This is a classic English barleywine that gains most of its character from rich Maris Otter base malt. Feel free to substitute your favorite bittering hops for the Magnum: That’s just what Contributing Editor Dave Carpenter happened to have on hand the day he brewed! If you want to play around with the yeast strain, be sure to choose one that has good attenuation properties and pitch lots of it.
ALL-GRAIN
See below for the extract version.
OG (est): 1.109
FG (est): 1.025
IBUs (est): 62
ABV (est): 11.2%
MALT/GRAIN BILL
20 lb (9.1 kg) Maris Otter
8 oz (236 g) Simpsons Caramalt
8 oz (236 g) Simpsons Extra Dark Crystal
HOPS SCHEDULE
1.5 oz (43 g) Magnum [12.50 %] at 60 minutes
2 oz (57 g) East Kent Golding [4.00 %] at 30 minutes
2 oz (57 g) East Kent Golding [4.00 %] at 5 minutes
YEAST
Primary yeast: Wyeast 1028 London Ale Yeast (see Brewer’s Notes below) or 2 sachets of Danstar Nottingham
Bottling yeast: Danstar CBC-1
DIRECTIONS
Mash for 60 minutes at 149°F (65°C), then lauter and sparge to a pre-boil volume of 6.5 gallons (19.9 liters). Boil for 60 minutes, following the hops schedule, then chill the wort and pitch a huge population of healthy, well-oxygenated yeast cells. Pitch at 66°F (19°C) and hold for two days, then ramp the temperature to 70°F (21°C) and ferment until the specific gravity stabilizes. Rack to secondary and bulk age for at least 6 months, then bottle or keg. If bottling, add the hydrated sachet of CBC-1 along with priming sugar to assist with carbonation.
EXTRACT
Replace the Maris Otter malt with 15 pounds (6.8 kg) of Maris Otter liquid malt extract. Steep the Caramalt and Extra Dark Crystal for 30 minutes at 155°F (68°C), then add 7 pounds (3.17 kg) of Maris Otter liquid malt extract. Bring to a boil and continue as directed above, adding the remaining 8 pounds (3.63 kg) of malt with 10 to 15 minutes left in the boil.
BREWER’S NOTES
For the primary yeast, I recommend using a yeast cake from another batch of beer or making a 3–4-liter starter.
Recipe is built to yield a bottling volume of 5 gallons (19 liters) and assumes 72 percent brewhouse efficiency.