, but not fusely and tasted similar to Arcadia Cereal Killer.

Should I add anything to secondary, maybe sugar or honey? Or will that give me off flavors? Also, would I need to add any yeast for bottling?

I appreciate all the help on this brew!

 

[Calder]

I would say you are done. I said you wouldn't make 1.020. You should have replaced a couple of lbs of LME with sugar to help it get down a little lower.