Brewing barleywine

Hi folks,

I plan on brewing a barleywine in the near future (monday tentatively) and I had a few questions regarding technique. I’ll be using a fairly simple recipe of 17 lbs of MO, 1.5 lb crystal 45 1 lb dark crystal 1 lb CaramunichIII.

The recipe I found called for an infusion to 148F, 60 minute mash, then a temperature raise to 152F for an extra 30 minutes. Does this make sense to you guys? Is my barleywine wort only my first runnings, with no sparge water (sparge being used to make small beer?) Any tips suggestions for mashing a barleywine welcome. Thanks!

Cheers!

Julien

There are many ways to brew almost any beer and the one you describe is one of them.
Personally, I would skip the step mash and do it all say at 152-154. I would also sparge unless you want to brew the small beer just for fun.
I would use about 1 lb of light to medium crystal and leave the rest out. Get your unfermentables from the caramelization you can get from a long boil. I boil mine about 6 hours and use very little crystal.
As I said, that’s another way to do it; one of many.

3.5 lbs of crystal-type malt is going to get you a beer with a pretty high FG no matter what yeast you use. Though I don’t brew many barleywines, the ones that I have brewed were English-style with all Maris Otter, a decent bittering charge, and WLP002.



As to the no sparging thing, sure, you can do that if you want, but I’d up your grain a bit because your efficiency is going to be lower than usual.

Originally posted by HornyDevil
3.5 lbs of crystal-type malt is going to get you a beer with a pretty high FG no matter what yeast you use. Though I don’t brew many barleywines, the ones that I have brewed were English-style with all Maris Otter, a decent bittering charge, and WLP002.



As to the no sparging thing, sure, you can do that if you want, but I’d up your grain a bit because your efficiency is going to be lower than usual.

This is for five gallons right? With a no sparge mash, and 1.25 quarts per pound, you will only get about six gallons of runoff. And having a gallon boil off in am hour, that is probably not enough starting liquid. I would recommend around 30 pounds total of grain, do a no sparge, and do a secondrunning mild. Also make site you have a big enough starter. Brew a paddle with a similargrain bill first, and use the yeast cake for the barley wine. Wind up getting 15 gallons of different beers.

Originally posted by SpringsLicker
I would use about 1 lb of light to medium crystal and leave the rest out. Get your unfermentables from the caramelization you can get from a long boil. I boil mine about 6 hours and use very little crystal.
As I said, that’s another way to do it; one of many.

Originally posted by HornyDevil
3.5 lbs of crystal-type malt is going to get you a beer with a pretty high FG no matter what yeast you use. Though I don’t brew many barleywines, the ones that I have brewed were English-style with all Maris Otter, a decent bittering charge, and WLP002.



As to the no sparging thing, sure, you can do that if you want, but I’d up your grain a bit because your efficiency is going to be lower than usual.

Originally posted by Unclerudy
This is for five gallons right? With a no sparge mash, and 1.25 quarts per pound, you will only get about six gallons of runoff. And having a gallon boil off in am hour, that is probably not enough starting liquid. I would recommend around 30 pounds total of grain, do a no sparge, and do a secondrunning mild. Also make site you have a big enough starter. Brew a paddle with a similargrain bill first, and use the yeast cake for the barley wine. Wind up getting 15 gallons of different beers.

Here’s a good English style BW recipe. Steve entered it as an Old Ale, but everyone who has tasted his calls it a BW. I got to taste one of the original bottles from the batch that won.

Hunter’s Moon

Originally posted by SpringsLicker
Here’s a good English style BW recipe. Steve entered it as an Old Ale, but everyone who has tasted his calls it a BW. I got to taste one of the original bottles from the batch that won.

Hunter’s Moon

Originally posted by SpringsLicker
Here’s a good English style BW recipe. Steve entered it as an Old Ale, but everyone who has tasted his calls it a BW. I got to taste one of the original bottles from the batch that won.

Hunter’s Moon

Originally posted by JulienHuxley

Originally posted by SpringsLicker
Here’s a good English style BW recipe. Steve entered it as an Old Ale, but everyone who has tasted his calls it a BW. I got to taste one of the original bottles from the batch that won.

Hunter’s Moon

That sounds pretty darn tasty, thanks.

Originally posted by HornyDevil
3.5 lbs of crystal-type malt is going to get you a beer with a pretty high FG no matter what yeast you use. Though I don’t brew many barleywines, the ones that I have brewed were English-style with all Maris Otter, a decent bittering charge, and WLP002.



As to the no sparging thing, sure, you can do that if you want, but I’d up your grain a bit because your efficiency is going to be lower than usual.