Attempting 40%+ ABV beer... "Barley Brandy"

[unionrdr]

If this works out,you might want to drink it out of a cordial glass (fancy stemmed shot glass). So,how much yeast & how many times? Two times?

 

[Cape Brewing]

Yeah, I have zero intention of actually bottling this thing (assuming I'm even successful). This is the type of beverage that goes in a decanter and you take small pours from.

Ummm... I think the professional brewing term for the amount of yeast is "asston".

I don't know how many infusions I'll end up doing... I'm guessing at least four or five. Every time I "feed" the batch (either by maple syrup or additional wort), I'll also pitch more yeast and hit it with oxygen

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

So, I'm guessing your conicals will come in handy for this? With all this yeast and racking.

 

[jtakacs]

Asston
[ass-ton]
- adjective, noun, pronoun

1. a specific unit of weight and measurement used in brewing to describe a large quantity of ingredient. I had to add an asston of yeast to get this cough syrup to ferment.

who knew...?

 

[Cape Brewing]

So, I'm guessing your conicals will come in handy for this? With all this yeast and racking.

Nah... I'm not going to bother with them. I'm only dealing with a few gallons here. I should be able to do all of this pretty easily in carboys and no real reason to bring in those things.

 

[bottlebomber]

Ummm... I think the professional brewing term for the amount of yeast is "asston".

It might not be enough... you may need a fvckton- adj.

 

[HerotBrewer]

It might not be enough... you may need a fvckton- adj.

Are those metric or imperial asstons?

 

[RIT_Warrior]

1090 IIIPA done. I am gonna pitch US-05 so I have that huge initial yeast cake and I am going to keep building up my 099 starter.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it not necessarily to advisable to use a higher ABV beer for a "starter"? I don't know the technical reasons, but I do know that most people recommend your "starters" come in at around 1040 or so. As this IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPA is basically a 5 gallon "starter", wouldn't it be better to get the gravity around that amount instead of 1090?

 

[Cape Brewing]

PTN and Yeager have made the U clone three times. The first two times they made barleywine starters and the beer fermented out perfectly. The third time, they made a 1050 pale as the starter so they wouldnt stress the yeast. That beer is barely below 1100 and hasnt budged in weeks.

So.. When you decide to make your version, you should go that route. I'm going with a ten gallon 1090 starter for a 3 or 4 gallon 1200 wort.

"but you're going to stress the cells!"

Ok... That may be true but then someone needs to explain to me how then pitching into a freakin 1200 OG wort DOESN'T stress the cells.

 

[RIT_Warrior]

--removed after resolved misunderstanding--

PTN and Yeager have made the U clone three times. The first two times they made barleywine starters and the beer fermented out perfectly. The third time, they made a 1050 pale as the starter so they wouldnt stress the yeast. That beer is barely below 1100 and hasnt budged in weeks.

So.. When you decide to make your version, you should go that route. I'm going with a ten gallon 1090 starter for a 3 or 4 gallon 1200 wort.

"but you're going to stress the cells!"

Ok... That may be true but then someone needs to explain to me how then pitching into a freakin 1200 OG wort DOESN'T stress the cells.

 

[DakotaRules]

someones got a sand in their.....

 

[bottlebomber]

Just trying to help, dick.

He already gave his disclaimer on his first post... he's a mashhole lol

 

[Tinga]

He already gave his disclaimer on his first post... he's a mashhole lol

I think he said Masshole

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

someones got a sand in their.....

Vag.

Subscribed and I'll be hunting squirrels in the backyard for you to shove bottles up their ass. Maybe some chipmunks for 187mL bottles, too.

 

[DakotaRules]

Isn't there a type of animal that's more fitting of cape, like a bottle shoved up a baconwrappedrhinocowpiggooseturkeychicken smoked to give the bottle that smokey hint.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Oh, sorry. My bad. I thought you were be kind of a condesending dbag. I must have read your post wrong. My bad.


Edit: jeeeeesus. Lots o' traffic before I could respond.

 

[Cape Brewing]

I thought about the dead animal angle but, thats just too much of a copy-cat tactic. Like i was saying before, I don't think i am even going to bottle this when its done... At least not cap it. I am not sure what the benefit would be.

Ahhh. And on the "smokey hint".... I think I am adding a handful of peated malt to this. I am thinking, if this actually works, I think the peated would certainly be appropriate and a nice touch.

I am thinking maybe a couple of ounces

 

[DakotaRules]

2 OZ that's it? You should add some dirt from Scotland, it will add an earthy taste. How much Kasier malt is going into this?

 

[DakotaRules]

I do think a little smoke would be be tasty. I wonder if it would be lost in the mash or the freeze.

 

[Cape Brewing]

You don't want to eff around with peated malt. That stuff is insanely strong and a little bit goes a long long way. I think 2 ounces in a 3-4 gallon batch may even be too much.

... and no way, I don't think you'll lose it at all at any point. You would have to drop a nuke on it to get that peated malt to fade out.

I have some cherry-smoked malt laying around... maybe I'll toss that in there as well just for giggles.

IIIPA is hammering away somethin' fierce. I am going to take a gravity reading Sunday night and if that beer is done (or damn close to it), I'm going to do the first U batch Monday.


(I absolutely freakin' love the fact that PTN hasn't seen any of this yet... still can't find his phone)

 

[the_bird]

Personally, I wouldn't **** with the peated malt. I know, you're going for some of that "scotch"-like character, but that stuff is just nasty.

That cherrywood-smoked malt, though... REAL nice. I think a lot more complementary to the HUGE amount of malt and maple that you're going to have.

I don't see the peated malt as being nearly as complementary. It's *OK* in a fairly aggressive stout, something that's already loaded up with black patent and roasted barley, but otherwise I don't think that acrid flavor is what you really want.

 

[DakotaRules]

Good to know, I've never used peat. This is very interesting! PTN is going to explode when he finds this thread.

 

[bwomp313]

Yeah I used 4 oz once of peat malt in a Wee Heavy and it ended up with a very strong manure flavor. Big mistake.

 

[Cape Brewing]

yeah, Peat is freakin' heavy duty stuff.

While I always respect Da Bird's opinion... I'm still a bit undecided. I think the residual sweetness (concentrated) and the high alcohol could use a hint of peat. Nothing huge, just a little something to cut the sweetness. We'll see.

I don't know that the smoked will hold up. I think it is a much more sublte taste that will be get buried under everything else.

We'll see. I've got three days to settle on a final grain bill

 

[the_bird]

How 'bout a little roasted barley to accomplish that? Add some of those kinds of characteristics - add a little bite - but without as much risk of totally 'effin' it up?

I actually really like that idea. I'd use a little RB to offset some of that cloying sweetness, I think that's a better, complementary flavor than the peat.

 

[Cape Brewing]

I don't hate that idea.

Every time I think about the peated though I think of 40% + ABV.

I hear ya though.

 

[DakotaRules]

Well you can think of a rusty nail. Scotch and Drambue. Mmm Scotch

 

[the_bird]

I may have just talked myself into doing a barleywine with a couple ounces of RB this weekend. I don't really drink a lot of BW's because I don't like really heavy, sweet beers, but I'm thinking that maybe, what... 4 ounces? 6 ounces? of RB in a 5-gallon batch would add a nice counterbalance.

**** it. Three day weekend. Brew it now, it'll be ready for September.

 

[DakotaRules]

Nice bird! I have a summer barley that'll be ready in a few weeks!

 

[the_bird]

Ain't gonna be no 20% ABV, though!

Got to see what I've got for malt kicking around. Dakota, you got some crystal you can lend a brother?