Dema-Goddess Barleywine question

[Lukass]

Hey all,

Has anyone ever brewed this beer? it is an extract kit from Sam Calagione's book, Xtreme Brewing. I've got a healthy yeast starter going with WLP570 Belgian golden ale to use in primary fermentation, and then I'm finishing it off in secondary fermentation with some WLP1099. With multiple sugar additions this is going to hopefully be a big ass beer in the end.

My concern is, it calls for WLP570 yeast, so will this ultimately taste like a belgian-style barleywine? Could be an interesting twist on the style, but I'm wondering why Dogfish would come up with an American-style barleywine and use a belgian golden strong ale yeast for primary...? Anyone have any thoughts on this? Here is the recipe if you want to check it out:

Dema-Goddess Ale

Preboil Tea
- 4 gallons cool water
- 1/2 pound crushed cara-Munich barley
- 1/2 pound crushed special B barley
- Grain bag
- 2 teaspoons gypsum

Boil
- 13.2 pounds light liquid malt extract or 11 pounds dry light malt extract (65 minutes)
- 2 ounces Tomahawk hop pellets (60 minutes)
- 2 ounces Chinook hop pellets (20 minutes)
- 1/2 pound cane sugar (20 minutes)
- 2 teaspoons Irish Moss (20 minutes)
- 1/2 pound Demerara sugar (10 minutes)
- 5 teaspoons yeast nutrient (after cooling)

In Carboy
- Water to the 5 gallon mark

Primary Fermentation
- Yeast: Wyeast 1214 Abbey Ale or White Labs WLP570 Belgian Strong/Golden Ale.
- 1 ounce pure cane sugar (day 8)
- 1 ounce demerara sugar (day 9)
- 1 ounce pure cane sugar (day 10)
- 1 ounce demerara sugar (day 11)
- 1 ounce pure cane sugar (day 12)
- 1 ounce cascade hop pellets (day 13)
- Distillers yeast (secondary) (day 13)
- 1 ounce pure cane sugar (day 13)
- 1 ounce demerara sugar (day 14)
- 1 ounce pure care sugar (day 15)
- 1 ounce demerara sugar (day 16)
- 1 ounce pure cane sugar (day 17)

Bottling
- Champagne Yeast or Wyeast 3021
- 5 ounces priming sugar

Extra Equipment
- Aquarium pump/hose/aerating stone setup

SG: 1.100 (at the start of primary fermentation)
FG: "With this many small sugar additions and this big a beer, final gravity is anybody's guess!"

Final Target ABV: 14-16%

 

[Charmin1073]

Did you end up brewing this? I bought the book and was thinking of trying to brew it All-Grain.

 

[Lukass]

I did! I actually still have almost 2 cases that I've been patient with, and they are still sitting in the basement after over a year of brewing it. I have tried a few, and even after a year of aging they are still tasting pretty harsh at almost 15% abv.

It was a lot of work with all the sugar additions, and 2 separate yeast starters with 2 different strains, but I think it is worth it. The one thing I highly recommend (and you probably already know this), but in Sam Calgione's book, the recipe says to aerate the wort once again when adding the secondary yeast strain - the high gravity yeast. Do NOT do this, or you will end up with cardboard tasting beer. I don't know why they would say to aerate the wort after it's already been fermenting for 7-10 days with the primary yeast strain, so I didn't trust it..

Let me know how it turns out if you end up brewing.

 

[Lukass]

Did you end up brewing this? I bought the book and was thinking of trying to brew it All-Grain.

I did! I actually still have almost 2 cases that I've been patient with, and they are still sitting in the basement after over a year of brewing it. I have tried a few, and even after a year of aging they are still tasting pretty harsh at almost 15% abv.

It was a lot of work with all the sugar additions, and 2 separate yeast starters with 2 different strains, but I think it is worth it. The one thing I highly recommend (and you probably already know this), but in Sam Calgione's book, the recipe says to aerate the wort once again when adding the secondary yeast strain - the high gravity yeast. Do NOT do this, or you will end up with cardboard tasting beer. I don't know why they would say to aerate the wort after it's already been fermenting for 7-10 days with the primary yeast strain, so I didn't trust it..

Let me know how it turns out if you end up brewing.