Us Barleywine

[JonnyAnchovy]

Brewing my first US barleywine next weekend - tentative recipe below based on Nelson Sauvin. Any suggestions for changes? OG will be a little lower than stated - more like 1.105.



Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 19.00 L
Boil Size: 25.05 L
Estimated OG: 1.114 SG
Estimated Color: 14.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 90.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 55.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.00 kg Pale Malt, Traditional Ale (Joe White) (3.Grain 48.00 %
5.50 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) (3Grain 44.00 %
0.50 kg Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 4.00 %
0.30 kg Caramunich I (Weyermann) (51.0 SRM) Grain 2.40 %
0.20 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 1.60 %
60.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (60 min) (First WHops 58.6 IBU
30.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (15 min) Hops 13.2 IBU
40.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (10 min) Hops 12.9 IBU
30.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (5 min) Hops 5.3 IBU

 

[clean brewer]

Brewing my first US barleywine next weekend - tentative recipe below based on Nelson Sauvin. Any suggestions for changes? OG will be a little lower than stated - more like 1.105.



Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 19.00 L
Boil Size: 25.05 L
Estimated OG: 1.114 SG
Estimated Color: 14.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 90.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 55.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.00 kg Pale Malt, Traditional Ale (Joe White) (3.Grain 48.00 %
5.50 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) (3Grain 44.00 %
0.50 kg Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 4.00 %
0.30 kg Caramunich I (Weyermann) (51.0 SRM) Grain 2.40 %
0.20 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 1.60 %
60.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (60 min) (First WHops 58.6 IBU
30.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (15 min) Hops 13.2 IBU
40.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (10 min) Hops 12.9 IBU
30.00 gm Nelson Sauvin [11.50 %] (5 min) Hops 5.3 IBU

You have set your efficiency quite low, you will prob get better than that....... Also, adjust your recipe for a 2 hr boil, to get some nice darkening of the Wort, 60 min is a bit light on for a Barley Wine, its advisable to also just use Base Malts with a longer Boil....

My Bays Big Barleywine is in the DB if you want to have a squizz, I still have about 16-17 litres in the keg and after 1 year, its coming along very nice..

:icon_cheers: CB

 

[JonnyAnchovy]

You have set your efficiency quite low, you will prob get better than that....... Also, adjust your recipe for a 2 hr boil, to get some nice darkening of the Wort, 60 min is a bit light on for a Barley Wine, its advisable to also just use Base Malts with a longer Boil....

My Bays Big Barleywine is in the DB if you want to have a squizz, I still have about 16-17 litres in the keg and after 1 year, its coming along very nice..

:icon_cheers: CB

Cheers - ignore the efficiency - my system is somewhere just over 70%, but the sight glass markings are poorly calibrated, so I end up with more wort than I'm shooting for. Rather than re-mark the glasses I just change the efficency in beersmith. works for me.


Think I will step up to a 2-hour boil - thanks for the advice. I've been avoiding long boils (I use the crown urn with which some people have had element problems...), but in this case I think I'll risk it.

 

[Muggus]

Looks pretty good Jonny, NS should make is smell amazing.
2 hour boil is definately the go, get some really nice reduction and caramelisation, but in saying that it will also add extra colour and somewhat intensify the malt flavours, so i'd definately get rid of the Carapils(200g would do bugger all anyway), and possibly the other 2 speciality grains too.

Other than that, try to mash low. The kettle caramelisation will thicken it up a bit, but also you want to attenuate as much as possible, and with an OG over 1.100, if you mash high your FG could end up something ridiculous like 1.030+.

The only other thing i'd consider is bumping up the IBU to 100+. Same sort of general rule some people have for Imperial Stouts/IPAs, try to match your OG with IBU, so 1.100 give it 100IBU.
Barley Wines are made to age, you're not really trying to make a "drink now" style and the bitterness will soften with age.

Good luck!

 

[Swinging Beef]

Same sort of general rule some people have for Imperial Stouts/IPAs, try to match your OG with IBU, so 1.100 give it 100IBU.

I really like this simple rule.
Think Im gonna brew me an american Barley Wine, soon

I totally agree with the longer boil, AND the low efficiency estimates.
My system suffers badlywith beers bigger than 1070, and I have to make estimates like 55%, too for 1.100+ beers

Consider chucking in one kg of dex, sugar or even malt extract to get your gravity up higher. You wont notice it at all in a beer this big.

 

[JonnyAnchovy]

Thanks all - will take on all this advice and report back!

 

[Muggus]

Consider chucking in one kg of dex, sugar or even malt extract to get your gravity up higher. You wont notice it at all in a beer this big.

I'd agree with this too...especially if you're efficiency really missed the mark.
Mainly because you're going to end up with a high OG anyway, and more that likely a very flavourful malt (and hop with a USbw) profile with a whack of sweetness, you could comfortably whack a kilo of sugar sugar in to up your OG and dry it out just a touch.
Big caramelly beers like this could even call on something like dark/brown sugar for something a bit different, and subtle added complexities. And the alcohol warmth tends to smooth out with time.
The key is not to go nuts...1kg in a 20L would be as high as i'd be willing to go.

 

[browndog]

I would not class nelson sauvin as an american hop. If you want an american barleywine, you should be using american hops.

 

[pbrosnan]

Agree with the above. You need some Chinook, Simcoe or the like in there. In fact you need lots. NS is OK but hardly seen in US brews.

 

[JonnyAnchovy]

I would not class nelson sauvin as an american hop. If you want an american barleywine, you should be using american hops.

I'm brewing this one for drinking - not for the BJCP Nazis (whose ranks I hope to join by August next year!). While it's not a US hop technically, I recon it has a lot of the flavor and aromatic properties I'd usually associate with US hops. I guess at a stretch it could be called a 'new world' barleywine.

 

[browndog]

I'm brewing this one for drinking - not for the BJCP Nazis (whose ranks I hope to join by August next year!). While it's not a US hop technically, I recon it has a lot of the flavor and aromatic properties I'd usually associate with US hops. I guess at a stretch it could be called a 'new world' barleywine.

Well why not call it a Kiwi barleywine then?

 

[JonnyAnchovy]

Well why not call it a Kiwi barleywine then?

racial prejudice.