Barleywine

Barleywine
(5 gallons)
10/14/2012

20.0 lbs Valley Malt 2-row pale malt

1.66 oz mostly Fuggles (60 min)
1.66 oz mostly Fuggles (15 min)
1.66 oz mostly Fuggles (2 min)
2.0 oz mostly Fuggles dry hop last 2 weeks

yeast:
Safale S-04
Infusion mash 155 for 60 min
60 min boil

1.088 OG on 10/14
1.027 secondary on 10/20
1.027 keg on 1/5
65% mash efficiency

Barley Wine

Barley Wine
(5 gallons)
2/3/2008

15.0 lbs British 2 row
7.5 lbs wheat malt
0.75 lbs crystal malt 60L
0.5 lbs black patent malt
0.5 lbs chocolcate malt
1.5 cups molasses
39.0 SRM

1 oz Cluster (120 min)
1 oz Cluster (60 min)
0.5 oz Willamette (15 min)
1 oz Liberty (2 min)
2 oz Amarillo
51.8 IBU

Yeast: WLP001 California with starter Infusion mash
155 degrees for 60 minutes

1.115 OG on 2/3

Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale

Rating: 2.5

Smuttynose Brewing Co., Portsmouth, NH

Style: Barleywine

ABV: 11.0%

1 pint 6 fl oz bottle

Part of Smuttynose's "Big Beer" series, this entry is brewed with 53% wheat and 47% barley. It pours with a modest head (one finger width), and has a deep amber color. The aroma is fruity, and reminded us of Cambridge Brewing Company's Arquebus Summer Barleywine, though this one was a little sweeter-smelling. We couldn't detect any hint of wheat on the nose, and the same was true for the taste: with an 11% alcohol content, this is very solid barleywine, with a slightly syrupy quality. It's an enjoyable sipping beer, but perhaps not quite as distinctive as the label implied. Or, rather, not as distinctive on the palate as it was in the production process, but that may be our fault for expecting a beer with a hefty alcohol content to be subtle!

Bare Tree Artist Series Weiss Beer 2006

Rating: 2

Two Brothers Brewing Company
Warrenville, Illinois
Style: Barleywine
ABV: ??

750 ml bottle

Clear amber pour without much carbonation. Strong fruity aroma, reminiscent of certain cambrindge brewing barleywines. Similair fruit taste with the high alchohol coming through a little. I need to try more of the Two Brothers beers.

Summer Barleywine

Summer Barleywine
(5 gallons)
6/17/2007

9 lbs Munton's light dry malt extract
1 lb aromatic malt

1 oz Cluster (60 min)
1/2 oz Fuggles (15 min)
1/2 oz Fuggles (5 min)

60 min boil

yeast:
Wyeast London Ale

1.062 OG on 6/17

1/2 lb farm honey (warmed and slightly diluted) added to fermenter on 6/19
another 1/2 lb honey added to fermenter on 6/20
1.25 lbs (approximately) puréed fresh apricots added to fermenter on 6/21
500 ml white wine concentrate added to fermenter on 6/22

This recipe was designed by MAF after we tried a great Summer Barleywine at the Cambridge Brewing Company, which involved an apricot purée. It was the highlight of the CBC's 18th birthday celebration. The head brewer sent us some tips for brewing our own version.

Following the suggestions of the CBC brewmaster, I added half of the honey after the fermentation had picked up, and the next morning the fermentation was, if anything, even more vigorous: I've never seen such activity through the airlock!

After the apricot purée was added, the activity tapered off quite quickly, though it then picked up again to a reasonable degree once the wine concentrate (which tasted like a grapey honey, though it was less viscous than honey) was added.

Update November 2013: Although there was a lot of sediment in this beer, caused by the apricot puree, this beer continues to age very well, with the fruit characteristics really coming out. The first glass is always excellent, since there's very little sediment, with tiny carbonation bubbles, and there's a very nice balance between the "kick" of the higher alcohol content and the complexities of the various fruit flavours.