I'm Thinking... 09/09/09 Barleywine

[wildwest450]

I'm so dang nervous about this swap, I want everything to be perfect.
So, someone will be getting brand new bottles, oxygen absorbing caps, capped with a brand new bench capper. And to think i'm a kegger.

 

[BierMuncher]

44 ounces is the minimum but if you want to ship a case to each recipient...that's fine too.

 

[Doog_Si_Reeb]

Alright, like others, I'm starting to panic as well.

I have had mine in the bottles for about 2 months. I cracked one after a month and it barely hissed... almost no carbonation.... I said ok, I'll give it time. I cracked another one last night to see how it's progressed... nothing! Not even a freakin hiss.... It is flat as the day it was bottled and tastes a little sweet from the bottling sugar. Now what???

I saw some posts many pages back suggesting yeast be added at bottling time. That post popped up a few days after I bottled so I missed that window of opportunity. Should I crack each one and sprinkle in a touch of dry yeast to get working on the remaining bottling sugar?

Here are some of the details:
Sat in secondary for a few months.
Bottled mid-January.
Bottles have been sitting upright in a dark bin with an ambient temperature in the mid to high 60s since mid-January.

Any suggestions are appreciated as I want to get these things carbonated before shipping them. (I knew I should have kegged the batch and bottled off the keg!)

 

[Couevas]

I force carb and haven't bottle carbed in years.........but some people have tried dropping a single "grain" of dried notty in each bottle.

I haven't tried this, so take the advice with a grain of salt.

 

[leghorn]

I force carb and haven't bottle carbed in years.........but some people have tried dropping a single "grain" of dried notty in each bottle.

I haven't tried this, so take the advice with a grain of salt.

I did try this with NO success. I actually dropped several grains in each bottle, figuring it wouldn't hurt. I actually have less carb now, since some escaped during re-capping. So, now I plan to gently tip the bottles every couple weeks to stir the yeasts up a bit. If that doesn't work by summer, I will move the bottles to the garage, where they will sit in 80-85 degree heat for a few months, still tipping every few weeks. Won't touch another one until 9-9-09.

I've gotta cross my fingers and hope this works; I don't know what else to do...

 

[BierMuncher]

Good news.

I have names, addresses and all other vital info from 33 confirmed participants.

We had a few that had to drop...but at 33...this is probably the biggest organized beer swap in the history of...well...uh...organized beer swaps. Not to mention the fact that we're swapping the biggest of beers known to civilization. :rockin:

I'll start dropping names in to my gonculator this weekend and hope to have assignments soon.

Remember there is no immediate hurry. I'm thinking that mid-to-end of April would be a good window to ship in order to avoid hot weather.

Those of you suffering from flat bottle conditioned beer...make sure your ambient temp is around 70-73 minimum. Think about dropping a few "pebbles" of dry yeast into each bottle. Those of you who keg and are still bulk aging...sounds like force carbing and then BMBF'ing is a safe bet.

Do your best to make your beers something you would serve to a paying customer. After all...

You are privileged to be participating in the biggest of the biggest beer swaps ever.

 

[FSR402]

44 ounces is the minimum but if you want to ship a case to each recipient...that's fine too.

Oh can I get him for my swap?

I'm going to be doing the same thing. New bottles, caps and I have that same capper. It works great.

 

[mmb]

See, that is just bad feng shui. I'm bottling my almost year old beer in almost 8 year old bottles while using new caps so the ying and yang will be harmonious.

Yah... watched some BS decorating show with the missus last night. *blargh*

 

[wildwest450]

Oh can I get him for my swap?

I'm going to be doing the same thing. New bottles, caps and I have that same capper. It works great.

Are there any tricks to that capper? It didn't come with directions, so I figure just put in a bottle and smash a cap on it.

I will be bottling some other beers shortly to get my bmbf technique down.

 

[FSR402]

Yah... I forced the missus to watch some BS gay decorating show that I can't get enough of last night. *blargh*

Fixed it for you.

 

[FSR402]

Are there any tricks to that capper? It didn't come with directions, so I figure just put in a bottle and smash a cap on it.

I will be bottling some other beers shortly to get my bmbf technique down.

no not really, you just need to make sure you have the right die on the driver.
Then set your hieght and go to town.

 

[mmb]

Yah... I forced the missus to watch some BS gay decorating show that I couldn't get enough of last night. *blargh*

Fixed it for you.

Grammar Fail!

 

[BierMuncher]

Here are the assignments.

I'll have names and addresses out to you all in the next few days.

I recommend shipping no later than the end of April. It is paramount that you communicate with your recipient. Having sh!t happen in life that causes delays is one thing (and perfectly understandable). Leaving a recipient hanging with no communication is a problem.

Congratulations and good luck on your mission. We're all counting on you.

 

[conpewter]

Put mine in the keg a couple days ago. It has some chill-haze. Should I just leave it in the keg for a month (this usually clears up haze) or use some gelatin finnings?

 

[bashe]

Mine started out at 1.112 then got stuck at 1.060. I pitched it onto a yeast cake of wlp001 and it brought it all the way down to 1.012, over 13% ABV. It still has an alchohol bite but with a nice malt taste. I should keg this weekend then I should be able to bottle in plenty of time to ship.

 

[Glibbidy]

Oh, this looks like so much fun.

 

[nibiyabi]

I can't wait to participate for 10/10/10. After all, we only have 3 more times of doing this before we have to start choosing some pretty arbitrary dates.

 

[wildwest450]

Yikes, I draw a BJCP judge and a moderator. Well at least i'll get some experienced feedback. Now im sick to my stomach.

 

[BierMuncher]

Put mine in the keg a couple days ago. It has some chill-haze. Should I just leave it in the keg for a month (this usually clears up haze) or use some gelatin finnings?

I wouldn't be concerned with haze on a barleywine. Your recipient can put the bottles into a fridge somewhere and forget about them for months...that will clear up almost any beer.

 

[conpewter]

I wouldn't be concerned with haze on a barleywine. Your recipient can put the bottles into a fridge somewhere and forget about them for months...that will clear up almost any beer.

True, the small beer (well.. 1.055 or something) from this batch took a couple months to clear up but it is really nice now.

 

[TexLaw]

Yikes, I draw a BJCP judge and a moderator. Well at least i'll get some experienced feedback. Now im sick to my stomach.

Just have them hand delivered by your avatar, and all will be well.

Folks, I probably will not get mine out until the end of the month. For those sending to me, don't bother rushing too much, as I will not be able to receive them next week.

Fun time!


TL

 

[mmb]

I've some beer in the pipeline that I'd like to include in my swap packages, depending on how it turns out so I won't be shipping until around the middle of April.

Just FYI so my recipient's don't get too anxious.

 

[jmulligan]

I've some beer in the pipeline that I'd like to include in my swap packages, depending on how it turns out so I won't be shipping until around the middle of April.

Just FYI so my recipient's don't get too anxious.

+1 I've got a stout needing to get into a keg, so mine probably won't go out until the first or second week of April.

 

[wildwest450]

I just dry hopped mine, and im waiting on an IPA to age a little, so mine won't go out until mid April.

 

[FSR402]

Mine will go out mid April and I'll be adding in some other brews too. If you are recieving from me and there is a craft brew that you can not get and I can let me know I may add that in there too.

 

[Couevas]

Just have them hand delivered by your avatar, and all will be well.

Seriously!!! That avatar drives me nuts! who are they?

As far as 999 goes, I probably won't be shipping until mid-late april as well. I am brewing a Belgian Wit this weekend as an innaugral brew on https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/brewtality-2-a-104616/ that I have high hopes for. I would like to throw a bottle or two of that in with the monster come shipping time.

 

[wildwest450]

Seriously!!! That avatar drives me nuts! who are they?

I wish I knew! It's a random pic from a past Oktoberfest. And no I wasn't there.

 

[wildwest450]

Mine will go out mid April and I'll be adding in some other brews too. If you are recieving from me and there is a craft brew that you can not get and I can let me know I may add that in there too.

Is that cool with everyone? Im going to send six out, could 1 include a regional brew? All I have to offer besides the barley wine are pales and ipa's, mabey a lesser hop head would enjoy a regional porter or stout.

 

[KingBrianI]

How many 12 oz bottles fit in the 12 x 12 x 8 ebay boxes? I'm trying to plan for what I'm sending out.

 

[conpewter]

I'll send out mid-april as well. I'll include some of the 'small' beer I made with this, also some others I hope.