Barleywine Attenuation

[rurounikitsune]

Barleywine. Mashed at 158. Nottingham yeast cake, 1.097 to begin with, now it's 1.028. 69% attentuation doesn't seem quite high enough, but then I did mash pretty high. It has been stable over the past week and I've been rousing the yeast just to be sure (never had bottle bombs, never plan to).

I was considering making a healthy starter of High Gravity Ale Yeast and pitching to see if I could get a few points lower. I was also considering racking to secondary and calling it done. What say you? Is there any fermentable sugar left in there or is it just a nice thick finished beer?

It tastes great by the way, it's actually pretty balanced.

 

[david_42]

Most likely done. Not seeing the recipe, I'd assume you have a fair amount of caramels in it and you did mash high.

 

[rurounikitsune]

No caramels just pale malt. However I did boil it for four hours or so, which should have resulted in a lot of caramelization. The beer is pleasantly dark amber.

 

[snazzy]

At 158 mash temp you are probably done. Notty usually does not stick like that.

Plus at over 9% trying to dry it out any more might be tricky.

 

[Bobby_M]

Wow, why did you mash so hot?

 

[humann_brewing]

Wow, why did you mash so hot?

I'm with Bobby, why?

 

[KevinP]

Caramelization in the boil? I didn't think that happened?
Sugars caramelize at:
Fructose 110°C, 230°F
Lactose 160°C, 320°F
Glucose 160°C, 320°F
Sucrose 160°C, 320°F
Maltose 180°C, 356°F

So if one is seeing darkening colors in the boil it is most likely scorching no?

Is a four hour boil otherwise normal for a barleywine?

 

[rurounikitsune]

Why did I mash so hot? Because I like beers with a lot of residual sweetness, especially if I'm going for a high abv. My favorite beer is DFH 120 if that tells you anything.

Can caramelization happen in the boil? I have no idea. I used the word to describe the oxidative browning that darkens and sweetens the wort. Probably it's Maillard reactions. There is also the possibility that the caramelization process begins below the temperatures at which it finishes, just as water evaporates far below the boiling point. I really don't know. But what I meant to say was it should have increased the level of unfermentable sugars.

Is a four hour boil normal? Not for most styles, though barleywine is boiled longer than most other beers. However I collected a lot of wort (9 gallons or so) because I used a lot of grain, and I only wanted four gallons of barleywine.

I'll push my next brewday back a week and let it sit. My hydrometer just broke anyway so I have to wait for UPS to come before I can brew again... until then I'd still appreciate any input.

 

[Saccharomyces]

Yeah I think most of us would choose to mash around 150-152*F rather than 158*F. Even so 1.028 isn't bad. I had an Imperial Stout finish at 1.028 and I think it's perfect.

 

[Bobby_M]

Certainly a low mash temp in a smaller beer would come out thin but not a barleywine. I'd stick down in the low 150's next time. Did you add any simple sugars?

 

[humann_brewing]

We realize you were trying for a more malty profile but yeast will only do what they are asked sort of and by asking you have to give them the right fermentable sugar. Like Bobby said, yes with a lower OG beer you may have ended with a 1.020 but starting at such a high OG, the yeast will only attenuate so much given that mash temp.

 

[rurounikitsune]

yes, I know. ^_^ but after having experienced some really interesting ales (Samichlaus, DFH 120) I wanted to make something different with a lot of sweetness and a lot of hops. I just wanted to make sure that it was possible to end up at 1.028 and not have bottles explode, and it sounds like it is possible.