Strong Ales Brett Goldstock - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Strong Ales

Brett GoldstockMike Habrat

September 24

th

, 2013

Slide2

BJCP Guidelines

Category 1919A Old Ale

OG 1.060-1.090ABV 6 - 9%Fills space between strong bitters/porters and

barleywines

.

Sweeter/

maltier

balance; strength/character vary widely.

Winter Warmers, Strong Dark

Milds

, Strong Bitters.

Can have age character (lactic, Brett, oxidation, leather)

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BJCP Guidelines

Category 1919B English Barleywine

OG 1.080-1.120

ABV 8 - 12%

Rich and strong.

Can show character from aging.

Less emphasis on hops than 19C.

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BJCP Guidelines

Category 1919C American Barleywine

OG 1.080-1.120

ABV 8 - 12%

Well hopped, but balanced.

American hop varieties.

Less extreme hops than IIPA; more malt and body.

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Mike’s American

BarleywineBrewed November 2012Grain Bill

British Pale Malt (2-row) 83.8%Crystal 60L 5.4%Cara-

Pils

5.4%

Crystal 90L 3.1%

Crystal 120L 2.3%

Hops

1.5 oz. Chinook@90min.

1.3 oz. Chinook@60min.

1 oz. Centennial@30min.

1 oz. Centennial@15min.

0.5 oz. Cascade@15min.

Dry hops: 1 oz. Chinook, 1.1 oz. Centennial, 1.5 oz. Cascade

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Mike’s American

BarleywineYeastWhite Labs WLP001Mash

Single stepSaccharification Rest: 150F, 90 minutesMash Out Rest: 160F

Batch

Sparge

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Brewer’s Association Guidelines

Old AleOG 1.058 – 1.088

ABV 6 – 9%Suggest that Brettanomyces/Sour versions can be treated separately.

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Brewer’s Association Guidelines

Strong AleOG 1.060 – 1.125

ABV 7 - 11%Minimal hopsLow roast is okRich, sweet, complex esters

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Brewer’s Association Guidelines

British-Style Barley Wine AleOG 1.085 – 1.120

ABV 8.4 – 12%High residual malty sweetnessUsually low hops

Oxidative aromas/flavors

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Brewer’s Association Guidelines

American-Style Barley Wine AleOG 1.090 – 1.120

ABV 8.4 - 12%HopsNo oxidative aromas/flavors

Complex alcohols

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Brewer’s Association Guidelines

Other Strong Ale or LagerDouble Alt

Triple IPAQuadruple Cream AleImperial Anything

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American Barleywine

vs. Double IPA

American Barleywine

Imperial/Double

IPA

OG: 1.080 – 1.120

OG:

1.070 – 1.090

FG: 1.016 – 1.030

FG: 1.010 – 1.020

IBUs

: 50

– 120

IBUs

: 60 – 120

SRM: 10 – 19

SRM: 8 – 15

ABV: 8 – 12%

ABV: 7.5 – 10%

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American Barleywine

11 gallon recipeSingle boil kettle, 2 fermenters

OG: 1.100Fermenter

1

WLP001, 5 vials

Aerate with O2

68-72F fermentation

FG: 1.014

Fermenter

1

WLP001, 2-liter starter

Aerate with O2

68F fermentation

FG: 1.026

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Accidents Happen

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History of Strong Ale

Old AlePredates Barleywine – 17

th/18th century

“Strong” not used until 18

th

century as descriptor

Designator of “old” denoted that beer was “

vatted

” for 1 year or more

C

haracter influenced by wood vats used for storage

More

than just oxidation (Brett and bacteria)

Acidic, horsey, leather-like, and

solventy

character

Speculation

that

lactic acid sourness balanced

low

attenuation

Not strongest of ales at the time

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History of Strong Ale

Old AleToday’s characterNot usually brewery aged for extended periods

Lower gravityNo Brett/bacteria characterCan vary from sweet to dry with moderate to high alcohol

Ex: Gale’s Prize Old Ale,

Theakston

Old

Peculier

,

Alesmith

Old

Ale

Compared to

Barleywine

Lower OG

Lower alcohol

No late hop character

Sweeter/lower attenuation

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History of Strong Ale

BarleywineOriginated out of Burton-on-Trent in second half of 19

th centuryDesignator not employed until

1903

Used as a marketing

ploy by Bass

Bass No. 1

(1868)

Employed

partigyle

brewing process

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History of Strong Ale

BarleywineCompared to Old AleBigger than Old Ale (OG, alcohol)Increased hop character (bittering & late additions)

Lactic acid may have balanced low attenuation in early days as in Old AleEnglish version emphasizes malt and fruity esters

EX: Thomas Hardy’s Ale, JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale, Fuller’s Golden Pride

Amped up by Americans in late 20

th

century

Increased bittering and flavor/aroma hop character

Ex: Anchor Old Foghorn (1975), Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (1983),

Alesmith

Old Numbskull

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Brewing Strong Ale

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Brewing Strong Ales

Generally Speaking…Grain BillBritish Pale Malt (for Old Ale/English BW)

American 2-row (for American BW)Caramel (Crystal) MaltSome dark malts

Adjuncts (Molasses, Treacle, Invert Sugar, Dark Sugar)

Starchy Adjuncts (Maize, Flaked Barley, Wheat)

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Brewing Strong Ales

HopsBritish (EKG, Fuggles, etc.) for Old Ale/English BW

Citrusy American Hops for American BWLess hopping for Old Ale/English BW vs. American BWDry hopping for American BW

Yeast

Less

attenuative

British Ale Yeasts (Old Ale and English BW)

Attenuative

American Ale Yeasts (American BW)

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Brewing Strong Ales

Extract BeersLarge amount of malt extract (~10-15 lbs. for 5 gallons)Adjuncts to raise alcoholSteeping grains (Crystal Malts)

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Brewing Techniques

HoppingUse flavor, aroma, and dry hop additions for American style BWDry hop after primary, post yeast flocculation (Secondary)Hop freshness counts (American BW)

Not very relevant for Old Ales and English BWAttenuationAvoid producing too much

unfermentables

(cloying)

Mash between 148 – 153 F depending on type and amount of specialty malt

Higher OG = lower mash temp

Use alcohol tolerant, higher

attenuative

yeasts at proper pitch rates

Large starter

Multiple vials and/or multiple yeast strains

Yeast cake from previous brew

Old Ales usually employ lower

attenuative

English yeasts

Supplement with adjuncts

Old Ale can employ treacle, molasses

Increase BW

fermentables

by adding sugar

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Brewing Techniques

FermentationTemperature control important to keep fusel alcohol and ester production in checkFerment cool (64 – 70 F)Higher temps for Old Ale and English BW

Cooler temps for American BWAgingTime is on your side – or is it? English vs. American

Warm vs. cool aging

Let complexity develop in Old Ale and English

BW

Carbonation

Low to moderate (1.5 to 2.5 volumes)

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Brewing Challenges

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Brewing Challenges

Achieving high gravity All grain brewingMash thick (1 qt./lb.)

Increase grain amount as efficiency usually lowerSupplement with extractMake smaller batch

Brew twice

Top off fermenting

wort

Make small beer from remaining sugars

Boil longer (> 2 hours)

Boiling

Avoid boil overs – messy & loss of hops

FermCapS

very handy

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Brewing For Competition

What we like to see as judgesOld AleMalty, sweet.

Alcohol, but not sharp.Optional character: Oxidative, Esters, Light Roast/Chocolate, Lactic, Brett

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Brewing For Competition

English BarleywineVery rich and sweet.Intense and complex malt.Toast, caramel, toffee, molasses.

Oxidative/vinousPlenty of alcohol, but not harsh or solventy

.

Low hops

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Brewing For Competition

American BarleywineHops! (Citrus)Balance the hops and malt. Let malt sweetness come through, but always bitter.

Smooth alcohol

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Thanks!