Big Barleywine - When to Secondary

Have you reached FG?

 

I would likely keep that beer in the primary for 2-3 weeks after the krausen has fallen. There is quite a bit of cleanup that yeast can still do. I would also not use a secondary, but understand a lot of people do (especially for a beer like this).

 

Taste it. If it is cleaned up and no off flavors it is good to go. Some diacetyl or other fermentation by products, leave it on the cake. The do not go by the calendar.

 

There are two ways to skin a cat...
I keg, so I would probably age it in a keg (flushed and purged with Co2)...then bottle off that.
But, if I didn't have that ability I would probably only bulk age if oak was being used. Otherwise I would just bottle it and let it age in the bottles. Bulk aging has worked for me in the past, but I do everything in my power to avoid oxygen, especially in a beer I might want to enjoy in 2+ years.

 

That's what I was thinking you were going to say. Take a gravity and see where is it and transfer if you hit it. It's been 4 week already and clean up will continue via the yeast in suspension anyway.

I never heard anything about the krausen having anything vital to the beer but have read certain strains may have krausen that doesn't drop properly.

We ferment in 15 gallon sanke kegs, I can't even see the krausen.

 

I guess you could make that assumption, but that's not exactly what it says. Makes sense though, certain proteins help head retention, and the krausen is made up of proteins... I guess you can always let it sit longer if you are worried.

But how many of those proteins aren't blown off at all and how many of those that had been blown off already fell with some of the krausen? (it sounds at least some of it receded)

I have no answer to those questions.

 

It depends on the yeast. I have never used 099, but some British yeasts will form a dense, pancake like, krausen that stays on top for a long time even when it is done.

 

You have to be somewhat careful on big beers like this one. Don't let the temperature fall to low. 61 is not excessively low, but it’s not ideal for the 099 strain. It could stall on you if you’re not careful.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the Krausen falling before racking the beer. It’s a big beer with adequate protein constituents for head retention. If it is within a couple points of FG, I would rack it to a purged secondary or keg (vented). Expect some renewed vigor in the fermentation. Then let it finish out.