Big Beers Experimentation

[dreamboat]

I brewed a big beer known as the DOA about a year ago. It only got bottled a couple of weeks back after spending a lot of time in secondary, and then tertiary on a champagne yeast. Style is a Belgian Strong Ale. I bottled it at about fg 1028 iirc, but I can't comment on taste for at least a year, by which time I am sure the gravity will have dropped a little more as it carbonates on the residual sugars.
If it turns out well, I can post the recipe, but it really is a labour of love when you really have to wait two or three years to see if you were on the right track in the first place.

 

[dreamboat]

sorry... og 1118

 

[Snow]

That sounds like an amazing beer, Dreamboat! One question - how do you predict carbonation levels when you let it naturally carbonate like that? How do you know you haven't produced bottle bombs?

Being a Brissie brewer, i think you now have an obligation to bring some to an AHB Forum Brissie members get-together in about a year!

Cheers -Snow.

 

[Jovial_Monk]

The sugars in the beer are the slow/non-fermentable dextrine or higher sugars, won't cause a bottle bomb unless you also prime it

I have 2 of this sort of beer about to be bottled, they are da ****!

Jovial Monk

 

[dreamboat]

You really have to take a punt on carbonation, but after literally months of work in the fermenter, you can be pretty sure that there is not a lot of sugars left. You would not bottle after a month safely, but after a year there should be no problem.

Yep, more than happy to provide a couple of bottles for sampling by the brisbane crowd, but as you said, still a year or more away from being ready.

 

[warrenlw63]

Counterpressure fillers are handy for bigger beers.

Done a couple of Barleywines this way. Just let them sit in the keg and carbonate/clear/condition to the desired level over 6-12 months (resist too much sampling). Then bottle them. CP filler also allows for purging the oxygen out of the bottles.

Must admit though big beers can be funny things. I've had barleywines sit in the keg for nearly a year. You bottle them and sure enough after 2 years in the bottle you still get sediment dropping (an perhaps a little extra carbonation) into the bottles. :huh:

Seems to be a continual process.

Warren -

 

[Guest Lurker]

My barleywine is 2 brews away and I am still thinking about how to bottle as I dont keg. I'm not convinced by JM that bombs are unlikely. I reckon 300 g of dextrose in 23 l would be about right for a bomb. And that equates to 4 points. So if the gravity drops 1 or 2 points over a year, good carbonation. If it drops 4 points, kaboomb. I can believe a beer finishing above 1.020 could drop 4 points in the next year or so, especially if you add a champagne yeast after fermentation. On the other hand if it doesnt drop at all, flat beer. Guess I'll eventually find out.

 

[GMK]

Barley wines dont have taht much carbonation - too much carbonation is worse than too much - IMHO.

I allways half prime my barleys wines - works extremely well for me.

Hope this helps

 

[Jovial_Monk]

hey GL,

There is not much maltose left in a BW bulk aged a while

My big spiced lager (OG 1135) is 18 months old and very lightly carbonated. But never take anybody's word on trust, and experiment away

JM

 

[Darren]

Heyas,
If you make a BW over 10% alc/vol and leave it on the yeast for 1 year all the yeast will DEAD. There will be NO carbonation. If you add yeast to the bottles, it will likely die too (eventually). Vegemite BW anyone?

 

[warrenlw63]

Exactly why I CP fill my Barleywines

 

[Doc]

So who is going to step up to the plate and give Denny Conn's Bourbon Vanilla Imperial Porter a trial ?

I brewed it today.
Smelt and tasted great going into the fermenter.
Missed the target OG though by a few points :angry:
Was over target gravity going into the kettle. Therefore I think I suffered today from the boil as it was a lot colder than normal. I actually boiled for an extra 10 mins up front before starting the timer to. Had to have a lid half on the kettle just to keep a strong rolling boil, but must have suffered from not enough evaporation as a consequence.
Maybe I have to invest in one of the NASA rocket burners :lol:

Will let you know how it turns out in a month or so.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Doc]

Just racked to secondary. Had a sample and it is smooth. Could have drunk a litre straight from the primary
Added the two vanilla beans to the secondary and the mix of aromas from the porter and the vanilla was awesome.
Currently sitting at 6.7% and I expect it to still drop another 10 points or so.
This beer is another beauty.

Soon there will be nothing but Imperial beers on tap at my place

Doc

 

[big d]

wonder if i could arrange a week off work to visit your place doc.mmm imperial beers yum

 

[Doc]

You'd need a week off to visit and another week to recover

Doc

 

[big d]

hi doc
yeah i know what you mean.
the wife wasnt very impressed with my recovery the day after the outing at jayses place.that demon ale sure slowed me down somewhat.

big d

 

[Jovial_Monk]

OTOH, you were pretty appy and relaxed on the day!

JM
PS not sure if it qualifies as "Imperial" but a mae and I brewed an OG 1145 Old Ale yesterday

 

[dreamboat]

mae???? sounds like a girls name Tom.

I'm sure I read somewhere that you had a preference for blokes and farm animals.



dreamboat

 

[Jovial_Monk]

heheheheh Rob

You just jealous, you haven't brewed a shandy let alone a real beer for ages


JM

 

[dreamboat]

Fair call Tom - the last beer i brewed was only at 1055 or so, and no plans to brew anything much bigger for a while.

not quite a shandy, but not far past it.


dreamboat