barleywine question

[michael88n]

Here's the recipe that I'm following...

12 pounds dry pale malt extract
1/2 pound honey
1 pound dry light malt extract
1-1/2 pounds corn sugar
2 ounces Chinook boiling hops (13.2 alpha)
2 ounces Cascade boiling hops (5.5 alpha)
2 teaspoon Irish moss
2 ounces Fuggles hops (finish)
2 teaspoon Sparkeloid
champagne yeast

Procedure:
Boil malt, boiling hops, and corn sugar in 1-1/2 gallons water for about 1 hour. In last 30 minutes add Irish moss, Fuggles, and sparkeloid. Add to 3-1/2 gallons cold water in fermenter. Pitch yeast and ferment about 7 months. Bottle and age.

I'm not going to touch it (while it's in the primary) until August of 2009. Am I going to have any problems with bottling?

Thanks,
Michael

 

[Cugel]

Why are you expecting to ferment for 7 months? This should be fermented in no more than 2 weeks. Leave in primary for 4 to be sure, and for the yeast to clean up (the diacetyl). Use yeast nutrient if you're worried!

I just took my barleywine out of the primary after 8 weeks.

Keep in mind that you will have to add lactose or something unfermentable as the champagne yeast will dry your beer out. Why not use an ale yeast - like wyeast 1028 or 1056?

The only reasons anyone could have problems in the bottle would be an infection, if you bottled prematurely (i.e. before fermentation was complete), or if you massively overcarbed (i.e. waaaaay too much priming sugar).

Which one of the above are you worried about?

 

[brewt00l]

I'm not going to touch it (while it's in the primary) until August of 2009. Am I going to have any problems with bottling?

Thanks,
Michael

You're not planning on leaving it on the yeast cake for that long are ya?

 

[mmb]

I'd ditch the honey and the corn sugar and just use plain table sugar. That little bit of honey really won't make too much of a noticeable difference with this big of a beer and table sugar is cheaper than corn sugar.

And use an ale yeast like WLP001, WY1056 or US-05 with a proper starter for the liquids or two re-hydrated packs of dry. The champagne yeast will be weird. Primary for a month then rack to secondary and age away.

 

[Ecnerwal]

I'd brew a mild or other ale, using an ale yeast. A week or two after that, make your barleywine and pitch on the yeast cake from the ale after you rack that off to secondary. Makes a nice serious starter, and something to drink while this ties up your equipment.

Nix the corn sugar, up the honey or DME to compensate.

Primary for 2-4 weeks, rack to secondary for 4-12 weeks, prime and bottle. Leaving it in primary for 10+ months - not a good plan. Leaving it in secondary for 8-9 months - still excessive - it's not a mead. Have it in bottles by groundhog day and let those sit in storage for as long as you like.

 

[RC0032]

why use Irish moss on an extract beer?

As for the yeast what I hear is best is to...brew a normal gravity beer with WLP001 (or similar) and pitch the BW onto the cake. As others have said it will need to bottle age for a while.

 

[michael88n]

So many good points brought up. Unfortunately, I can't e-mail the poster who left the recipie to ask questions. So I posted the recipie to ask you all about it. Thanks for all the input.

1. Why use Irish Moss in an extract brew? Don't know. Recipie called for it.
2. I'm probably going to use SA-05 rather than Champagn yeast.
3. The recipie specifically said "Pitch yeast and ferment about 7 months. Bottle and age." which led me to think that the maker intended for it to be left in the Primary for 7 months.
4. That got me thinking that after seven months, there'd be no yeastie beasties left in suspension to carbonate when finally bottled. I have no keg stuff, so I'm still bottling.
5. I'm leaving for Afghanistan in January, so it's now a great time to brew, bottle, and forget it. When I deployed back in 07, I left a couple cases of IPA, Stout, and something else in my parent's basement. I learned that somethings are worth the wait.

I'll let it sit in the primary for 8 weeks, bottle it, and have another thing to look forward to when I get back.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[RC0032]

5. I'm leaving for Afghanistan in January

Cheers,
Michael

God bless sir and thank you

poster who left the recipie

Link? I have been looking for a PM barleywine

 

[Pete08]

So many good points brought up. Unfortunately, I can't e-mail the poster who left the recipie to ask questions. So I posted the recipie to ask you all about it. Thanks for all the input.

1. Why use Irish Moss in an extract brew? Don't know. Recipie called for it.
2. I'm probably going to use SA-05 rather than Champagn yeast.
3. The recipie specifically said "Pitch yeast and ferment about 7 months. Bottle and age." which led me to think that the maker intended for it to be left in the Primary for 7 months.
4. That got me thinking that after seven months, there'd be no yeastie beasties left in suspension to carbonate when finally bottled. I have no keg stuff, so I'm still bottling.
5. I'm leaving for Afghanistan in January, so it's now a great time to brew, bottle, and forget it. When I deployed back in 07, I left a couple cases of IPA, Stout, and something else in my parent's basement. I learned that somethings are worth the wait.

I'll let it sit in the primary for 8 weeks, bottle it, and have another thing to look forward to when I get back.

Cheers,
Michael

Stay safe, and thanks!

 

[Pete08]

God bless sir and thank you


Link? I have been looking for a PM barleywine

Try beer recipe.com. There are a couple of good-looking pm recipes. I took a little from both and with adjustments came up with a winner!

 

[ChshreCat]

Make sure you let us know when you're back. I'm sure we'll all have a glass with you when you do.

 

[brewt00l]

1. Why use Irish Moss in an extract brew? Don't know. Recipie called for it.
-your call, won't hurt I suppose

2. I'm probably going to use SA-05 rather than Champagn yeast.
-or consider S33...I pitched a couple packs of US05 on mine and it came out quite nice

3. The recipie specifically said "Pitch yeast and ferment about 7 months. Bottle and age." which led me to think that the maker intended for it to be left in the Primary for 7 months.
-get it off the cake after a month or so and into a secondary for the rest of your aging time (How to Brew - By John Palmer - Secondary or Conditioning Phase check the third paragraph out)

4. That got me thinking that after seven months, there'd be no yeastie beasties left in suspension to carbonate when finally bottled. I have no keg stuff, so I'm still bottling.
-pitch fresh yeast when you bottle

5. I'm leaving for Afghanistan in January, so it's now a great time to brew, bottle, and forget it. When I deployed back in 07, I left a couple cases of IPA, Stout, and something else in my parent's basement. I learned that somethings are worth the wait.
-Thank you for your service. Stay safe.