An American Barleywine Recipe

by Christian Lavender

Going BIG with hops, malt, yeast and aging

American Barleywine is an old American ale that descended from strong "October" style beers brewed on country estates. The flavor has loads of complex malt backed up by an American mix of hops. The aroma gives you a huge hit of spicy American hops and rich fruity malt. The balance of this style can be malty or hoppy depending on the homebrewer's preference. American barleywine is brewed year round and is best in winter. They are great with very intense foods, but better with dessert. (Try it with a strong American Blue Cheese or Double Gloucester cheese with chives and green onions.)

American barleywines usually have a higher alcohol content than their traditional counterpart. Similar to an Imperial IPA, but the malt is more forward than hops adding to a rich body. It also contains a lot more hops than English barleywines. The normal gravity range for an American barleywine is 1.085 -1.120+ with an ABV range of 8-12%. The hop character is very evident on this beer, but does not have to be unbalanced and can range anywhere from 50-120 IBUs with color 10-20L and attenuation medium to full.

This is a beer I make in February and age until December or as long as I can resist the urge to tap the keg. I highly suggest you try this recipe if you are a fan of big hoppy beers. Happy Homebrewing!

American Barleywine Recipe

10 gallons
All Grain

1.098~OG �' 1.017~FG �' 10.7%ABV

88 IBU

Yeasts
2 vials
WLP001 - California Ale White Labs (Ale)	1 vial
WLP090 - San Diego Super White Labs (Ale)	1 vial

Fermentables
35.5 pounds
Maris Otter 38ppg, 4°L	20 pounds 56%
Munich (Light) 34ppg, 10°L	8 pounds 23%
Vienna 35ppg, 4°L	4 pounds 11%
Crystal 40L 34ppg, 40°L	1 pound 3%
Crystal 70L 34ppg, 75°L	1 pound 3%
Orange Blossom Honey 39ppg, 1°L	1 pound 3%
Chocolate 29ppg, 350°L	4 ounces 1%
Honey 30ppg, 20°L	4 ounces 1%

Hops
9.00 ounces
Cascade 9%, Leaf	2.5 ounces 28%
Mosaic 13%, Pellet	2 ounces 22%
Simcoe 14%, Leaf	2 ounces 22%
Citra 16%, Leaf	1.5 ounces 17%
Warrior 16%, Pellet	1 ounce 11%

Miscellaneous
Aging in oak barrels can add another level of complexity on this style. Also consider the addition of oak cubes, spirals or chips. Make a large yeast starter and oxygenate the wort well before pitching.

Mash
1 hour, 16.27 gallons
Strike Target 152°F	12.94 gallons 163°F 1 hour
Sparge	3.33 gallons 170°F

Boil
75 minutes, 11.53 gallons
Citra hops 16%, Leaf	1 ounce 60 minutes (+15)
Warrior hops 16%, Pellet	1 ounce 60 minutes (+15)
Cascade hops 9%, Leaf	0.5 ounces 45 minutes (+30)
Citra hops 16%, Leaf	0.5 ounces 45 minutes (+30)
Cascade hops 9%, Leaf	0.5 ounces 45 minutes (+30)
Mosaic hops 13%, Pellet	0.5 ounces 45 minutes (+30)
Simcoe hops 14%, Leaf	0.5 ounces 45 minutes (+30)
Cascade hops 9%, Leaf	0.5 ounces 30 minutes (+45)
Simcoe hops 14%, Leaf	0.5 ounces 30 minutes (+45)
Mosaic hops 13%, Pellet	0.5 ounces 15 minutes (+60)

Ferment
7 days @ 68°F, 14 days @ 65°F
Cascade hops 9%, Leaf	1 ounce 14 days (+7 days)
Mosaic hops 13%, Pellet	1 ounce 14 days (+7 days)
Simcoe hops 14%, Leaf	1 ounce 14 days (+7 days)
Rack to secondary (65°F)	14 days (+7 days)
Age Time	365 days

We as Americans may sometimes go overboard when it comes to things we are passionate about, but the American interpretation of the richest and strongest of the English ales will never be questioned. The results, although similar to its English counterpart, are nonetheless outstanding. With our American homebrew psyche we strive for bigger attenuations, bigger hop aromas, bigger hop flavors and this style does not disappoint. The American barleywine style delivers all that and then some with proper aging, so fire up your kettles and brew a batch.

Christian Lavender is a father, husband, computer geek, beer writer and homebrewer in Austin, TX. He currently brews on Picobrew's Zymatic and enjoys styles ranging from hoppy barrel aged barley wine to funky sours.

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