Brewing Big Barleywines

Stoke up the fire, sit back, and bask in the warmth of a mature barleywine. No other beer so aptly captures the brewer’s art.

Although there are no grapes involved, this beer bears the distinctive title of a wine. This is due to its unusually high alcohol content and complex flavor. If you are searching for the Cabernet Sauvignon of the beer world, this is it.

One of the earliest versions is Bass No. 1 Barley Wine circa 1903. Referring to this beer, a 1909 article in the medical periodical The Lancet said, “It possesses a decidedly nourishing value. The beer was in excellent condition, free from hardness or acidity, and from excess gas. It is a very palatable malt liquor, having an attractively rich malty flavor.” Despite its past endorsement from the medical community, Bass No. 1 Barley Wine is now brewed only on occasion at Burton’s Bass museum.

In 1969 Eldridge Pope introduced Thomas Hardy Ale (original gravity 1.125). Hardy was a Victorian writer who often praised the local beer. To return the favor the brewery named a beer after him. This barleywine is still available today. Vintage dated for the year of release, Thomas Hardy should age well for far more than five years.

Anchor Brewing Co. of San Francisco made the first barleywine of the microbrewery revolution in 1975. Old Foghorn (OG 1.100) is the classic American barleywine, with a hefty dose of hops to prove it. It is available on draft and in bottles.

Considering such inspirational prede­cessors, it is no wonder there are now almost as many barleywines as there are brewpubs. Creative American breweries have brought us every variety of barleywine. Boston Beer Co. makes a chocolatey port-like brew called Triple Bock that includes a touch of maple syrup and a year of barrel aging. Seattle’s Pike Brewery brews Old Bawdy with peat-smoked malt. Sierra Nevada is proudly responsible for the American hop-intensive Big Foot.

In another part of the world, Belgian-style barleywines, such as Bush Beer (brewed by Dubuisson and known in the United States as Scaldis) set themselves apart with unique yeast flavors.

Because barleywines tend to showcase a brewery’s best and are expensive to make, brewers do not hold back on creativity. Although it is possible to define the style to strict parameters, it is rather unrealistic. If the addition of honey, biscuit malt, or chocopuffs suits you, then try it. Still, try to imagine what it will actually taste like rather than assembling your recipe haphazardly. This brew is too time consuming and expensive to mess up.

Barleywine can be brewed from a base of malt or malt extract. Well-modified British pale ale malt is the more traditional choice. However, domestic, German, or Belgian pale malts will make excellent beers. A mixture of light and amber malt extracts will give a color in the desired range. The desired color range of classic barleywine is copper to dark amber with an SRM between 14 and 30. Sugar may compose up to 15 percent of the extract. Since barleywine has so much pale malt, a large amount of crystal malt is not needed to add flavor.

Think in terms of balance; too much crystal may make the beer sickeningly cloying. Only add roasted malts if you are interested in brewing an imperial Russian stout. Use an infusion mash temperature between 150° F and 155° F to create a wort with high ferment­ability. The desired original gravity falls between 1.085 and 1.120. Because such a large amount of malt is required, all-grain brewers may choose to supplement their wort with malt extract to achieve the proper gravity. As an alternative, brew a two-gallon batch. Another, more complicated, option is a parti-gyle brew. A strong beer is made with the first runnings and a lesser beer with the low-gravity runoff.

Hop variety is up to the discretion of the brewer. For a classic British style, English hops such as Fuggle and Kent Goldings are the best choice, especially for aroma and dry hopping. If you prefer American barleywine, try varieties such as Cascade and Columbus for aroma. Late hop additions and dry hopping will add complexity to your barleywine. Bitterness may range from 50 to 100 IBU. British barleywine falls at the lower end of this spectrum while American versions tend to be more bitter. Remember that high-gravity worts have a lower hop utilization rate, so you may need to use more hops than usual.

Some brewers ferment their barleywines with wine yeast. Home­brewers have made barleywines with Pasteur Champagne yeast and had good results. However, there is no need to use a wine yeast if you choose a suitable beer yeast. Because barleywine finishes with a gravity of 1.024 to 1.032 and an alcohol content of 6.7 to 9.6 percent by weight and 8.5 to 12.2 percent by volume, you will want an atten­uative yeast (one that ferments wort thoroughly) with a high alcohol tolerance, such as Wyeast 1056 (American ale). Mixing yeast varieties often creates a more interesting beer.

Fermenting a barleywine is a big job for yeast. To help them out, the brewer should provide a well-aerated wort and pitch an especially large volume of yeast. Fermentation temperature should be maintained between 58° and 70° F. Occasional rousing may also help the fer­­men­tation along. Expect the total fermentation and aging time to be longer than normal. Age the barleywine in bulk for at least two months before
bottling. However, be careful to avoid oxygen exposure during this time. Some brewers may choose to age their barleywine in barrels. New barrels will impart too much flavor and should be avoided. If they can be found, used wine barrels may prove interesting. They may also be home to beer spoilers such as Brettano­myces, which can survive high alcohol levels.

Dosing the beer with fresh yeast at the time of bottling may ensure a successful secondary fermentation in the bottle. Some brewers prefer to add only one-half cup priming sugar, since the beer will probably ferment out very dry during the long aging, producing more carbonation than expected.

Old Glory
(5 gallons, extract)

Ingredients:

• 9 lbs. pale liquid malt extract
• 6 lbs. amber malt extract
• 1.5 oz Galena hops (10% alpha acid) for 60 min.
• 4 oz. Cascade hops (5% alpha acid) 1 oz. for 30 min., 2 oz. at end of boil, 1 oz. dry hopped in the secondary
• Wyeast 1056 (American ale yeast)
• 1/2 cup priming sugar

Step by Step:
Dissolve malt extract into 4 gal. of hot water and top up to 6 gal. Total boil is 90 min. Boil for 30 min. and then add 1.5 oz. Galena hops. Boil 30 min. more and add 1 oz. Cascade hops. Boil 30 min. more, turn off heat, and add 2 oz. Cascade. Cool and aerate. Pitch yeast at 70° F.

Ferment at 60° to 70° F. Add 1 oz. Cascade dry hops in the secondary and age for one to two months before bottling with corn sugar and fresh yeast.

    OG = 1.090
FG = 1.022-1.028

Gold Finger
(5 gallons, grain and extract)

This unconventional barleywine is light in color but noncompro­mising in strength. It could also be called James Blonde.

Ingredients:

• 7 lbs. domestic two-row malt
• 1 lb. cara-pils malt
• 6.5 lbs. light liquid malt extract
• 1 lb. orange blossom honey
• 1 oz. Perle hops (10% alpha acid) for 60 min.
• 2.5 oz. Tettnanger hops (4% alpha acid): 1.5 oz. for 30 min., 1 oz. for 15 min.
• 1 oz. Crystal hops at end of boil
• Wyeast 1056 (American ale yeast)
• 1/2 cup priming sugar

Step by Step:
Mash grains into 2.5 gal. of water and hold for a 60 min. conversion at 152° F. Sparge with 168° F water collecting 5 gal. of runoff.

Bring to boil while dissolving malt extract and honey. Total boil is 90 min. Boil 30 min. and add 1 oz. Perle hops. Boil 30 min. more and add 1.5 oz. Tettnanger hops. Boil 15 min. more and add 1 oz. Tettnanger. Boil 15 min. more, turn off heat, and add 1 oz. Crystal hops. Cool and aerate. Pitch yeast at 70° F.

Ferment at 58° to 70° F. Age for one to two months before bottling with corn sugar and fresh yeast.

 OG = 1.092
FG = 1.020-1.024

Written by Alex Fodor