Recipe

Jamil’s American Barleywine

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.115 (27 °P) FG = 1.022 (5.5 °P)
IBU = 99  SRM = 17  ABV = 12.5%

Ingredients
20.7 lb. (9.4 kg) Great Western North American pale malt (2 °L) (or similar)
14.1 oz. (400 g) dextrose (0 °L)
14.1 oz. (400 g) Briess crystal malt (20 °L)
14.1 oz. (400 g) Baird British crystal malt (75 °L)
3.5 oz. (100 g) Thomas Fawcett pale chocolate malt (200 °L)
3.5 oz. (100 g) Franco-Belges Special B malt (150 °L)
26 AAU Magnum pellet hops (2.0 oz./58 g at 13% alpha acids) (60 min.)
10.4 AAU Chinook pellet hops (0.8 oz./24 g at 13% alpha acids) (0 min.)
10.8 AAU Centennial pellet hops (1.2 oz./35 g at 9% alpha acids) (0 min.)
10.8 AAU Amarillo® pellet hops (1.2 oz./35 g at 9% alpha acids) (0 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast

Step by Step
Feel free to substitute any high quality malt of a similar flavor and color from a different supplier than what is listed. Dextrose is also known as corn sugar and should be available from your homebrew supply shop.

Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.5 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight) and a temperature of 149 °F (65 °C). Hold the mash at 149 °F (65 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 7.1 gallons (27 L) and the gravity is 1.081 (19.6 °P). If you should come up short on the pre-boil gravity, top it off with some pale malt extract.

The total wort boil time is 120 minutes. This helps concentrate the wort and aids in the development of flavor compounds. The first hop addition comes with 60 minutes remaining in the boil. Add the Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Add the last hop additions at flame out.

Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 19 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, 4 packages of liquid yeast, or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 8 liter starter. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) to start, raising the temperature gradually to 70 °F (21 °C) for the last 1⁄3 of fermentation. When finished, carbonate the beer to approximately 2 to 2.5 volumes. You might be tempted to drink this early, but try to hold off until the beer has some age. Once it is carbonated, set aside as much as you can in a cool, dark place. Try some every six months to see how it is progressing and you will be able to enjoy it over the years.

American Barleywine

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.115 (27 °P) FG = 1.022 (5.5 °P)
IBU = 99 SRM = 17 ABV = 12.5%

Ingredients
13.2 lb. (6 kg) pale liquid malt extract (2 °L)
14.1 oz. (400 g) dextrose (0 °L)
14.1 oz. (400 g) Briess crystal malt (20 °L)
14.1 oz. (400 g) Baird British crystal malt (75 °L)
3.5 oz. (100 g) Thomas Fawcett pale chocolate malt (200 °L)
3.5 oz. (100 g) Franco-Belges Special B malt (150 °L)
26 AAU Magnum pellet hops (2.0 oz./58 g at 13% alpha acids) (60 min.)
10.4 AAU Chinook pellet hops (0.8 oz./24 g at 13% alpha acids) (0 min.)
10.8 AAU Centennial pellet hops (1.2 oz./35 g at 9% alpha acids) (0 min.)
10.8 AAU Amarillo® pellet hops (1.2 oz./35 g at 9% alpha acids) (0 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast

Step by Step
Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malt and place loosely in a grain bag. Avoid packing the grains too tightly in the bag, using more bags if needed. Steep the bag in about 1 gallon (~4 liters) of water at roughly 170 °F (77 °C) for about 30 minutes. Lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Allow the bags to drip into the kettle for a few minutes while you add the malt extract. Do not squeeze the bags. Add enough water to the steeping liquor and malt extract to make a pre-boil volume of 7.1 gallons (27 L) and a gravity of 1.081 (19.6 °P). Stir thoroughly to help dissolve the extract and bring to a boil.

The total wort boil time is 120 minutes. This helps concentrate the wort and aids in the development of flavor compounds. The first hop addition comes with 60 minutes remaining in the boil. Add the Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Add the last hop additions at flame out. Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. Follow the fermentation and packaging instructions for the all-grain version.

Issue: November 2012

The balance of bittering versus malt sweetness should always be toward the bitter, but expect the beer to become more and more balanced as the beer ages and the bittering drops out.