Advice on making a "big Beer"

[Waynep005]

I am considering making a big beer to honor the birth of our baby as well as for a few friends that are also having children arround the same time. My idea was to make either a Wee Heavy or a Imperial Stout and to let it age for a year. Any one have advice on which to make or another beer to suggest.

 

[McGarnigle]

Wee Heavy would make sense if you have a small, fat baby.

 

[dougdecinces]

What I've always heard is making a beer that's worthy of aging 21 years, that way you and your young'un can crack one open together.

My advice is to find a reliable recipe and make a gigantic starter. Other than that, all you need is some patience.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Could also do a belgian quad or a french biere de garde if you prefer Belgian/French styles.

 

[muthafuggle]

I made a Wee heavy last January 2nd that I bottled last week. -the 8 months of bulk aging did it some GOOOOOOOD. I'm planning on cellaring most of the beer and tasting a bottle or two around Christmas time every year.

For big beers, make sure you oxygenate the bejeezus out of the wort and use a really big starter (I used a 1-Gallon starter). If you have oxygen, hit it with ANOTHER dose after 12-18 hours. If you are an all-grain brewer, realize that it's pretty hard to get more than 1.087 (-ish) from your mash tun. Plan on boiling for a long while or be ready with some DME to get it up to the OG you want.

Long, cool fermentation makes a difference for wee heavies. Start it cold and keep it as close to 60 as you can. Mine spent most of the winter months at 57.

Aaaannnnd, that's all I got.

 

[kkimmes]

I made my first big beer about 2 months ago. I did not use a starter, instead only used one packet of wyeast. Big mistake, one I won't repeat.

The recipe was a northern brewer all-grain one. I let it age quite a while, but the solvent / alcohol notes are too overpowering. I might have to dump the whole batch. Right now, I am planning on leaving it age in my keg for another 2 months and see if it "cleans up" any.

Needless to say, this experience has lead me down the road of buying a stir plate and flask for yeast starters on all my beers. I guess trying the wee heavy made me learn some things......

 

[Zamial]

While not exactly the "brew your own style" but along those lines, why not get a 1 gallon (or larger) wooden barrel and some of your favorite single malt scotch or whiskey and age it for the child? Something equally as fun would be to wax up some good cheddar that would pair with it... These things age well as would wine or mead, VERY few if any beers would be "in prime" at that age.


Well, the above is basically my plan since I am in the same boat now...

BTW grats!

 

[Waynep005]

My plan is only to age the beer for 1 year I might try tog et a nice bottle of 2012 wine to keep for 21 years but not beer.

 

[Darkness]

Scottish Wee Heavy find a Three gallon barrel and dump a bottle of scotch in it turn barrel for a few months until the scotch has soaked in then transfer beer in and let it sit till flavor is right ( 3Gal I like to let the wood notes get harsh cause you blend that back)
Oh best part is tasting the barrel. That will age well and be goooooooooood. Oh I am going to make one just because thought I would share my idea.

 

[neosapien]

I'm gonna have to throw in on the wee heavy court. They age into truly beautiful things. If you like hoppy things, why not try to make a big ol' IIPA, overhop the living mess out of it, let it age a year then dry hop for a week while you plan the communal birthday parties.

 

[jeffmeh]

Here's a suggestion and you will get three batches out of it. Brew a Scottish 80 with Wyeast 1728. When that ferments out, brew a really big Russian Imperial Stout, then take the second runnings for a partigyle. Split the yeast cake from the 80 and pitch your two batches. Gives you an 80, a "little" RIS, and a "big" RIS to age.

We did something similar with the Merrimack Valley Home Brew Club last year, minus the partigyle, as we brewed 60 gallons of the RIS on the Big Brew Day then barrel aged it. The cake from the Scottish 80 batches worked great with the RIS.

 

[neosapien]

jeffmeh wins the internets i think. that's a brilliant idea.

 

[pm5k00]

Imperial Stout or Barleywine gets my vote.