Idea for a "one year" beer?

I've never brewed a scotch ale, but I've tried quite a few of them to know they'd age well. I kinda did the same thing you're going for last January. Brewed a big, belgian style barleywine called Dema Goddess Ale from Sam Calagione's book XTreme Brewing, and didn't touch 2 cases of them for over a year. I can finally start enjoying them now, but they're still tasting pretty harsh at around 14% abv. They may need more time!

 

I would recommend that you check to see if this hopping schedule achieves the IBUs that you want for tihs beer.

Cheers!

 

If you are interested in a Scottish ale style beer, but maybe big and roasty, then this recipe from @OldSock looks pretty tasty to me. You could make it a bit bigger so it will age well, but I bet it would age well in any case.

 

Just my opinion: English barleywine should be kept simple, look at J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest for example, its 100% Maris otter and Kent Goldings. Personally I see no reason to use anything other than good quality English pale ale malt as the base, whats the point of diluting the British malt with domestic 2-row? And why clobber it with speciality malts? I've done 100% maris otter with great results, but I often use a touch of crystal/caramel too. I like to use British crystal (which definitely has a richer flavor than domestic crystal, which is often made with 6-row) and keep it at 5% or less. A touch of chocolate or roasted barley is fine to give a bit of color but lets not go overboard. London Ale is a great yeast for a Barleywine IMO.

 

I started a one year kind of project last september. I decided that every September, around my birthday, I'm going to brew a big imperial stout, and then each year tweak the receipe a little to try and improve over the previous year's, bottle part of the batch, and then play around with a couple gallons, adding extra ingredients and whatnot. Then let it sit for a year in the bottle, and be able to start drinking it the following year when I am getting ready to brew the next batch. I also want to start another project like this, but in the spring and with lambic, but I haven't started planning that yet.

 

AND THAT'S THE TRUTH, RUTH! Listen to this guy! My favorite is Old Stock Ale which is just Maris Otter and Fuggles. The only trick is a really long boil. That's a beer that just gets better and better.

 

Old Stock is awesome.

 

I brewed an old ale based on @Homebrew42's recommendations in January 2011 (old forum). Changed a couple small things based on available ingredients.

for 5.5 gallons
Marris Otter 17#
C60 .75#
Chocolate Malt (350L) .25#

120 minute boil

I had Magnum on hand so I bittered with that then added 2oz of American Goldings at 60mins and 1.5oz at 10mins. He probably said only use EKG, but I don't remember.
(IBUs = 74)
Wyeast 1028 cake from an ESB

Half of this was bottled straight and half sat on oak chips for 2 weeks (way too long).

I still have some of these left and they are still drinking great. I think I'll have one tonight

 

I've fermented many worts with gravities in the 1.090-1.100 range and a few around 1.120 with White Labs WLP013/Wyeast 1028 (these are the same yeast) without adding any high gravity ale yeast or champagne yeast or anything else and haven't had any issues. If you don't have a yeast cake available either make one (brew a small batch of pale ale/bitter or whatever) or make a big starter. Another option is to use a few packets of Windsor. Not exactly the same but also a good English ale yeast.

 

Time to break out a yeast calculator, because it all depends on the gravity you are aiming for and the age of the yeast pack/vial. this is a reasonable start, but there are lots of others http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

 

Maybe I'll offer this.. If you are questionable on making an appropriate starter.. use dry yeast.. It's cheaper and easier, well maybe not cheaper once you buy two packs, but still easier.

I'd say do a big RIS..

It's pretty easy to get a grist together, I have one that is similar to BCBS in body and flavor. I aged it in a bourbon barrel, but I also think it would be tasty with something added to age, like cocoa nibs and vanilla beans, IMO.

High ABV, ages with the best of them, and you'd be apt to let it sit around.. I love BA stouts and it's got some fresh bourbon vanilla and coconut notes, but the ABV is so high, and the beer so fresh, I still haven't kicked a keg of it, and I'm nearing a year from the brew day actually. Pulled it from the barrel last May.

 

Jesse, multiple packs of Danstar Windsor will get the 'job' done.

Cheers!

Jack

 

Recipe based on North Coast's 'Old Stock Ale'

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 2.35 gal
Boil Size: 3.93 gal
Estimated OG: 1.109 SG
Estimated Color: 23.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 44.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Boil Time: 150 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item % or IBU
8.0 oz Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) 4.26 %
9 lbs Maris Otter (Crisp) (4.0 SRM) 76.60 %
1 lbs Caramalt (35.0 SRM) 8.51 %
12.0 oz Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM) 6.38 %
2.0 oz Crystal Dark (77.0 SRM) 1.06 %
2.0 oz Special B Malt (148.0 SRM) 1.06 %
4.0 oz Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) 2.13 %

37.00 gm Fuggles [4.50 %] (120 min) 37.1 IBU
12.00 gm Fuggles [4.50 %] (25 min) 7.7 IBU
12.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [7.20 %] (15 min) (Aroma Hops - Post-boil steep @160°F)

---
1.00 oz Oak Chips (Secondary 1.0 week)
8.00 oz Bourbon (Maker's Mark) (Secondary 1.0 week)

1 Pkgs Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007)

---
If you have BeerSmith I can e-mail you (or anyone else) the file.

 

Four different cara malts totaling over 17% of the grain bill? Why? It seems so cruel, what did that poor maris otter ever do to you?

 

IDK.
All I know is ... it turned out well the first time and the second time as well as the third time.

If that's cruel ... then beat me ... whip me ... make me behave.

---
Those who say it can't be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it
- Chinese proverb

 

If you are willing to age out an English barleywine/old ale/stock ale/whatever then you'll develop a lot of those flavors with just base malt that more complicated recipes often are chasing by using a large amount of specialty grains but without the sweetness that tends to come along with it.

You don't have to go to crazy ABV just because the beer is going to be aged. I would not hesitate to age a beer as low as ~6% ABV as long as I knew I had good sanitation on the beer and good control on the oxygen exposure.