Brewing Big on Friday (First Barley Wine)

[wonderbread23]

Hello everyone! This is my first barley wine, although I've done a couple other big beers. Built this recipe based on suggestions in DGB and based on various online recipes. This is my first all-grain (with a touch of sugar) big brew recipe. Definitely open to any suggestions or tips on how I can pull this one off. My boil should be right around 4.5 hours to get down to my desired volume. Thanks!!!

[size=+2]2009 Burley Wine[/size]
[size=+1]19-C American Barleywine[/size]
Author: Nick Ladd
Date: 10/30/2009



Size: 6.05 gal
Efficiency: 73.0%
Attenuation: 72.0%
Calories: 339.48 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.100 (1.080 - 1.120)
|================#===============|
Terminal Gravity: 1.028 (1.016 - 1.030)
|=====================#==========|
Color: 17.67 (10.0 - 19.0)
|=====================#==========|
Alcohol: 9.61% (8.0% - 12.0%)
|==============#=================|
Bitterness: 92.4 (50.0 - 120.0)
|=================#==============|

[size=+1]Ingredients:[/size]
7 lb Pale Ale Malt
7 lb Maris Otter Pale
16 oz Midwest Wheat Malt
16 oz Crystal Malt 40°L
7 oz Victory® Malt
7 oz Belgian Special B
2.5 lb CBW® Golden Light Powder (Dry Malt Extract)
2 lb Corn Sugar
1.0 oz Centennial (8.5%) - added during mash
2 oz Chinook (11.5%) - added during boil, boiled 120 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 40 min
.5 oz Centennial (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 20 min
.75 tsp Irish Moss - added during boil, boiled 15 min
.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient - added during boil, boiled 10 min
.5 oz Centennial (8.5%) - steeped after boil
1.0 ea WYeast 1318 London Ale III
1.75 oz French Oak Cubes - added dry to secondary fermenter
2 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added dry to secondary fermenter

[size=+1]Schedule:[/size]
Ambient Air: 70.0 °F
Source Water: 60.0 °F
Elevation: 0.0 m

00:03:00 Dough In - Liquor: 5.61 gal; Strike: 161.38 °F; Target: 150.0 °F
01:33:00 Saccharification Rest - Rest: 90 min; Final: 144.2 °F
01:53:00 Batch Sparge - First Sparge: 3.0 gal sparge @ 170.0 °F, 10 min; Second Sparge: 3.0 gal sparge @ 165.0 °F, 10 min; Total Runoff: 9.23 gal

[size=+1]Notes[/size]
- Preheat MLT with 1 gallon boiling water for 5 minutes before adding grains.
- Start timer once hot breaks occurs.
- Afer cooling wort, whirlpool, let settle 15 minutes, and drain off sides.
- Aerate 4 minutes once in fermenter, pitch yeast and aerate an additional 4 minutes.
- Use extra fermenter as bottling bucket

- Pitch onto yeast cake from 5 gallon stout batch.
- Let beer sit on 1.75 oz. medium toast French oak cubes for 2 months (steam to sanitze and then soak in bourbon for 1 week)
- Dry hop 2 weeks with 2 oz cascade pellet hops at end of secondary bulk aging
- When bottling, calculate 2 volumes of CO2 as it may carb even further during extended aging.

Ferment Primary 1 Month
Secondary 2 Months on Oak
Dry Hop Additional 2 Weeks

[size=-1]Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.3[/size]

 

[wildwest450]

My only tip is not to base the efficiency on previous smaller beers, it will be less with a huge grain bill. My normal eff is 80%+ and I went with 70% for my Barleywine.

 

[wonderbread23]

My only tip is not to base the efficiency on previous smaller beers, it will be less with a huge grain bill. My normal eff is 80%+ and I went with 70% for my Barleywine.

Thanks for the heads up...I hit 73% on my last (and very first) all grain batch. I think I'm being a bit optimistic.

If I don't hit it, I can always bump up my gravity units with extra DME.

Does anyone have any opinions on the mash temp and the amount of corn sugar? I'm mashing low, trying to get it as fermentable as possible with the idea being that with such a high OG, there will still be plenty of body. Does this seem about right?

- Nick

 

[chase]

I would certainly make sure that you do not go above 150º. The 90 min mash is good. Make sure to use a blow-off.

 

[MultumInParvo]

I appreciate how your second all grain beer is going to be a barley wine.

I have several all grain batches on my belt and I am still a little scared of the grand Barley wine. But no, not you! You are a man among men! A champion to all!

Really though, I like your style here. Recipe looks good too. I just looked over DGB as well as my "Barley Wine" book and it seems near spot on. The only problem is that wait until you can drink it!

 

[wonderbread23]

I appreciate how your second all grain beer is going to be a barley wine.

I have several all grain batches on my belt and I am still a little scared of the grand Barley wine. But no, not you! You are a man among men! A champion to all!

Really though, I like your style here. Recipe looks good too. I just looked over DGB as well as my "Barley Wine" book and it seems near spot on. The only problem is that wait until you can drink it!

Yeah, go bold or go home I suppose. I have a 10 gallon cooler / MLT, and this is really going to push what it is capable of (volume wise). I have a little concern about getting a stuck sparge with the wheat in there, but am hoping for the best. Also, my brew pot is only 8 gallons, so I'll need to split the batch into 2 pots and then combine once the volume has dropped. Luckily, I work from home and have basically aloted all of Friday to get this bastard done.

I did a RIS as my second batch ever, and while the results were less than fantastic, I learned quite a bit about what exactly is involved in getting a big beer to ferment out. I'm going to pitch directly on top of a 5 gallon yeast cake, and can't wait to watch the fireworks. Plan is to have it drinkable by next winter (2010-2011).

- Nick

 

[wildwest450]

I have a little concern about getting a stuck sparge with the wheat in there, but am hoping for the best.

Not even a concern with only a pound of wheat in that big grain bill, just go slow!

 

[wonderbread23]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Brewday went quite well. Ended up getting 70% efficiency when I was hoping for 73%. Adjusted my gravity a bit on the fly to get within 1 point of my expected gravity (1.100).

Here are some picture of the brewday:

First things first, gotta sanitize bottles for my DIPA and get ready to rack my milk stout off it's yeast cake and onto some bourbon soaked vanilla beans.

Bottled! (with some help of the dogs)

Gathering Ingredients

Adjusting Water Profile (approximating London)

Grains -> Tun

Dough-In

90 Minute Mash

First Runnings

4+ Hour Boil

Hydro Sample. Looked great once it settled. Unfortunately I knocked it over before I could taste it.

Active Fermentation. I've had to empty the blowoff pitcher twice do to overflow of massive krausen.

- Nick