Gordon Strong’s English Barleywine

Gordon Strong’s English Barleywine

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.100 FG = 1.029
IBU = 45 SRM = 18 ABV = 9.5%

Ingredients
18 lbs. (8.2 kg) Golden Promise pale ale malt
1.5 lbs. (680 g) torrified wheat
12 oz. (340 g) English medium crystal malt (45 °L)
8 oz. (227 g) English dark crystal malt (135 °L)
2 oz. (57 g) pale chocolate malt (225 °L)
15 AAU Challenger hops (60 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 7.5% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale) or White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), or SafAle S-04 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH of 5.5 using phosphoric acid. Add 1 tsp. calcium chloride directly to the mash.

Mash the Golden Promise and torrified wheat at 149 °F (65 °C) for 60 minutes. Start recirculating wort. Add remaining grains and raise the temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) for 15 minutes. Sparge slowly and collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort. Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at the time indicated in the recipe.

Chill the wort to 64 °F (18 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment at this temperature until complete. Rack the beer, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate the beer.

Gordon Strong’s English Barleywine

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.100 FG = 1.029
IBU = 45 SRM = 18 ABV = 9.5%

Ingredients
12.5 lbs. (5.7 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
12 oz. (340 g) English medium crystal malt (45 °L)
8 oz. (227 g) English dark crystal malt (135 °L)
2 oz. (57 g) pale chocolate malt (225 °L)
15 AAU Challenger hops (60 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 7.5% alpha acids)
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale) or White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), or SafAle S-04 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Starting with 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat the water to 158 °F (70 °C).

Steep the crystal and chocolate malts for 30 minutes. Remove and rinse. Turn off the heat. Add the malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. You do not want to feel liquid extract at the bottom of the kettle when stirring with your spoon. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the time indicated.

Chill the wort to 64 °F (18 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment until complete. Rack the beer, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate the beer.

Tips For Success:
While these step by steps provide a general guideline for brewing a quality English barleywine, there are many tweaks that brewers can make to fine-tune the beer to their liking. A longer mash will help with better attenuation rates for the yeast. Collecting more wort in the brew kettle and increasing the boil time will not only boost the brewhouse efficiency of the beer, but can also increase the color and body of the beer as well.

Aging is an aspect that is the brewer’s perogative. Sample how the beer is developing with age to best guide your decisions. Setting aside a small number of bottles to age several years is a fun endeavor!