Baby Barleywine (Grant is due 4/14/06)
Brewed 11/26/05 midnight
Planned 5 gallon batch 15.5 lbs liquid amber extract (Bulk stuff from Lil o' winemaker in GJ, CO; 4
months old)
1 tsp Gypsum
1tsp Yeast energizer
1 tsp Yeast nutrient
1.5 TBS Irish Moss
1.5 lbs 6 row Briess crystal malt 20L
2 oz Cascade leaf hops 6.2%aa at 1 hr
1oz Hallertu leaf hops 4.8%aa at 45 min
2 oz Fuggle leaf hops 5.2%aa at 30 min (suppose to be at 5 min)
1 oz Kent Goldings leaf hops 5.9%aa at 5 min (suppose to be at 15 min)
35ml (1 std vial) of White Labs liquid British Ale yeast #WLP005 expired
09-24-05
35ml (1 std vial size) unknown. Slurry from stout batch; Refrig since July 2005
1 packet Dry champagne yeast - Lalvin EC-1118 Saccharomyces bayanus or something
I was short on time (late night). First time using leaf hops, usually use
pellet/plugs. I used cheese cloth to bundle with nylon string to close. I
brought to a boil in a 4 gallon pot with the hops & extract (outside on the jet engine propane burner), while doing a partial mash
with the grains (inside on the stove). I kept the grains steeping at 160 -170
for 40 min, sparged & combined the sort of wort with the other wort on the outside kettle. Added the
scheduled hops & the adjuncts at 15 min. Dropped in the immersion chiller right after to
sanitize for 15 min. Chilled to 77°F in about 7-9 min. Pitched yeast - good yeast despite its expiration date.
After 3-ish hours out of the fridge, opening the vials off gassed a bit & foamed over a little bit=very active yeast. I used 6.5 gal glass carboy for the
primary fermenter with a 1" blow-off tube for 5 days & switched to a standard S-air lock.
In preparation for the 2ndary I made a 40 oz starter of dry champagne yeast
using 4 oz of dry amber extract (don't remember the kind) boiled for 20 min (no
hops) & cooled to 80-ish F before pitching the yeast. I will refrigerate it after a
vigorous fermentation starts. To be used to finish out in the 2ndary when
transferred. Considering a tertiary to clear off the champagne yeast, but will
have to wait & see
initial readings
Specific Gravity measured at 65°F 1.092 Adjusted to 60°F (1.093)
Fermentation start took about 18 hours. After 3 days fermentation started to
slow & I got over anxious & added the champagne starter to the mix. Had the carboy in a 70 degree room for
the first 2 days & the temp strip read 76. I moved the carboy to a cooler room and iced it to drop
the temp down to a more reasonable 70 degrees. Primary ferment was 7 days
Xferd to secondary on 12-05-05 (9 days)around 2pm. SG was 1.051 (at 61°F), Balling at 13, 7% potential alcohol (so far 7%minus 12.1% = 5.1% alcohol as
of 12-05-05)
Specific gravity checked 01-03-06 - 1.051 - NEED TO PITCH WINE/CHAMPAGNE YEAST
AGAIN to finish the ferment to a higher alcohol/drier taste. USE MEAD STARTER
FROM THE 'GOOD EARTH MEAD' DREGS
Transferred to tertiary on 01/21/06 at 8:00 pm - Still tasted flowery since
xfered to 2ndary SG 1.050 - Kinda high, but even with the addition of the mead
yeast that fermented the Good Earth Mead to currently 0.999. It made no
difference. It is done fermenting. Now it has been put in 'cold storage to age,
clarify - ADDED TWO TBS of PolyClar to clear as it ages. - about 1-5 months. I
don't know yet, depends on how much lees/trub precipitates/settles out over
time.
03/05/06 - Bottled - smooth almost oily slick mouthfeel. The flower taste has
greatly diminished. F.G. 1.045. I bottled with 12 oz bottles mostly for passing
out & bottled 2 in belgian style bottles (champagne corks with wire caps/baskets). If
the short term taste (6 months to 2 years) are good. i am keeping 2 bottles for
Grants 21st.
Primary ferment - 9 days
secondary ferment - 90 days
from brew kettle to bottle - 99 days
FINAL - 6.39% Alc
