I recently ordered a couple of 1 gal kits from Northern Brewer to play around with and try some different beer styles in limited quantity before deciding to brew a full 5 gallon batch. I started out with their new 1 gal. barleywine kit - everything went well and I'm finishing up primary now. Due to the very large yeast cake at the bottom, I thought I'd rack it to another 1 gal jug and let it sit for a while because I've read that barleywine can take some time to mature.
Having said that, does anyone have experience with adding anything fun or interesting to a barleywine from an ingredient perspective that would enhance it or improve it's character? I'm open to just about anything at this point, even just leaving it the heck alone. But, since this is a small batch, I thought it might be a good time to try something. Coffee beans? Maybe some dark chocolate or cocoa? I dunno....
Thanks in advance!
Having said that, does anyone have experience with adding anything fun or interesting to a barleywine from an ingredient perspective that would enhance it or improve it's character? I'm open to just about anything at this point, even just leaving it the heck alone. But, since this is a small batch, I thought it might be a good time to try something. Coffee beans? Maybe some dark chocolate or cocoa? I dunno....
Thanks in advance!