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Recipe: Good Word Moments Before Impending Doom
With thanks to Todd DiMatteo and his team at Good Word Brewing in Duluth, Georgia, here’s a homebrew-scale recipe for the rum barrel–aged barleywine that became one of our Best 20 Beers in 2022.
From the tasting notes of our blind review panel: “Caramel with marshmallow and a spirits-filled Christmas-store nose. Rum-soaked panettone, aging barrel cellar, light buttered toast, and a pervasive woodiness.”
Originally brewed in collaboration with Little Cottage Brewery in Avondale Estates, Georgia, we named last year’s iteration of Moments Before Impending Doom one of our Best 20 Beers in 2022.
For more about Good Word, check out Podcast Episode 222: Good Word’s Todd DiMatteo Goes Big on Little Beers.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 68%
OG: 1.108
FG: 1.034
IBUs: 22
ABV: 10%
From the tasting notes of our blind review panel: “Caramel with marshmallow and a spirits-filled Christmas-store nose. Rum-soaked panettone, aging barrel cellar, light buttered toast, and a pervasive woodiness.”
Originally brewed in collaboration with Little Cottage Brewery in Avondale Estates, Georgia, we named last year’s iteration of Moments Before Impending Doom one of our Best 20 Beers in 2022.
For more about Good Word, check out Podcast Episode 222: Good Word’s Todd DiMatteo Goes Big on Little Beers.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 68%
OG: 1.108
FG: 1.034
IBUs: 22
ABV: 10%
[PAYWALL]
MALT/GRAIN BILL
20 lb (9.1 kg) Thomas Fawcett Maris Otter
1 lb (454 g) Weyermann Special W
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
2.25 oz (64 g) Fuggles at 60 minutes [22 IBUs]
1 tablet Whirlfloc at 15 minutes
1 tsp (5 ml) yeast nutrient at 15 minutes
YEAST
Omega OYL-015 Scottish Ale
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 156°F (69°C) for 90 minutes. Recirculate until your runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 90 minutes or more, adding hops, Whirlfloc, and yeast nutrient according to the schedule. After the boil, chill the wort to 64°F (18°C), aerate thoroughly, and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at 66°F (19°C) for about 10–12 days, then allow free rise to room temperature for 1 week. Once it passes a forced diacetyl test, crash and lager 6–8 weeks. Package and carbonate to 2–2.25 volumes of CO2.
BREWER’S NOTES
Long boil: We boiled this wort for more than 4 hours, but I’d say anywhere from 90–120 minutes should be plenty.
Hops: Feel free to sub in whatever, just keep in mind you’re looking for 20–25 IBUs total.
Yeast: If possible, make a starter 2 days before your brew day, for a nice, robust fermentation.
Wood: We barrel-aged this beer for 2½ years. Without access to barrels, I recommend soaking a couple of ounces (55–60 g) of oak spirals in rum for a few days, adding them to secondary, and leaving for about 8 weeks.
