My First BarleyWine

[JINKS]

Title: Wae Heavy
Author: Jinks

Brew Method: Extract
Style Name: English Barleywine
Boil Time: 90 min
Batch Size: 3.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.089
Efficiency: 55% (steeping grains only)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.128
Final Gravity: 1.029
ABV (standard): 12.91%
IBU (tinseth): 45.73
SRM (morey): 14.03

FERMENTABLES:
6.6 lb - Liquid Malt Extract - Munich (56.9%)
3 lb - Dry Malt Extract - Wheat (25.9%)
2 lb - Brown Sugar (17.2%)

HOPS:
2 oz - Ahtanum, Type: Pellet, AA: 6, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 45.73

YEAST:
Danstar - Nottingham Ale Yeast
Starter: Yes
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 77%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 57 - 70 F
Fermentation Temp: 64 F
Pitch Rate: 0.35 (M cells / ml / deg P)

 

[JINKS]

Fermenting at 64 currently. Going to up the temp in a week or so to 70.

 

[JINKS]

Any help or suggestions from more experience would be extremely welcome.

 

[David_Trucks]

What's your question exactly?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[JINKS]

Advice willing to take advice. How long to 2ndary, how long to primary, Ferment temp to reach best attenuation. What to do if I get a stalled ferment etc.

 

[JINKS]

Started this ferment Sunday at 63 degrees.
Monday upped it to 64 degrees
Today, Tuesday increased to 65.
Want to keep the ferment under control but not put the yeast to sleep to early.
Nottingham yeast temps from 57 to 75 so I'm still in the safe zone.
Will probably keep going to 70 degrees unless someone experienced tells me different.

 

[GuldTuborg]

You can keep a slow upward drift on temp until it's finished. Give it some time, then cool to help everything drop out. After that, you can rack to bulk age or bottle, your choice.

 

[JINKS]

Turned up to 66 today. Still bubbling away. Had krausen in my blow off tube on day 2 at 64 degrees that surprised me a little. Didn't figure that yeast got active enough at that temp.

 

[GuldTuborg]

With a high enough OG, it definitely will. Yours is pretty high, so that's not really surprising.

 

[JINKS]

I think this is my final design on the label. Problem is I have months to second guess and change again.

Although I do think I need to work in a tagline, like "hits ya like a hammer to the skull"

 

[JINKS]

On a side note I ordered some Lalvin EC-1118 Yeast just in case the fermentation gets stuck.

 

[F_R_O_G]

no reason you can keep upping the temp to 75+ deg depending on where you want your FG to be. this will not effect flavor if you do it after the first few days.

-Yeast, Chris and Zainasheff

 

[JINKS]

Figured I'd pull it out of the ferment chamber after 2 weeks, rack it to a 3 gal secondary and let it sit at house temp for months. Depends on the gravity readings I get. May get longer in primary with some 1118 yeast to help bring down the readings.

Mainly because I need the chamber for another beer coming down the pipeline that I want to ferment colder (60° F)than where I'll be in a week (70° F).

 

[KepowOb]

I'm planning on doing a RIS shortly and have been looking into aging beers, and I'm not sure if I'd bulk it at 70 for months. Everything I read mentions cellar temperatures, which is in the 50s. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I'm going to pull that off.

Also, very long aging might not be needed. There is a good series on barley wines over at the beer and wine journal (I'll try to remember to get the link later, I'm on my phone atm), and big beers, saying that if you aerate properly and pitch a big enough yeast starter, big beers often are ready before you'd suspect. It's still long, but not months and months and months (it years) long.

 

[JINKS]

Also, very long aging might not be needed. There is a good series on barley wines over at the beer and wine journal (I'll try to remember to get the link later, I'm on my phone atm), and big beers, saying that if you aerate properly and pitch a big enough yeast starter, big beers often are ready before you'd suspect. It's still long, but not months and months and months (it years) long.

Thats good to hear. I'm kinda impatient.
Up another degree (67°) today still bubbling away, although not as fast.
Sunday will take my first gravity reading to see how much it has come down from the original 1.124
It will have been a solid week in the primary.

 

[F_R_O_G]

fyi I made a barley wine that was ready in 3 weeks then I bottled it and it never carbonated because the yeast was dead. I still have it so i think I'll add some champagne yeast to it

 

[JINKS]

I've got champagne yeast 1118 coming. I'm hoping to not have to use it.
Still trying to figure out which yeast to use at bottling time in a few months.
What I read tells me that to use champagne yeast can make them bomb if the wort/wine is at the 1.029 predicted.

 

[GuldTuborg]

What I read tells me that to use champagne yeast can make them bomb if the wort/wine is at the 1.029 predicted.

Depends upon if it actually stalls or not. Champagne yeasts have been bred to deal with simple sugars, not trisaccharides and higher. So if the gravity is high because of these, champagne yeast will help with carbonation but not otherwise drop the gravity much. If your ale yeast dies with simple sugars left, it'll be a different story.

The best thing to do is rehydrate the champagne yeast and add it to the carboy a day or two before bottling. That way, if it's going to drop the gravity much, some or all of that will be out of the way before bottling time.

 

[JINKS]

The best thing to do is rehydrate the champagne yeast and add it to the carboy a day or two before bottling. That way, if it's going to drop the gravity much, some or all of that will be out of the way before bottling time.

Thats a great idea, and if the grav drops I can wait to bottle to avoid bombs plus the yeast will be alcohol tolerant enough to carbonate the bottles. Great input thanks.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Sure thing. Hope all goes well.

 

[JINKS]

Added another degree now at (68° F) brew was happily bubbling away even before the change. Going to be interesting to see the gravity reading this Sunday.

 

[JINKS]

Up to 69° F today. Tomorrow Sunday 6-22-14 will be the first gravity measurement since I put it in the ferment chamber.

 

[JINKS]

Beer sitting pretty at 69° F
3 cheers for Gorilla Tape

 

[JINKS]

Up a degree to 70° F here it will stay for at least another week.
Tried a sample, Sweet strong alcohol, very hot feeling.
Lots of floaters in the mix, will need time to settle out.

 

[JINKS]

Fermenter still bubbling at a stead pace 1 per 5 sec at a steady temp 70° Nottingham seems to be doing well at 13+% abv. Next gravity reading to come Sunday 29 June.

Anything special I should be doing or watching for at this stage?

 

[Jtownbrewery]

If it's still bubbling nicely at a steady temp then sit back and relax
Are u planning on aging? Barrel? Or just bottle wait a lil and drink

 

[JINKS]

If it's still bubbling nicely at a steady temp then sit back and relax
Are u planning on aging? Barrel? Or just bottle wait a lil and drink

No barrel, just a 3 gallon glass carboy and time. Hopefully it mellows a bit.
Right now it tastes like sweetened rubbing alcohol.

Seems to be slowing down now I only saw a couple bubbles through the airlock in the minute or two I had the chamber open.

 

[David_Trucks]

I see you keep posting about airlock activity. Just a reminder, but don't judge fermentation by airlock activity, but instead by checking consecutive gravity readings. I look forward to seeing how this turns out, as I'm currently fermenting my own batch of barleywine. I'm planning on NOT adding more yeast for bottling.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[JINKS]

I post about airlock activity because it is the only visible sign of fermentation and I don't want to fiddle around taking samples everyday for fear of contamination.
I can't even look at the progress due to the anti-skunking cover/carrier.

So I post airlock remarks to keep from posting: Looked at the black cover today looks the same as yesterday.

BTW: Still holding at 70° and planning the next gravity reading Sunday June 29th.ipe:

 

[GuldTuborg]

Give it time. There's really no need for so many gravity readings. Each time just exposes your beer to more oxygen.