Im Curious about Barley Wine

[manticle]

I wouldn't use a belgian yeast. Are you making english or us style barleywine? Use a us or uk yeast as appropriate.
1388 is wonderful for belgian strong ale.
Wouldn't touch it for a barleywine.

 

[Chookers]

Manticle, Im sure you are right.. (I have no experience of these yeasts).. I was only looking at the words strong and the alc tolerance..

how would the t58 do for a Barley Wine..

 

[Markbeer]

The T58 is a belgian style yeast that would not suit a barley wine.

The cerrals you mentioned could be added to the mash. Rye and rolled barley add great head retention. I cook first before i add inmalted cereals to my mash when I do it.

For yeast I would just use S05. Remember this, just about all ale yeasts can go 10% alc. Its the environment you provide that makes it happen.

Denny Conn and Jamil both state the above but reference 14%. I have gotten S04.to bring SG1120 to 1030 when pitchinh on a whole cake in 3 days.

 

[manticle]

These yeasts have very specific flavours that would be out of place in this kind of brew.
What abv are you trying to get to? Most uk and us yeasts will push 10 or more easily enough - it's mostly about yeast health and cell numbers plus sufficient early aeration that will see the brew attenuate properly.

 

[Chookers]

thank you everyone for your attention and answers, they are very helpful and appreciated. I am learning so much on this site.

If I were doing the Barclay Barley Wine, I would want it over 10%.

but since I have never used any other yeasts other than ale yeast, I do not know what flavours come from these specialty yeasts.. I am about to do a Wheat Beer, I was going to use the US05, but have been advised by other members to go with Forbidden Fruit so that will be my first experience of how yeast can add/contribute flavour..

With this Barley Wine I really wanted to go with all Australian ingredients as much as possible, so I was really looking for suitable alternatives to the ingredients. If I can use some of my Rolled grains that would be great, as Markbeer said I can use some of those.. Also if I were to make it, it would only be a small batch like 6Lt-8Lt..

It would be an experiment.

So then would you say go for the English ale yeasts?? I have just been reading the description of Wyeast 9097PC Old Ale Blend... sounds ok, except for the horsey characteristic.. (that doesn't sound so appealing) but the rest of it sounds nice

I just went on the Wyeast web site and they recommend a few at the bottom of their page https://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_styledetails.cfm?ID=191

 

[Reman]

If you want to go Australian, then I think the Coopers yeast will do the job for you as it did for me. Though for a Barleywine I'd pitch double what you normally would for an ale.

 

[Chookers]

Cool, thanks Reman.

Is that just the coopers ale yeast?

I hear people talking about pitching on a yeast cake. I haven't done this before, I will have to learn how to make one.

 

[manticle]

You make one every time you brew

 

[Chookers]

You make one every time you brew

oh yeh, lol..

Could I do one so its like a super charged starter.. would that help with a Barley wine?

 

[Mardoo]

It's not uncommon to pitch high grav worts onto a cake of a yeast you want to use.

 

[Chookers]

is there a ale or IPA recipe that would be good for a yeast cake (and drinking too of course) for a barley wine.. would the Dr Smurtos Golden Ale leave a decent cake?

I would do a 12-13L batch.. that will all have to wait now because Im about to do the Wheat Beer..

 

[danestead]

is there a ale or IPA recipe that would be good for a yeast cake (and drinking too of course) for a barley wine.. would the Dr Smurtos Golden Ale leave a decent cake?

I would do a 12-13L batch.. that will all have to wait now because Im about to do the Wheat Beer..

You don't want yeast that has been stressed out during a high alcohol ferment. Pick a moderate gravity brew of similar flavour characteristics to what you are going to pitch on top (barley wine). And obviously use the desired yeast strain you want for the barley wine.

 

[Chookers]

Thanks danestead, great advice. What would you call moderate gravity, 1045? 1050?..

Is it better to use a yeast cake on a Barley Wine than just getting some liquid yeast? is one more effective than the other for such a high gravity.

 

[manticle]

Lower than 1050. Make a uk mild or best bitter.

 

[Chookers]

okay.. thanks

 

[Mardoo]

In response to the second half of your question a fresh cake is likely to be more effective - and very certainly cheaper - than a pitch of liquid yeast. You'd need about 4 vials of liquid yeast with no starter, or 2 vials in a 2L starter.

It seems to me like a fresh cake from a normal gravity brew kicks off faster and goes harder than a starter pitch.

 

[Chookers]

thanks Mardoo, I keep forgetting that this high gravity would make it harder, but damn that's a lot of yeast.. I know I must have asked this already.. damn my memory..

Im writing this all down in my Barley Wine Section of my journal/ beer diary... its seems to be more effective for me, than techno version

 

[Reman]

Mines down to 1.020 from 1.100, been that way for a few days so I'm guessing she might be done. Taste is quite weird like it still hasn't integrated yet. Definitely strong on the alcohol, but quite clean. I'm going to leave it on the trub for about 6 more weeks, then I'm going to rack and probably split in two to Brett and oak one and just oak the other.

It's been sitting on oak cubes for a month and it's ready for bottling. Has taken on quite a dark colour and if I leave it in a fridge to settle it drops out gunk and most of the vegemite flavour. What's left is a very smooth almost dried apricot flavour. There is no harsh alcohol flavours. The oak is there but doesn't dominate. I'll probably carbonate to 2 vols. I'll post again once it carbonated and I crack the first bottle.

 

[Chookers]

Reman, that sounds like a beauty.

I was hesitant about doing this style because I assumed there would be a vegemite flavour, but if you can get rid of it, then I am definitely planning it. I think I will have to wait a while before I can get mine started, as I'm sure I have worn out my brewing rights for a time. Apparently my brewing paraphernalia gives people the *****, I guess its in their way or something.. So I'll pack it away (for now.. Mwaahahaaa!) once I bottle my Hefe-ish wheat beer.

I think I'll start it all up again in late April.. gives me time to hash out all the details and get settled on my plan.