Every summer I make a 10 gal batch of English Barley Wine. Ive been dialing in the recipe (below) and it has done well for me. I give about half away and oak & cellar the the other half. (A bottle of the Oak Aged 2013 made it to the MBOS at the 2nd rd NHC this year.)
This year, instead of growing up a pitch of yeast (WY 1028) i brewed a standard bitter, rinsed and pitched slurry. I don't have a way to count yeast cells so I used the estimate of cell density in the yeast rinsing sticky. I assumed low figures believing that over-pitching was preferred to under-pitching.
The fermentation started in about 6 hours -a reasonable lag time. It was over in a little over three days - normally it will take ~ 1 week. This recipe usually gets to ~1.021. This batch stopped at ~1.015!
The only variable from prior years was the yeast pitch. Equipment, process, ingredient types and brands - all like the last 3 years.
The beer is not flawed, just thin and uninteresting. None of the rich maltyness I usually get. Clean ferment, not solventy at all, but low in yeast derived flavors. More than drinkable but it is maybe a mid-30's beer.
1st Q: Does my assessment - over-pitching and 2nd generation yeast - make sense?
I'll keg up 5 gals, share and drink it, but I'm not sure that the oak aging will add much.
So - my main question - what interesting things could I try with 5 gals of overly thin EBW?
Add a some malt-dexterin powder to see it that boosts the mouth-feel.?
Do that and add Brett?
A hit from my bug-farm with maybe some fruit?
Keep it around to blend with?
Dump it?
All suggestions welcome! (I could split it, of course.)
Recipe:
Long Winters Nap - English Barley Wine
Crisp Maris Otter 56%
Extra Dark Crystal (Simpson's) 3%
Med Crystal - (Simpson's) 3%
Northern Brewer MO LME 26.4% (9.15 lbs) Late boil addition
Northern Brew Extra Light DME 5.8% (2 lbs) Late Boil addition
Table Sugar 5.8% (2lbs) - into fermenter after high krusen
60 sec O2 into each 5 gal fermentor at pitch, another 20 hours later.
SG 1.098
FG 1.015
IBU: ~50 (Rager) 60 min 1.75 Horizon, with a touch of EKG at 10 min and flame out (held for 20 min before starting to cool)
BIAB RIMS Partial Mash
This year, instead of growing up a pitch of yeast (WY 1028) i brewed a standard bitter, rinsed and pitched slurry. I don't have a way to count yeast cells so I used the estimate of cell density in the yeast rinsing sticky. I assumed low figures believing that over-pitching was preferred to under-pitching.
The fermentation started in about 6 hours -a reasonable lag time. It was over in a little over three days - normally it will take ~ 1 week. This recipe usually gets to ~1.021. This batch stopped at ~1.015!
The only variable from prior years was the yeast pitch. Equipment, process, ingredient types and brands - all like the last 3 years.
The beer is not flawed, just thin and uninteresting. None of the rich maltyness I usually get. Clean ferment, not solventy at all, but low in yeast derived flavors. More than drinkable but it is maybe a mid-30's beer.
1st Q: Does my assessment - over-pitching and 2nd generation yeast - make sense?
I'll keg up 5 gals, share and drink it, but I'm not sure that the oak aging will add much.
So - my main question - what interesting things could I try with 5 gals of overly thin EBW?
Add a some malt-dexterin powder to see it that boosts the mouth-feel.?
Do that and add Brett?
A hit from my bug-farm with maybe some fruit?
Keep it around to blend with?
Dump it?
All suggestions welcome! (I could split it, of course.)
Recipe:
Long Winters Nap - English Barley Wine
Crisp Maris Otter 56%
Extra Dark Crystal (Simpson's) 3%
Med Crystal - (Simpson's) 3%
Northern Brewer MO LME 26.4% (9.15 lbs) Late boil addition
Northern Brew Extra Light DME 5.8% (2 lbs) Late Boil addition
Table Sugar 5.8% (2lbs) - into fermenter after high krusen
60 sec O2 into each 5 gal fermentor at pitch, another 20 hours later.
SG 1.098
FG 1.015
IBU: ~50 (Rager) 60 min 1.75 Horizon, with a touch of EKG at 10 min and flame out (held for 20 min before starting to cool)
BIAB RIMS Partial Mash
