I’m looking to make a belgian-ish barleywine for my brother’s wedding, and I’d like to hear some feedback. I’ve never done a bw before, so this is mostly a shot in the dark.
Recipe Specifications
Boil Size: 7.48 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.18 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.20 gal
Estimated OG: 1.113 SG
Estimated Color: 18.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 63.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 76.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 83.3 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
16 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 72.7 %
4 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 18.2 %
1 lbs Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.5 %
3.00 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - First Wort 6 Hop 4 39.0 IBUs
1 lbs Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM) Sugar 5 4.5 %
2.00 oz Tradition [6.00 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 6 24.1 IBUs
2.00 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Aroma Steep Hop 7 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Belgian Abbey II (Wyeast Labs #1762) [12 Yeast 8 -
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 22 lbs
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 27.00 qt of water at 161.1 F 150.0 F 90 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 3.86gal) of 168.0 F water
Yep. If it is intended as a quad, I’d back the IBUs to ~30 IBUs and drop the clear candi in favor of ~ 2lbs of dark candi syrup for the dark fruit/rummy notes of a great quad. You could drop base malt back until you hit your target OG. Love the choice of yeast - 1762 is my favorite yeast for a quad. Good luck !
I don’t know about that. If you use enough yeast and take care of them properly (lots of o2 or air at least, keep the ferm cool) there is no reason why it can’t be good in 3 months or less. A well made American Barley wine should be drinkable as soon as it’s carbed really.
Sure it will get better over time but that’s half the fun with big beers like this. Taste them young and then age them to savor on anniversaries.
That being said, I’d either go with a darker candi sugar that has some flavor or save the money and use table sugar.
Overall, it looks pretty good to me. I’ll agree with the recommendations about the sugar. Clear Candi Syrup is a waste of $$$, IMO. You get no real flavor contribution from it at all. I’d use plain table sugar if you’re not looking for any flavor from your syrup addition. But I’d encourage you to use some Dark Candi Syrup (I like a pound each of D-90 and D-180 for some added complexity) if you really want to highlight that awesome plum/dried cherry note from the Special B and 1762.
If you’re going for more of a Barleywine with Belgian accents, then ferment really cool. Like 60-62F. That will keep the banana esters real low, but you’ll still get some of the fruit that you’re looking for from the 1762.
One other option for yeast is WY3864 (Canadian-Belgian, i.e., Unibroue), which is currently available as a Private Collection strain through March. When fermented cool it is in the same ballpark as 1762, but will ferment a tad drier. It’s more plums than dried cherries to me, and has a bit more spice. It also lets a lot of malt flavor through. It’s probably my favorite Belgian strain, and I really wish it was available year-round.
Awesome, thanks for the advice. I’ll switch to dark candi syrup, and I didn’t realize the Unibroue strain was available again. I may have to give that a try, I love love love their ales.
+3. If you are going make a belgian barley wine make a barley wine and use a belgian ale yeast. Adding special B and dark candi is exactly what is going to make it taste just like a quad. I’d go 95% maris otter and 5% sugar and try to hit the gravity you want. Or, if quad is what you want brew that.