Recipe: Obelisk Black Barleywine

When he was with nearby Fort George Brewing, Obelisk cofounder David Coyne blended barrel-aged versions of both barleywine and imperial stout styles to create an unusually dark beer called Reclusa for the 19th anniversary of Seattle’s Bottleworks shop. At 13 percent ABV, Reclusa had notes of toasted nuts, vanilla, dark chocolate, and caramel.

More recently, Coyne has been thinking about intentionally brewing a hybrid without needing to blend components. This recipe offers a glimpse of his approach on ingredients and process.

“This is an untested recipe, but based on successful cousins of the style,” Coyne says. “This black barleywine will be full of toffee, dates, heavily toasted bread, tootsie rolls, and just a touch of light chocolate and roasted coffee flavor.”

All-Grain

Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.129
FG: 1.046
IBUs: 35
ABV: 12.8%
[PAYWALL]
MALT/GRAIN BILL
9.8 lb (4.4 kg) Weyermann Munich I
9.8 lb (4.4 kg) Maris Otter
1.4 lb (635 g) Simpsons DRC
1.4 lb (635 g) Weyermann Caramunich II
1.4 lb (635 g) Weyermann Carafa III
6 oz (170 g) British pale chocolate malt
Dry malt extract (DME), as needed

HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
0.8 oz (23 g) Motueka at 300 minutes [15 IBUs]
0.8 oz (23 g) Motueka at 30 minutes [10 IBUs]
Yeast nutrient at 10 minutes
1.6 oz (45 g) Motueka at whirlpool [10 IBUs]

YEAST
Wyeast 1968 London ESB, Lallemand LalBrew London, or similar

DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 154°F (68°C) for 60 minutes. Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 9 gallons (34 liters) of wort, depending on your kettle size and evaporation rate. As necessary, stir in DME to help hit your target pre-boil gravity (about 1.114). Boil for 300 minutes (5 hours), adding hops and yeast nutrient according to the schedule. After the boil, do a whirlpool step: Stir or recirculate to create a vortex, add the whirlpool hops, and allow 20 minutes to steep and settle. Chill the wort to about 64°F (18°C), aerate the wort thoroughly, and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at 65°F (18°C) and aerate again on Day 2. Toward the end of fermentation, allow the temperature to rise to 70°F (21°C) for a diacetyl rest and more complete attenuation. Once fermentation is complete and the gravity has stabilized, rack to a small-format whiskey/bourbon barrel or a secondary fermentor with bourbon-soaked oak cubes, spirals, or chips. Rest for several months and taste occasionally. When ready, crash to 32°F (0°C), keg or bottle, and carbonate to 2.45 volumes of CO₂.

BREWER’S NOTES
Water: For the water profile and salts, shoot for a 5.2 mash pH. Depending on your water, you can add a small amount of gypsum and calcium chloride.
Hops: You can sub in other hops, but Motueka provides a nice complexity to this beer when aged. Just shoot for enough bitterness to back up the sweetness, without becoming an imperial American black ale.
Drink Sooner: This recipe has a lot of flexibility. It is intended for extended aging, so if you plan to drink it fresh or want a lighter-bodied beer, here are some suggestions:

• Sub in Golden Promise or more Maris Otter for the Munich.
• Cut back on the gravities if you want a drier beer or a barleywine that’s ready to drink sooner. Keep in mind that you still want a substantial finishing gravity and full body to this beer.
• The long boil provides a lot of complexity and mouthfeel to the finished beer. If your evaporation rate is too high for 5 hours, cut it shorter—but I wouldn’t go below 3 hours.