2 Distinct Approaches to 1 Big Beer: Barleywine Clones
Brewed for centuries but not officially named until the previous one, barleywine is a bit of an enigma. It can be light or dark, hoppy or malty. The alcohol presence can be subtly woven or showcased center stage. A wide breadth and depth exists within barleywine’s parameters, giving the beer substantial room for interpretation. The potent beverage with wine in the name that is unequivocally a beer, the only similarity between wine and barleywine is the alcohol strength. Typically a brewery’s strongest offering, barleywines are great sipping beers that make fantastic winter warmers.
Two styles of barleywine
Barleywines come in two distinct styles, English and American. The English version is the original, being officially named in the early 1900s by the Bass Brewing Company. English barleywines tend to be a thick and chewy, malt-forward beer, with complex flavors often developed from a few or even just one type of malt. Vigorous, lengthy boiling develops the rich caramel, toffee, and nutty malt flavors naturally without the need for added character malts. Compared with other ales, the flavor derived from the malt can range from prominent to intense. Usually darker in color than its American counterpart, the English barleywine delivers a layered complexity that seemingly changes as it passes through the palate.
Though both styles have their fair share of alcohol, the English version is usually slightly lower in percentage and intensity. English hops are the norm and can feature any single variety or combination of East Kent Golding, Fuggle, First Gold, or similar. Hops balance the intense sweetness produced by the malt, rather than being showcased as they are in an American barleywine. Exceptions exist across the board, much like overlap with stout and porter, so consider all statements about barleywines to be parameters more than hard and fast facts.
JW Lees has produced some of the greatest English barleywines in history and aging these beers adds to the complexity and overall character. It’s not uncommon to have a JW Lees with 10–15 years of age that, in my opinion, will surpass the quality of a fine Port wine. Other fine examples of an English barleywine are Thomas Hardy’s Ale and Orkney Skull Splitter. The less intense hop usage in an English barleywine allows for the malt flavors to develop and change over the years into something very special.
Americans are strong proponents of all things hops and their barleywines are no exception. American barleywines are absolutely packed with hops, necessitated by the intense strength of the malt and alcohol. American hops tend to be the norm, and any pine or citrus hop from the Pacific Northwest such as Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe®, Centennial, Cascade, or Amarillo® will do just fine. The general rule is to bitter with a high-alpha hop to reduce the amount of hop trub to deal with later in the brewing process. Late hopping and dry hopping are both common and acceptable in this style. Huge hop additions toward the end of the boil are very common to preserve hop flavor and aroma. American barleywines do age well, although the highly hopped examples will change over time, losing much of their hoppy character as they pleasantly oxidize into to a Sherry-like, malt-forward beer.
Unsurprisingly, Sierra Nevada is a trendsetter with their Bigfoot Barleywine. Probably one of the most sought-after beers for aging, different vintages of Bigfoot are often consumed in vertical format (sampling several different vintages in one sitting) to appreciate nuances from year to year. Other trend-setting examples of American barleywines include Rogue’s Old Crustacean, AleSmith’s Old Numbskull, Stone’s Old Guardian, and Dogfish Head’s Olde School Barleywine. It’s no coincidence that many of these classic examples have “old” in the name, as old in brewing terms typically refers to a beer “well aged.”
A Little History
In 1903, Bass Brewery of England produced No. 1, and called it a barleywine. This was the first official use of the term barleywine, although a beer of this style had been brewed for centuries, and at least since the mid-1700s at “breweries attached to aristocratic great houses in England.”1 These beers were aged in wooden casks and dark in color with strong fruit notes and very little or no head.
Anchor Brewing of San Francisco brewed what is known as the first commercial barleywine on American soil, albeit an English-style variety. In Old Foghorn, Anchor only uses the rich, sugar-laden runnings from the first wort, which requires three mashes to produce enough wort for one barleywine brew. Later dry-hopped with Cascade hops, this throwback barleywine combines English tradition with some American character to create a true original. Using a natural carbonating process known as “bunging,” Old Foghorn features Champagne-like bubbles due to this unique carbonation method. Bunging, also known as spunding, captures escaping carbon dioxide during the fermentation process by capping the tank vent when fermentation is within 1% of completion.
While Anchor Brewing’s Old Foghorn may be the oldest example of a barleywine brewed on American soil when it was first brewed in 1975, it was Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot that set the standard for the hop-forward American version of the style when it debuted in 1983.
The Professionals Weigh In
Whether you prefer the maltier, toffee flavors of English versions, or the drier, hoppier American version barleywine, there really is no wrong answer. Each style has its nuances, and each is a monster of a beer.
Brendan Benson, Head Brewer of East End Brewing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, prefers American-style barleywines. “A bit of hop character can cut through some of the sweetness of barleywines for me,” he says. “I prefer my barleywines within about a year of being brewed because they will still retain some of their hop character. There’s a local bar and grill near the brewery called Kelly’s that has an annual barleywine festival. I’ve experienced many a vertical there that led me to the horizontal.”
Athens, Ohio, is home to Jackie O’s Brewery, known far and wide for its Brick Kiln barleywine. Director of Brewing Operations, Brad Clark, was trying to create his own interpretation of something reminiscent of Thomas Hardy’s Ale. “We were looking for the right amount of caramel, toast, fruit, booze, and bitterness when we created Brick Kiln,” Clark says.
Gabe Fletcher of Anchorage Brewing Company of Anchorage, Alaska considers barleywines to be a bit of a modern marvel. “Barleywines are an amazing beast of a beer. These beers can be enjoyed after forty years of aging in some cases. There are few beers that can be enjoyed by a grandfather, father, and son all from the same vintage,” Fletcher states. “Personally, I prefer English to American styles of barleywine, and if you’re going to drink barleywine, it has to be by the fire. There’s something hypnotizing being by the fire while sipping on a big, rich barleywine that just sets the mind at ease.”
How to Brew a Barleywine
Despite the complex flavors of a typical barleywine, less is more when it comes to the number of malts in a grist. To be clear, less is referring to the variety of malts and certainly not the quantity of malt needed. Most of the flavor can be generated from base malt and an extended boil. The longer the boil, the more gravity, flavor, and color will be produced.
One of the first things to think about when constructing a barleywine at home is how much space do you have? If your mash tun pushes the limit when brewing a stout or double IPA then you are going to need to rethink your process if you plan to brew a barleywine. This beer requires more of everything. To capture enough fermentable sugars, it takes a tremendous amount of base malt compared to a typical batch of beer. This is especially true if you choose not to dilute your wort by sparging. Often times, the grist will be two to three times that of a traditional beer, meaning a brewer really needs to plan ahead to be sure they can pull off the brew. If you typically brew 5-gallon (19-L) batches, this might be a brew that you produce a small batch, such as 2 to 3 gallons (8 to 11.5 L), due to space constraints. Let your system dictate the size of your batch, or if you are determined to produce a full batch on a smaller system, be prepared to produce multiple mashes to yield enough high-gravity wort.
Once you determine whether or not you have the equipment to brew the beer, focus on your grain bill. When determining your mash volume, plan on employing a thick mash, which will increase your first wort gravity. A common method to boost gravity if space is limited in the mash tun is by adding of dried or liquid malt extract.
Next, you want to consider your boil time and be sure you have enough yeast to complete fermentation. The boil is all about concentrating the wort and developing complex flavors through the boil instead of through using a bunch of different character malts. Barleywine has so much sugar to ferment that you’ll need two to three times the amount of vibrant, healthy yeast to produce a steady fermentation. This includes having enough oxygen in the wort to ensure yeast health. With the combination of excessive amounts of sugar and plenty of yeast to ferment it, you want to ensure that fermentation doesn’t get out of control and get too hot, otherwise you will produce excess esters and fusel alcohols that can ruin your batch. Fermentation control is key so it’s important to have a plan and be fully prepared. Monitor your fermentation!
Aging is also an important component of producing a good barleywine. Though barleywine is an ale, it doesn’t hurt to approach it like a lager when it comes to aging. Once fermentation completes, chill the beer and let it age for at least four weeks. This is a complex, big beer, and having extra time for the flavors to come together will only help bring those concentrated malt flavors to the forefront.
Carbonation doesn’t need to be overdone. In fact, like grist formulation, less is more when it comes to barleywine. You don’t need a lot of fizz and effervescence. This malt speaks for itself so let it shine. Keep carbonation levels at or below 2.4 volumes.
When should you drink your barleywine? That is entirely up to you. Some people don’t even want to open a barleywine until it is at least a year old, while others try to drink it before it crosses its first year. It’s solely a matter of preference, but an English barleywine may be a better aging prospect due to its lower hop profile. Hop-forward American barleywines will change, with hops fading into the background once oxidation sets in. It’s not to say you can’t enjoy a fantastic American barleywine after several years. This author has enjoyed a 2001 and 2004 Bigfoot that were an almost “out of body” experience after the beers were both over ten years of age. But, relatively speaking, to capture the essence of what the brewer was trying to create, you’d want to consume American versions sooner than you would need to consume an English version. Enjoy these beers in a snifter at 50–55 °F (10–13 °C).
Not only were the pro brewers who shared their award-winning recipes for this story eager and willing to help us develop clone recipes, but they also shared their insights on what’s most important to brew a successful barleywine at home.
“Pitching plenty of yeast is paramount. A beer of this size should have, at minimum, double the yeast cell count that you’d have for a ‘normal’ sized beer. Do not re-pitch this yeast after fermentation; it is spent,” says Matt Nadeau, Founder/Brewer of Rock Art Brewing in Morristown, Vermont. Nadeau also suggests the use of rice hulls in the mash tun, space permitting, to help reduce the chance of a stuck mash. And he recommends using dried malt extract (DME) or corn sugar to boost gravity about 10–15%. “Corn sugar will dry it a bit and lighten the mouthfeel while the DME will keep a fuller body and a slightly sweeter beer,” he says. For hops, Nadeau likes a combination of earthy and citrus hops such as Challenger and Cascade to build a more complex hop character.
East End’s Benson says that barleywine is not necessarily a beer he looks forward to brewing, citing a few concerns and obstacles with the brew day. “We brew two batches a year, one to be barrel aged and the other to be bottled ‘fresh.’ On brew day, everything takes longer. From milling and mashing twice as much grain to boiling for three hours, everything is amplified.
With the added time required to brew a barleywine, Benson stresses homebrewers start early on brew day to give themselves the best chance of success. “Do much of the prep work the night before,” he says. “Brew a second-runnings beer with the sugars left over from your barleywine batch and you can use that beer as a ‘chaser’ to wash down your barleywine.”
Jack Kephart, Brewmaster of The Brew Kettle Production Works of Strongsville, Ohio, offers up this tidbit to brewing a smooth and drinkable English barleywine. “English barleywines are all about the malt. Play with darker crystals but keep in mind not to let your color get too dark; use the color as your guide. Hop to balance and mash on the low side to get decent attenuation,” Kephart advises.
Jackie O’s bucks the trend of simplicity by creating a complex blend of base and character malts to create his award-winning ale. “We have a fairly complex grain bill consisting of Special B and Cara 45, which provides nice raisin and toffee notes. White wheat helps soften some of the richness while a touch of chocolate malt gives it some dramatic depth,” Clark says. Oak aging is common among many barleywines, and Clark says Jackie O’s spends about a year in barrels before being released. “We ferment with American ale yeast and age in oak spirit barrels for 10–14 months. An authentic/historical character is developed through the aging process, which brings out the caramel character and adds pleasant hints of oxidation to the beer.”
Gabe Fletcher, brewer of the 17% ABV behemoth A Deal with the Devil by Anchorage Brewing Co., offers this advice, “I feel the two most important things about brewing barleywine is the starting gravity and how you ferment it. The gravity, for me, needs to be over 28 °Plato (1.120 specific gravity). You need that body for long-term aging. When starting fermentation, have a very large and rapidly fermenting starter before you add the high gravity wort. There can’t be any lag time in the start of the fermentation or it will stall out and produce an undrinkable beer. You can’t just add smack packs of yeast to a wort of this size and expect the yeast to wake up and perform.”
The consistent message the pros deliver is to have patience and a lot of heathy yeast to brew a barleywine. Preparing in advance for this giant beer will help ensure that your brew day goes smoothly even if it will be a long one.
Barleywine Clone Recipes
Anchorage Brewing Co.’s A Deal with the Devil clone
(5 gallon/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.164 FG = 1.041
IBU= 40 SRM = 16 ABV = 17%
This massive American-style barleywine from Anchorage Brewing (Anchorage, Alaska) utilizes only one hop variety and loads of malt to ring in at 17% ABV. Anchorage ages it for 11 months in Cognac barrels.
Ingredients
29 lbs. (13.2 kg) 2-row pale malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (120 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) table sugar
7.3 AAU GalaxyTM hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 14.6% alpha acids)
18.25 AAU GalaxyTM hops (15 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 14.6% alpha acids)
1 tsp. yeast nutrients (10 min.)
White Labs WLP099 (Super High Gravity Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Lallemand CBC-1 or White Labs WLP099 (Super High Gravity Ale) (if priming)
Step by Step
There are several ways to approach brewing a beer this big. You can perform this as a parti-gyle brew and produce a smaller 3-gallon (11-L) sized barleywine and a second more sessionable table beer. You could also use more pale malt to have a higher volume of first runnings. Or you could also perform a sparge, which will yield more wort and require a much more extensive boil. Since the extensive boil is what Anchorage Brewing Co. does, we’ll outline that procedure here and supplement with some sugar to get up to Anchorage’s starting gravity.
This is a single infusion mash, targeting about 1 qt./lb. (2.1 L/kg) water-to-grain mash ratio, roughly 30 quarts (28.4 L). Mash in at 148 °F (64 °C) and hold there for 90 minutes. Next, recirculate until wort is clear and collect as much wort as you can. Bring this up to a boil as soon as possible. Fill the mash tun back up with 24 quarts (22.7 L) of water at 180 °F (82 °C) to mash out. Stir and then recirculate until wort is clear and collect as much as you can. Once you have collected all of the wort, take a specific gravity reading of room temperature wort. The mash should yield approximately 10 gallons (38 L) of 1.078 wort. Add the table sugar and bring wort to a boil and boil for a target volume 5.25 gallons (20 L) in your kettle at the end of boil. Anchorage boils A Deal with the Devil for 5 hours. Depending on your boil-off rate, it may take even longer to achieve this final volume. Add the majority of the hops at the last 15 minutes of the boil based on the current volume, targeting 40 IBUs.
Cool the wort and add the yeast from either a large starter or repitching yeast from a recently brewed batch of beer. Be sure you have fresh and active yeast, with at least two to three times the usual amount of yeast you’d use for a regular ale. Oxygenate thoroughly and manage your fermentation by keeping it in the mid-60s °F (~18 °C). You may want to hit the wort with a second round of oxygen 24 hours after pitching the yeast.
Keep in primary fermenter 2-4 weeks, then transfer into a Cognac barrel or a secondary fermenter with French oak chips that have soaked in Cognac for several weeks. This will help emulate the barrel-aging effect. Age to preferred taste — Anchorage ages for 11 months. If bottle conditioning, be sure to pitch a fresh, highly alcohol-tolerant strain of yeast.
Anchorage Brewing Co.’s A Deal with the Devil clone
(5 gallon/19 L extract with grains)
OG = 1.164 FG = 1.041
IBU= 40 SRM = 16 ABV = 17%
Ingredients
17.75 lbs. (8.1 kg) extra light dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (120 °L)
7.3 AAU GalaxyTM hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 14.6% alpha acids)
18.25 AAU GalaxyTM hops (15 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 14.6% alpha acids)
1 tsp. yeast nutrients (10 min.)
White Labs WLP099 (Super High Gravity Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Lallemand CBC-1 or White Labs WLP099 (Super High Gravity Ale) (if priming)
Step by Step
Steep the crystal malt in 1 gallon (4 L) of water at 168 °F (76 °C) for about ten minutes, then remove grain bag and drain well. Top off the kettle to 6 gallons (23 L) and raise to a boil. As soon as reaching a boil, remove kettle from heat and stir in the dried malt extract. Stir until fully dissolved, then boil for 60 minutes. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.
East End Brewing Co.’s Gratitude clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.110 FG = 1.024
IBU= 74 SRM = 18 ABV = 11%
East End Brewing (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) brews this American-style barleywine as an anniversary beer each November, and then bottle conditions and hand packages them.
Ingredients
15 lbs. (6.8 kg) Canadian pale malt
2.25 lbs. (1 kg) light Munich malt (6 °L)
2.25 lbs. (1 kg) Franco-Belges aromatic malt (4 °L)
2.25 lbs. (1 kg) Franco-Belges caramel Pilsen malt (10 °L)
17.1 AAU CTZ hops (120 min.) (1.2 oz./34 g at 14.25% alpha acids)
4.25 AAU Centennial hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 8.5% alpha acids)
4.8 AAU Chinook hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 9.6% alpha acids)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Cascade hops (0 min.)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Chinook (0 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrients (10 min.)
Fermentis S-04 or Wyeast 1098 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Build up double or triple the amount of yeast you’d use for a normal ale in a yeast starter. Pitching an actively fermenting starter would be best so take the time to do this in advance of your brew day.
Mash in at 146–148 °F (63–64 °C), using 1.25 qts./lb. of grain (2.6 L/kg), about 27.2 qts. (25.7 L). After 60 minutes, recirculate your wort for about ten minutes, then sparge at 175 °F (79 °C) with an estimated 17 qts. (Collect approximately 8 gallons/30 L wort. A sample of wort should read 1.070 SG at room temperature. Supplement with sugar if this reading is low. East End boils for 3 hours so depending upon your evaporation rate, you may want to adjust your boil time depending upon your system. The long boil time gives caramelization character via melanoidins and if you don’t have a kettle large enough, you could boil in two kettles. Check your gravity as you boil so you can adjust to land at target of 5.25 gallons (20 L) or wort around 1.110 SG at the end of the boil. Add hops, Irish moss, and yeast nutrient as indicated. Check that pH is in the ballpark of 5.2 at the end of the boil.
After boil, chill to around 66–68 °F (19–20 °C) as rapidly as possible and ferment. If you have the ability to control fermentation temperature, raise set point 1–2 °F/1 °C daily. After 3–4 days, let the temperature free rise. Oxygenate 2–3 times more than you would for a normal gravity ale, and pitch the active yeast starter. You should see fermentation activity within 16 hours or so. If you don’t, check pH to see if it is below where it was when you checked OG. If it is not, consider re-pitching.
When primary fermentation appears to be complete, rack the beer to a secondary fermenter. Rack again after 2–3 weeks into bottle or keg using the low end of normal priming or carbonating prescriptions (You want 2.3 volumes of CO2).
Tips for Success:
Low mash temperatures, as indicated in the Step by Step will help your attenuation, so do your best to mash on the low end. Remember, great yeast health is imperative so make that your primary focus as you plan your brew!
East End Brewing Co.’s Gratitude clone
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.110 FG = 1.024
IBU= 74 SRM = 18 ABV = 11%
Ingredients
8.5 lbs. (3.9 kg) extra light dried malt extract
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) Canadian pale malt2.25 lbs. (1 kg) light Munich malt (6 °L)
2.25 lbs. (1 kg) Franco-Belges aromatic malt (4 °L)
2.25 lbs. (1 kg) Franco-Belges caramel Pilsen malt (10 °L)
17.1 AAU CTZ hops (120 min.) (1.2 oz./34 g at 14.25% alpha acids)
4.25 AAU Centennial hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 8.5% alpha acids)
4.8 AAU Chinook hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 9.6% alpha acids)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Cascade hops (0 min.)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Chinook (0 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrients (10 min.)
Fermentis S-04 or Wyeast 1098 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Bring 9.1 qts. (8.6 L) of water in your brew pot up to 160 °F (67 °C) to establish a mash temperature of 148 °F (64 °C). With grains in a muslin bag, mash for 45 minutes. Rinse the grains with 2 gallons (7.6 L) of hot water, then fill your brewpot to 6 gallons (23 L). Raise to a boil. Remove pot from heat and add the dried malt extract. Stir to ensure the extract dissolves. Boil for 90 minutes. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.’s Sucaba clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.094 FG = 1.018
IBU = 45 SRM = 20 ABV = 10%
This English-style barleywine from Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, California) is aged in recently emptied Bourbon barrels to pick up flavors and alcohol from the Bourbon. While this beer goes into the barrel around 10% ABV, it comes out above 12%.
Ingredients
14 lbs. (6.3 kg) pale malt
1.38 lbs. (0.63 kg) Munich malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
0.25 lb. (113 g) crystal malt (120 °L)
0.25 lb. (113 g) roasted barley
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) dextrose sugar (10 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrients
4.9 AAU German Magnum hops (90 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 14% alpha acids)
9.7 AAU Willamette hops (30 min.) (1.85 oz./52g at 5.25% alpha acids)
1.25 oz. (35g) Willamette hops (0 min.)
1 oak barrel or 1-2 oz. (28-57 g) medium toasted oak chips, soaked in spirits
Wyeast 1098 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) or Lallemand Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Use reverse osmosis water and adjust with equal parts calcium sulfate and calcium chloride to achieve a minimum of 100 ppm finished calcium. Begin heating 5.2 gallons (19.7 L), about 1.25 qts./lb. (2.6 L/kg) strike water, up to 157 °F (69 °C). Mash in at 145 °F (63 °C), rest for 30 minutes to aid in creating a high attenuation wort. Ramp up to 152 °F (66 °C) and rest for 15 min or until fully converted (or employ a single infusion mash at 152 °F/66 °C). Ramp up to 168 °F (76 °C) to begin lautering. Sparge with about 4 gallons (15 L) water to collect roughly 6.75 gallons (25.4 L) of wort. The gravity of the pre-boil wort should be roughly 1.065 SG. Boil 90 minutes, adding hops and dextrose at times indicated. Brewmaster Matt Brynildson suggests, instead of a longer boil, using malt extract to make up any additional gravity points if needed.
Chill, aerate, and pitch yeast at 62 °F (17 °C). Ferment at 66 °F (19 °C). Pitch a healthy and viable yeast starter or freshly harvested yeast.Near the end of fermentation, raise the temperature a few degrees. Transfer the beer into a Bourbon barrel if you can and allow to age until the taste is to your liking. Otherwise, using 1-2 oz. (28-57 g) of medium toasted oak chips, soaked in a favorite spirit for several weeks during primary fermentation can help mimic those barrel flavors in secondary. Carbonate to 2.5 volumes CO2.
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.’s Sucaba clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.094 FG = 1.018
IBU = 45 SRM = 20 ABV = 10%
Ingredients
8 lbs. (3.6 kg) golden light liquid malt extract
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Munich dried malt extract
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
0.25 lb. (113 g) crystal malt (120 °L)
0.25 lb. (113 g) roasted barley
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) dextrose sugar (10 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrients
4.9 AAU German Magnum hops (90 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 14% alpha acids)
9.7 AAU Willamette hops (30 min.) (1.85 oz./52g at 5.25% alpha acids)
1.25 oz. (35g) Willamette hops (0 min.)
1 oak barrel or 1-2 oz. (28-57 g) medium toasted oak chips, soaked in spirits
Wyeast 1098 (London Ale) or White Labs WLP013 (London Ale) or Lallemand Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Tips for success:
“We barrel age all of our barleywines here at Firestone Walker. Typically, the beer ages one full year in spirits barrels (bourbon, rum or Scotch) at 50 °F (10 °C). Barrels must be freshly dumped (recently emptied at the distillery). They are received at the brewery and put into service as soon as possible. The barrels are purged well of any air (oxygen free) and filled to the top, then hard bunged and put into the cool cellar to rest. We typically pick up some alcohol from the barrels, which along with the beautiful wood flavors and mellowing effect, helps to balance the beer. We would typically see a 2.5–3% increase in ABV from the time the beer went into the barrel.
At home, you could use toasted or charred oak chips that have been soaked in good bourbon. If you are not barrel aging or conditioning the beer on wood chips, consider dry hopping the beer. You can get creative here. Staying classic would mean utilizing English or classic continental European hops. Crossing style lines allows for new flavor-forward hops. Make sure to rub and smell the hops before dry hopping with them to ensure the quality is good. 14–20 grams per gallon will provide assertive hop character, 5–7 grams per gallon will give balanced hop notes. Look for Experimental hop HBC 472 for an extra special Barleywine dry hopping experience.” – Matt Brynildson, Brewmaster
Jackie O’s Brewery’s Brick Kiln clone
(5 gallon/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.101 FG = 1.024
IBU= 35 SRM = 28 ABV = 10.2%
Brick Kiln from Jackie O’s Brewery (Athens, Ohio) is brewed in the English tradition and features rich caramel and raisin notes, with a light herbal presence from noble hops.
Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) 2-row malt
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Maris Otter malt
1.6 lbs. (0.68 kg) Munich malt (10 °L)
1.2 lbs. (0.54 kg) Special B malt
1.2 lbs. (0.54 kg) caramel malt (45 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) white unmalted wheat
4 oz. (113 g) chocolate malt
½ tsp. yeast nutrients (10 min.)
3.5 AAU Magnum hops (90 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 14% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU Magnum hops (45 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 14% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU East Kent Golding hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.75% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU East Kent Golding hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.75% alpha acids)
1 Bourbon barrel or 1-2 oz. (28-57 g) medium toasted oak chips, soaked in Bourbon
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single infusion mash, targeting about 1.15 qts./lb. (2.4 L/kg) water-to-grain mash ratio, about 24.4 quarts (23.1 L). Mash at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45–60 minutes. Sparge with approximately 17 quarts (16.1 L) to collect approximately 7.5 gallons (28 L). Concentrate your wort by boiling for at least two hours, with the goal to end the boil with 5.25 gallons (20 L) in the kettle. Add hops starting with about 90 minutes left in the boil.
When boil is complete, cool and then oxygenate for at least two minutes. Pitch yeast that has been built up in a yeast starter or 2 sachets of dried yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for 2 days, raise to 70 °F (21 °C) on day 3, then free rise on day 4. Keep in primary longer than a normal beer to allow the yeast to finish fermentation and clean up by-products, about 2-4 weeks. If you are not barrel-aging, condition for 3–6 months. If you are Bourbon-barrel aging, you will need to taste periodically to find the proper aging time. Jackie O’s ages theirs for a better part of a year in Bourbon barrels, but you need to determine when it is right for barrel and beer. Carbonate to your personal preference, but 2.2 volumes of CO2 seems appropriate.
Jackie O’s Brewery’s Brick Kiln clone
(5 gallon/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.101 FG = 1.024
IBU= 35 SRM = 28 ABV = 10.2%
Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) extra light dried malt extract
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
1.6 lbs. (0.68 kg) Munich malt (10 °L)
1.2 lbs. (0.54 kg) Special B malt
1.2 lbs. (0.54 kg) caramel malt (45 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) white unmalted wheat
4 oz. (113 g) chocolate malt
½ tsp. yeast nutrients (10 min.)
3.5 AAU Magnum hops (90 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 14% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU Magnum hops (45 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 14% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU East Kent Golding hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.75% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU East Kent Golding hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.75% alpha acids)
1 Bourbon barrel or 1-2 oz. (28-57 g) medium toasted oak chips, soaked in Bourbon
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Some of the grains need to be mashed (Munich and the white wheat) while the others just need to be steeped. Use two muslin bags and put the Munich and white wheat in one bag, the remaining grains in the other. Put 6.6 quarts (6.2 L) of water in your pot and raise the temperature to 160 °F (71 °C). Submerge the Munich and white wheat in the water, making sure the grains get thoroughly mixed in. Temperature should stabilize at 152 °F (67 °C) and hold there for 30 minutes. Add the second bag with the steeping grains and hold for 15 minutes. When done, place both grain bags in a colander and slowly pour 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) of water to wash the grains. Top off your pot to 6 gallons (23 L) total. Raise to a boil, take the pot off the heat, and add the malt extracts while stirring thoroughly. Boil for 60 minutes. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.
The Brew Kettle Production Works’ Jack Hammer clone
(5 gallon/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.124 FG = 1.049
IBU= 53 SRM = 15 ABV = 10%
The Brew Kettle Production Works (Strongsville, Ohio) utilizes three specialty grains along with a load of base malt to brew this malt-forward English-style barleywine.
Ingredients
25 lbs. (11.3 kg) 2-row American pale malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) honey malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) Special B malt
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrients (10 min.)
9.3 AAU Horizon hops (75 min.) (1.13 oz./32 g at 8.2% alpha acids)
4.3 AAU Cascade hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21g at 5.75% alpha acids)
5.25 AAU Centennial hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14g at 10.5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP090 (San Diego Super) or Mangrove Jack’s M42 (New World Strong Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
One key to this beer is having enough healthy yeast for a strong fermentation. Jack Hammer uses White Labs WLP090, but you can use any yeast strain of your choice that can ferment high gravity wort. Use double or more yeast as you would in a typical ale batch. Your best bet for achieving this is to start with two vials/smack packs and prepare a starter to double this amount.
On brew day, if you can control your mash temperature, mash in at 1.15 qts./lb. (2.4 L/kg) strike water, about 30.7 qts. (29.1 L) to achieve a rest at 146 °F (63 °C) for beta amylase conversion. Hold for 30 minutes then raise your temperature to 162 °F (72 °C) to complete alpha amylase conversion. If employing a single-infusion mash, mash in at 152 °F (67 °C). Once converted, recirculate and collect your wort, heating the wort immediately after collection begins. Sparge with 18 qts. (17 L) to collect 8.5 gallons (32.2 L) wort. The SG should be 1.077, supplement with sugar if your room temperature reading is low. Boil for 180 minutes to produce an intense kettle caramelization and to reach your original gravity and volume target, about 5.25 gallons (20 L) of 1.124 SG wort at the end of the boil.
Chill to 66–68 °F (19–20 °C) and pitch your active yeast starter. Aerate/oxygenate heavily and keep an eye on fermentation, ensuring it doesn’t rise too high, creating fusels and unwanted esters. After the first couple days, raise temperature to 70 °F (21 °C). After fermentation is complete, chill and age for several weeks to several months, giving the flavors time to mature.
The Brew Kettle Production Works’ Jack Hammer clone
(5 gallon/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.124 FG = 1.049
IBU= 53 SRM = 15 ABV = 10%
Ingredients
13.25 lbs. (6.1 kg) extra light dried malt extract
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) honey malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) Special B malt
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrients (10 min.)
9.3 AAU Horizon hops (75 min.) (1.13 oz./32 g at 8.2% alpha acids)
4.3 AAU Cascade hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21g at 5.75% alpha acids)
5.25 AAU Centennial hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14g at 10.5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP090 (San Diego Super) or Mangrove Jack’s M42 (New World Strong Ale) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Since we have less than a pound of grain that would typically be mashed, we can employ an extract with grains method here. But if you prefer to stay on the safe side, cut back the dried malt extract by 0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) and add 1 pound (0.45 kg) of pale malt for a partial mash.
Put your specialty grains in a muslin bag, bring one gallon (4 L) of water up to a temperature of about 152 °F (76 °C) and steep for about 30 minutes. Going a full 30 minutes at that temperature is likely to convert some of the starch in honey malt since honey malt is not completely devoid of diastatic enzymes. Rinse the grains with 1 gallon (4 L) hot water then, fill your brewpot to 6 gallons (23 L) total and raise to a boil. At boil, take pot off the heat and add the dried malt extract, stirring constantly so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Boil for 75 minutes adding the hops at times indicated.
Chill to 66–68 °F (19–20 °C) and pitch your active yeast starter. Aerate/oxygenate heavily and keep an eye on fermentation temperature, ensuring it doesn’t rise too high, creating fusels and unwanted esters. After the first couple days, raise temperature to 70 °F (21 °C). After fermentation is complete, chill and age for several weeks to several months, giving the flavors time to mature.
Rock Art Brewery’s The Vermonster
(5 gallon/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.089 FG = 1.014
IBU= 100 SRM = 25 ABV = 10%
This is an American-style barleywine first brewed by Rock Art Brewery (Morrisville, Vermont) as its 10th anniversary beer and soon made into a regular offering. The malts contribute a caramel note and hide the taste of the alcohol.
Ingredients
17 lbs. (6.8 kg) 2-row pale malt
8 oz. (227 g) crystal malt (120 °L)
5 oz. (142 g) chocolate malt
3 oz. (85 g) black malt
1 lb. (0.45 g) flaked barley
1 lb. (0.45 kg) rice hulls
½ tsp. yeast nutrients (10 min.)
7 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 14% alpha acids)
7.5 AAU Columbus hops (45 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 15% alpha acids)
15.8 AAU Cascade hops (15 min.) (2.75 oz./78 gat 5.75% alpha acids)
3 oz. (85 g) Challenger hops (3 min.)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Liberty hops (3 min.)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Cascade hops (3 min.)
Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II) or White Labs WLP051 (California Ale V) or Mangrove Jack’s M36 (Liberty Bell Ale) yeast
2/3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single infusion mash, targeting about 1.25 qts./lb. (2.6 L/kg) water to grain mash ratio. Keeping mash pH between 5.2–5.6, mash at 154 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge with just enough water (~14 qts./13.2 L) to keep your wort concentrated. This should yield roughly 6.6 gallons (25 L) of 1.071 SG wort in your kettle. Boil roughly 90 minutes, with the goal to have 5.25 gallons (20 L) in your kettle at the end of the boil. Add hops at times indicated. After the boil is complete, cool, aerate, and pitch double the usual amount of yeast cells. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C). Carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2. Enjoy fresh if you like a bigger hop character or age for less hop profile and more malt, make sure to save a few bottles and age 12 months or more.
Rock Art Brewery’s The Vermonster
(5 gallon/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.089 FG = 1.014
IBU= 100 SRM = 25 ABV = 10%
Ingredients
9.9 lbs. (4.5 kg) golden light liquid malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) extra light dried malt extract
8 oz. (227 g) crystal malt (120 °L)
5 oz. (142 g) chocolate malt
3 oz. (85 g) black malt
4 oz. (113 g) Carapils® malt
½ tsp. yeast nutrients (10 min.)
7 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 14% alpha acids)
7.5 AAU Columbus hops (45 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 15% alpha acids)
15.8 AAU Cascade hops (15 min.) (2.75 oz./78 gat 5.75% alpha acids)
3 oz. (85 g) Challenger hops (3 min.)
2.5 oz. (71 g) Liberty hops (3 min.)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Cascade hops (3 min.)
Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II) or White Labs WLP051 (California Ale V) or Mangrove Jack’s M36 (Liberty Bell Ale) yeast
2/3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Place crushed grains in a muslin bag. Since these grains do not need to be mashed, raising to a precise temperature is not all that important. Heating it to about 168 °F (76 °C) will extract the sugars without pulling additional tannins and get you closer to your boil temperature quicker. Steep the grains for 10–15 minutes. Drain well and remove grain bag. Top off the kettle to 6 gallons (25 L) and raise to a boil. As soon as reaching a boil, remove kettle from heat and stir in the liquid malt extract. Boil for 60 minutes. Add hop additions as indicated. Chill to 66–68 °F (19–20 °C), aerate, and pitch yeast. Ferment at 66–68 °F (19–20°C). Carbonate to 2.4 volumes.
