First High Gravity Brew(yeast and mash questions)

[gpogo]

I purchased the Dutch Magic Castle from AHS during their sale, anyways it's my first high gravity AG.
The recipe is
14.5 lbs belgian pale
.25 lb Biscuit
.25 lb Munich
.25 lb Special B
.25 lb Caramel Wheat

2lbs Candi Sugar(added at start of boil)
1 can of Lyle's Golden Syrup

2oz Saaz(60 min)
.5 Saaz, .25oz Sweet Orange, .25oz Coriander(15min)
.5 Saaz, .5oz Bitter Orange

Yeast:WL530
OG: 1.104
FG:1.026

Mash at 150-151
Would mashing in with 5.15 gallons and then batch sparging with 4.23 gallons probably work?

I'm also concerned about my yeast. I'm making a starter so that should be fine, however I have been debating kegging vs bottling it. Bottling would be ideal in that I could save it away, though kegging would guarantee carbonation. Last time I bulk aged a high gravity extract beer and then bottled it would not carbonate. Should I add more yeast at bottle time?

Is there anything else I should worry about or do I just need to rdwhahb?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

At 1.32qt/lb that ratio should work. Although I find in my own system that a thicker mash with more water reserved for sparge works better.

Systems vary. What is key is that you brew often to learn YOUR system.

Being a kit it "should" work. Being from AHS it "should" be tried and true.
Being a natural product relying on teh performance of living organisms it will vary batch to batch.

A keg o beer does not have to be consumed completely before it is removed from the system. When available and desired, I swap kegs bewteen faucets without hesitation. I tire easily of the same. This irritates my wife to no end when it relates to leftovers.

 

[Chriso]

One thing to note, if you are concerned about your batch's viability to bottle-carbonate, is that you could always keg it, carbonate it, and then BMBF it into bottles.

As long as you're making a starter, and as long as you bottle it within ~3-6 weeks of brewing, there should be enough viable yeast left to carbonate. My 1.088 RIS carbed just fine without pitching more yeast. It might add a week or two to the carbonation process - but with a beer this big, an excuse to stay out of your stash is a GOOD thing!

You sound like you've got all your ducks in a row. I vote to RDWHAHB until brew day!