My buddy and I are putting together a Barleywine extract w/ specialty grains recipe and I wanted to post it and get some feedback and ask a few questions. We’re still working on it but I just want to see if its heading in the right direction. It’s the first time we’ve put a recipe together from the ground up.
I’ll write the recipe as it would be for a 5 gallon full boil batch(starting with about 6 gallons and boiling down to 5), though my buddy wants to do 10 gallons, I’ll get to that later.
6 lbs Amber LME
6 lbs Amber LME(late addition)
1 lbs Caramel 120
8 oz Chocolate Malt
1 lbs Corn Sugar
2.25 oz Northern Brewer 60min
2.0 oz Liberty 10min
2.0 oz Chinook Dry Hop
Wyeast 1056
O.G. 1.105~F.G. 1.026
SRM 24
IBU 75.2
ABV 10.5%
(i used hopville to put this together)
We’re going for something a touch darker than usual and slightly hop forward. How’s it looking? I’m kind of thinking it needs a higher IBU.
My buddy would like to double this up to a ten gallon batch. I’m not thrilled with the idea. We’d have to split the batch between a full boil in one kettle and a partial boil in another because we don’t have a large enough kettle to to do 10-12 gallon full boil. He may be able to get his hands on a larger kettle, we’ll see. The idea is to then put the batches into a 50L keg to ferment.
I’m concerned about the yeast first of all. I’m making a pale ale with the 1056 and plan on using the yeast cake but thats not going to be enough for a 10 gallon batch, is it? I also have a 5L flask and stir plate for a big starter. If the yeast cake isn’t big enough how much of a starter would I need in addition to the yeast cake?
Second, keeping the fermentation temps in check seems like it’ll be a pain. I was thinking if we made a large enough swamp cooler we might manage. Will the temps in such a volume get difficult to maintain with the crazy fermentation thats bound to happen?
Third, aeration. I’ve got a mixer that attaches to a drill but for 10 gallons of barleywine I seriously doubt that will get the job done. I’m not exactly in the market for a pure oxygen aeration system right now($).
It seems like doing a ten gallon batch right off the bat is foolish, or are my concerns unfounded and is going for such a large volume of high gravity beer easier than I’m thinking its going to be?
Any help is GREATLY appreciated. My buddy is really excited, but I don’t think it’s feasible for us right now. Are we better off with 5 gallons?
