Sunday, November 30, 2014

November 30th, 2014 - Barley Wine


Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Old Stoner - Pacific Northwest Barley Wine
Batch 35

Recipe from: http://www.tastybrew.com/brews/view/50

Ingredients:
20# Rahr 2-row (from 50# bag; crushed ourselves)
4.5# Munich Malt (2-row) (the rest from Hoggetowne; came crushed but we re-milled)
1.75# CaraMunich 80
0.75# Crystal 60L
--total grain bill 27#
Assumed 65% efficiency

2 oz Columbus (whole) 18.30% AA
3 oz Chinook (whole) 14.5% AA
1 oz Centennial (whole) 7.8% AA

California Ale Yeast WLP 001
-- Via 4 L starter (2 L on stir plate, 2 L in 1 gallon jug)
Danstar Nottingham dry yeast (for bottling)

Stats:
OG: 1.105 (estimated); 1.180 (measured)
FG: 1.024 (estimated); 1.018 (measured)
ABV: 12% (estimated); 21.2% (measured)

Brewing Steps:
  • Heated 8.4 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 165 degrees
    • Target mash temperature 152; volume at 1.25 quarts/pound
    • Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
  • Added to mash tun (water, then grains)
    • Couldn't add all 8.4 gallons because not enough space
    • Mashed 90 minutes
    • Initial temperature 153 degrees (middle)
    • Stirred twice
    • Final temperature 149-151 degrees
  • After mash lautered into bucket (to measure volume)
    • Lautered slowly
    • Final volume lautered about 4 gallons
  • Heated remaining water from initial mash PLUS one additional gallon to 175 degrees and added to mash tun 
    • Given large amount of initial sweet wort lautered (about 4 gallons) thought that adding the remainder of the initial mash volume PLUS the additional 2.4 gallons for the sparge would lead to a lot of remaining water in the mash tun (and a diluted sweet wort)
    • Total water volume used about 9.5 gallons
  • Let sit for 10 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.25 gallons (maybe a little more?)
    • Didn't measure remainder, but seemed like it was minimal
  • Boiled for 70 minutes
    • Added Columbus at hot break
    • Added Chinook at 60
    • Added Centennial at 2
  • Chilled
  • Pitched yeast and aerated wort 
  • Ferment about 2 weeks then rack to secondary
    • Plan for secondary of about 2-3 months
    • Plan to bottle then let sit for another 6 months at least
    • Plan to try Thanksgiving weekend 2015
Notes:
-OG likely a little bit higher due to lower water volume (9.5 vs. planned 10.8)?
-Calculated efficiency about 81%
-Max grain/water equipment seems to be able to handle would be about 25# of grain (if not a little bit less)
-Jug worked adequately for yeast starter
-Probably won't be able to recycle this yeast
-Checked gravity on 12/6/15: 1.042

-Racked to secondary on 12/26/14
-Gravity 1.024

-Went to bottle on 5/17/15. FG 1.018 (estimated ABV ~21%). Decided that ABV likely too high to prime in the bottle for carbonation. Will plan on force-carbonating in the keg then bottling (within next 4 weeks).
-Force carbonated for ~7 days then bottled on 8/20/15. Got 42 bottles + 2/3 of a bomber. Gravity prior to force carbonating 1.018.
-Will let sit until Thanksgiving before trying out of the bottle.
-Tasted some when testing the gravity and with the small amount left during bottle. Strong, complex, pretty good.