Kitchen Sink Recipe Critique - Belgian Barleywine

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by EricMc513, May 22, 2012.

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  1. EricMc513

    EricMc513 Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2007 California

    Well it's not too Kitchen Sink, but it has more grain than I usually brew with.

    I have a little spare grain I wanted to use and came up with this recipe. Wondering if anyone has any suggestions or thoughts:

    150 Mash

    15 LB Maris Otter
    1 LB Dark Munch
    .5 LB Dark Wheat
    6 OZ Crystal 60
    6 OZ Crystal 120
    1 LB Dark Candi Syrup (160L)

    Magnum - 60 Minutes - 40 IBUs (give or take)
    WLP530

    Two or three hour boil.

    If I do the three hour boil, I'll likely hit 1.100.

    I'm mostly curious to see how the Maris Otter and 530 strain go together. Otherwise, a couple of questions:

    How does the mash temperature look? I'm used to Barleywines finishing higher, but Belgians finishing lower. I imagine around 1.013 would be ideal (basing that on recipes I see for BSDAs).

    Hop addition: For big and malty beers, I tend to like a more restrained hop character. Is this an appropriate amount of IBUs?

    High Belgian carbonation or low English carbonation? Or somewhere in the middle?

    In general, I'm just looking to make a balanced, higher alcohol sipper with interesting flavor. Everything in between is in the air and I'm open to suggestions.

    Thanks!
     
    #1 EricMc513, May 22, 2012
  2. premierpro

    premierpro Savant (1,060) Mar 21, 2009 Michigan

    I think your recipe will drink quite well. I think you should up your hops unless you like realy sweet beer. I have used the 530 in a Barly Wine and have been happy with the results.
     
    #2 premierpro, May 22, 2012
  3. PangaeaBeerFood

    PangaeaBeerFood Initiate (0) Nov 30, 2008 New York

    With big beers, people always talk OG but, in my opinion, achieving a certain OG is the easy part. It's the FG that will really make or break a big beer. If it's too high an FG, you'll end up with syrupy grossness. If it's too low an FG, you'll have to age it for an eternity to subdue the harsh bite. It's hard to say what you should do because Barleywines are so dependent on the brewer and brewing system. What are your expectations for it, based on past beers?
     
    #3 PangaeaBeerFood, May 22, 2012
  4. EricMc513

    EricMc513 Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2007 California

    I haven't gone too big with the 530 strain. I've done around 1.070 to 1.080 at most (and infrequently) and usually get it down to around 1.013 (I don't recall ever having any under attenuation issues with it). I don't have access to my notes, but I'm assuming I mashed at 150. Most of the time the Belgians I brew are 1.045 to 1.060 and they usually fall under 1.010 (with 150 or lower mash). Don't know what to expect with the higher OG to be honest.

    I'm not really approaching it with a specific goal, other than, big, interesting sipper with balance. The MO and 530 is a combination I've wondered about for a while. Not huge into hoppy Barleywines (I strongly prefer the English style), but I want enough bittering to help balance.

    If it's drinkable by December, I'll be happy. If it's delicious by December, I'll be thrilled.
     
    #4 EricMc513, May 23, 2012
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