First Ever Barleywine - Looking for Feedback

[BPal75]

I'm planning to brew my first ever barleywine as well as make my first attempt at using oak so I would appreciate any and all feedback on my recipe before I give it a go. I'm hoping to age this one until about Christmas so I really don't want to screw it up since it's going to take some much time before I plan to drink it. Thanks in advance!

Style: American Barleywine
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 8.12 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.24 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.092 SG
Estimated Color: 16.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 80.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 77.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 88.0 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name %/IBU
12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) 68.6 %
3 lbs Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) 17.1 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) 8.6 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) 5.7 %

1.50 oz Horizon [12.00 %] - Boil 90.0 min 51.7 IBUs
0.66 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min 10.7 IBUs
0.66 oz Simcoe [13.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min 14.5 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min 1.3 IBUs
0.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min 2.7 IBUs

2.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) -

1.50 oz Oak Cubes (Secondary 120.0 days) -


Mash at 152F for 60 mins.
Ferment at 68F for 3 weeks. Soak oak cubes in bourbon for about one week, then add cubes to secondary and rack on top. Age on oak cubes for 4-6 months at 60F then rack to keg and continue to age 2-4 months at 60F.

 

[sptaylor70]

Our local brewpub carries a barleywine, and they don't put it on tap, generally, until it's over a year old. They've put some on early (6-8 mo.) at times, and they have not tasted "right." So if it's not "right" at Christmas, let it continue to age.

Are you wedded to dry yeast? For a beer this big, I think that I'd try Wyeast 1084 (Guinness) instead of US-05. For the liquid yeast, you would require a sizable starter, which might be the deciding factor for you.

 

[Bobby_M]

I would either mash at 148F for 90 minutes or use a pound of table sugar in the boil to get that thing to attenuate.

 

[morticaixavier]

I would drop the crystal entirely and add two more lbs of munich in it's place you can choose to add some simple sugar but it's not totally necessary with this beer. just the 2 row and munich is going to get lot's of malty character without the crystal malt. if it was 10-20 points higher I would add some sugar but at 1.090 you're fine just getting the crystal malt out of there.

Nothing wrong with dry yeast.

 

[Virtus]

Hi,

I just made a recipe which i will brew this week and i need opinion... Till now i brew just with pale ale malt and crystal. now i add munich and wheat malt for head retention.

American pale ale 20L (5gal)
Gravity 1.053
IBU 37
Color 14
ABV 5,4%


Pale malt 84,2%
Munich malt 8,4%
Wheat malt 4,2%
Crystal malt 50EBC 3,2%

25g Aurora super styrian 9.2% 60min
20g styrian golding 4,60% 15min
25g styrian golding 4,60% 5min
30g styrian golding 4,60% boiloff
Whirfloc 15min
Safale us 05

Is possible to be to malty and sweet? Is 30g hops enough at boiloff for stronger aroma?

Thanks for opinion and critics.

 

[morticaixavier]

Hi,

I just made a recipe which i will brew this week and i need opinion... Till now i brew just with pale ale malt and crystal. now i add munich and wheat malt for head retention.

American pale ale 20L (5gal)
Gravity 1.053
IBU 37
Color 14
ABV 5,4%


Pale malt 84,2%
Munich malt 8,4%
Wheat malt 4,2%
Crystal malt 50EBC 3,2%

25g Aurora super styrian 9.2% 60min
20g styrian golding 4,60% 15min
25g styrian golding 4,60% 5min
30g styrian golding 4,60% boiloff
Whirfloc 15min
Safale us 05

Is possible to be to malty and sweet? Is 30g hops enough at boiloff for stronger aroma?

Thanks for opinion and critics.

looks like a good recipe to me. if it's not to your liking once it's done then you have a starting place. but I think it'll be fine.