In case you missed it, I’m a fan of not beating yourself up when it comes to brewing. If there’s a pitfall waiting for me out there, I set myself up to avoid it in several ways. Guardrails, you know?
Well, when it comes to American barleywine, the biggest danger, by a mile, is getting either an under-attenuated, cloying mess—or, conversely, getting a hot, fusel-rich, alcoholic burner. Given its ABV and aging requirements, these are pretty obvious. Yeast strain and fermentation process are, therefore, highly significant here, which is why I’m always surprised when people are surprised when I tell them that my American barleywine is—gasp—a lager.
Fair warning: This is a challenging style. If this is one of your first, say, ten beers brewed, move on and come back in about six months. Hmm. Come to think of it, “come back in about six months” is also good advice for brewing this beer!