Barleywine

[mschoeffler]

I’ve just tapped my take on this style for the first time and am thinking about version #2. This was 100% chevalier malt OG 1.097, FG 1.023. Lots of malt and marmalade with this BUT I want more. Mostly color with some additional alcohol without becoming too sweet. Coming from a belgian background, my thought is to add some sugar, but I want to stick with traditional English ingredients.
Lyle’s
Treacle
What say you?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Invert. Very English, very traditional. Lyle's Golden for a shortcut if you really want. Leave the treacle for baking.

 

[kevin58]

Many English breweries used invert sugar. Invert #1 when they wanted to keep the color pale such as Tennent's Gold Label No. 1 Sparkling Barley Wine or invert #3 for more color such as in Truman's Stock No. 1 Burton Barley Wine.

Invert is quite easy to make yet time consuming. However you can buy it now in the US by looking for Bekcer's Inverted Sugars. I've used both, homemade and Becker's. I prefer homemade however because it is cheaper to make.

If you make your own I recommend using Ron Pattinson's recipe which is similar to the one that used to be published on the defunct unholymess.com website... and if I remember correctly they credited Ron for their recipe. It is taken from his book The Homebrewers Guide to Vintage Beer.

You will need:

- raw cane Sugar (not table sugar)
- citric Acid
- water
- a candy thermometer
- a saucepan

The colors you are aiming for are:


- No. 1, 12-16 SRM
- No. 2, 30 - 35 SRM
- No. 3, 60 - 70 SRM
- No. 4, 275 - 325 SRM

This is what you do:

- For each pound (455g) of sugar you use, bring 1 pint (473ml) of water to a boil.
- Turn on the heat and add the sugar slowly, dissolving it.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon (1g) of citric acid per pound of sugar.
- Turn on the heat and set the alarm on the candy thermometer to 230°F (110°C).
- Stir frequently while it starts to simmer.
- When the temperature hits 230°F (110°C) reset the alarm for 240°F (115.6°C).
- Heat slowly until the temperature gets to 240°F (115.6°C).
- Lower the heat to keep at 240°F - 250°F (115.6° - 121.1°C).
- For No. 1 maintain the heat for 20 - 30 minutes.
- For No. 2 maintain the heat for 90 - 120 minutes.
- For No. 3 maintain the heat for 150-210 minutes.
- For No. 4 maintain the heat for 240 - 300 minutes.
I have made it with a simple candy thermometer but it requires constant attention and adjustment of the heat to keep the syrup between the required temperatures. An easier way that I have found is to use a dutch oven cook pot and use the oven set to 240°F - 250°F (115.6°C - 121.1°C).

For more insight on Barley Wine, it's history and recipes converted from historic brewers logs, like the two I mentioned above, dive into Shut up about Barclay Perkins There is a site search at the top left of the site as well as an extensive keyword listing near the bottom.

 

[user 246304]

In an old post I make reference to a barleywine made by a brewer at Goose Island at the time (Jim Cibak, for some years now the head brewer at Revolution in Chicago), and found it magnificent. He used Munich to lend maltiness, without the cloying sweetness. It's not traditional, but the result was fantastic.

 

[hiphoppotamuss]

An easier way that I have found is to use a dutch oven cook pot and use the oven set to 240°F - 250°F (115.6°C - 121.1°C).

silly question maybe… but lid on or lid off?

 

[kevin58]

silly question maybe… but lid on or lid off?

On.

 

[mschoeffler]

Version #2 will have 10% invert…#2 or #3?
I want just a little darker color.

 

[mschoeffler]

Version #2 will have 10% invert…#2 or #3?
I want just a little darker color.

I used #2 and finally tapped this today. I got the ABV boost I wanted without any more residual sugar (FG 1.022) but the color didn’t change much (from prior photo). I may go with #3 this year.
Cheers!

 

[kevin58]

I make Invert #3 almost exclusively.

 

[Miraculix]

Version #2 will have 10% invert…#2 or #3?
I want just a little darker color.

Invert, however dark it might be, won't give you much colour. Invert gives you certain flavours that you won't get from malt and it will bump up the abv without adding much to the fg.

If you want colour, I suggest using a small amount of black malt or midnight wheat to get it. You won't taste it at this amount. This is btw. Also a very traditional thing to do.

 

[mschoeffler]

Invert, however dark it might be, won't give you much colour. Invert gives you certain flavours that you won't get from malt and it will bump up the abv without adding much to the fg.

If you want colour, I suggest using a small amount of black malt or midnight wheat to get it. You won't taste it at this amount. This is btw. Also a very traditional thing to do.

My belgian quad would disagree, but the darker does bring different flavors as well.

 

[Miraculix]

My belgian quad would disagree, but the darker does bring different flavors as well.

Did you use invert or candi sugar? Both are quite different but look the same.

 

[Agent]

So, I'll throw in my 2 cents on the sugars. Note - I've never purchased genuine English Inverts, have have only purchased Belgian D-90 and D-180 Candi syrups.

The invert method that @kevin58 lists is close to what I use. My main difference is that the darker inverts receive a larger percentage of molasses for the flavor/color. When I tried the long bake, I had minimal real darkening. Each dab is a 15 minute interval.

There is a similar method for making Belgian syrups that treat the sugar with alkali after the acid. That one was much more receptive to my cooking efforts!

 

[kevin58]

I don't use molasses to make my invert. I start with raw sugar like Turbinado.