16 replies to this topic

[Flashman]

I brewed a barley wine in May 2009...it ended up around 11%. It's been conditioning in a keg since June and I'm ready to bottle (I need the keg). I was thinking that I will add my priming solution to a new keg, add about 1/3 pack of hydrated yeast (us-05), transfer the beer into the new keg (on top of the yeast and priming solution to mix), then bottle from there. You guys see any problems with this approach?

[tag]

Sounds good to me. Just purge the keg with CO2 to keep oxygen pickup to a minimum.

[Slainte]

why are you priming it? why not just force carbonate and bottle from the keg it's in now?sounds like you're making extra work for yourself.

[Flashman]

why are you priming it? why not just force carbonate and bottle from the keg it's in now?sounds like you're making extra work for yourself.

I've done that before but only with something that will be drank fairly quickly. Can you use this method for something that is going to be stored for a couple of years? I don't have a counter pressure filler and would be doing it using the hose attached to a picnic tap method.

[MakeMeHoppy]

why are you priming it? why not just force carbonate and bottle from the keg it's in now?sounds like you're making extra work for yourself.

This is what I was thinking. You'll probably get better carbonation this way than expecing a small amount of yeast to work in a high alcohol environment.

[Slainte]

I've done that before but only with something that will be drank fairly quickly. Can you use this method for something that is going to be stored for a couple of years? I don't have a counter pressure filler and would be doing it using the hose attached to a picnic tap method.

Since you plan on aging for years, I would not recommend bottling without purging the bottle with CO2 first using a counter pressure filler. This applies to force carbonation and priming.

[gnef]

How about keeping it in the keg, and just getting a new keg for your next beer? I know this will cost money up front, but you will be adding a keg to your equipment. I keep all my barleywines in Kegs nowadays. I have one from 2007, I believe. I keg all my beer, and just get more kegs when I need to. I understand if it is a monetary issue, but if you look at the cost of the barleywine compared to the cost of an extra keg, the keg should be cheaper. Just my opinion though.

[Deerslyr]

Given that it REALLY looks like the OP wants to NATURALLY CARBONATE his barleywine, I think the process is fine. I know ya'll "love" force carbonating bottles, buts its a PITA to do. So how about when someone says that they want to naturally carbonate you don't force your methods and castigate someone for doing it the other way? Not everyone has the setup to do it, nor does everyone want to have it.

[realbeerguy]

I brewed a barley wine in May 2009...it ended up around 11%. It's been conditioning in a keg since June and I'm ready to bottle (I need the keg). I was thinking that I will add my priming solution to a new keg, add about 1/3 pack of hydrated yeast (us-05), transfer the beer into the new keg (on top of the yeast and priming solution to mix), then bottle from there. You guys see any problems with this approach?

You should be ok since you probably are going to cellar it for a while. Pop open one about 3-4 months after bottling to give you an idea about how the carbonation is progerssing. I've used DME in the past. The BW's have a nice thick head, and the aging has given it sherry-like notes.

[Slainte]

Given that it REALLY looks like the OP wants to NATURALLY CARBONATE his barleywine, I think the process is fine. I know ya'll "love" force carbonating bottles, buts its a PITA to do. So how about when someone says that they want to naturally carbonate you don't force your methods and castigate someone for doing it the other way? Not everyone has the setup to do it, nor does everyone want to have it.

Woah man, settle down.Maybe you missed the part of his post where he asks for our opinions? Or the part where he wonders if the hose on picnic tap method would work for aging many years?None of the replies in this thread were in any way rude, so I don't know why you're getting angry. We were just posting from personal experience, and giving some friendly advice for the OP to consider.

[MakeMeHoppy]

Woah man, settle down.Maybe you missed the part of his post where he asks for our opinions? Or the part where he wonders if the hose on picnic tap method would work for aging many years?None of the replies in this thread were in any way rude, so I don't know why you're getting angry. We were just posting from personal experience, and giving some friendly advice for the OP to consider.

I just let it go, I know a lot of threads quickly get off topic so I assumed he thought it was another of them. I tried researching the alcohol tolerance of US-05 and couldn't find it, but I still suspect 11% is on the high end. Last thing you want to age beer for months and then find out they didn't carb. If natural carb is needed for these I would at least suggest a high alcohol tolerance yeast.

[al_bob]

Yep, I don't think that 05 is gonna work for you in that environment. I think you'll need a high gravity yeast to be able to start in at 11% and go from there.

[al_bob]

I've never thought about doing it this way, so it brings up another question for me. Would you have to let it go flat before starting over?

[gnef]

If you wanted to be precise about the volumes of CO2 that were in solution, then yes, you would have to let it go flat. I think there is a formula out there that can tell you how much CO2 is in solution (if not force carbonated previously) just from fermentation based on the peak temperature of the solution. Honestly, I've never been that worried about it though.

[Flashman]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. Well, the situation has changed a little...I had a keg kick Sat. night, so the immediate need for the keg is gone for now, but I still need to figure out what to do with this beer. I really wanted to avoid kegging it because it will take me a while to drink and I only have room for three kegs in my fridge. It sounds a little risky trying to bottle it though.

I tried researching the alcohol tolerance of US-05 and couldn't find it, but I still suspect 11% is on the high end. Last thing you want to age beer for months and then find out they didn't carb. If natural carb is needed for these I would at least suggest a high alcohol tolerance yeast.

I hadn't even thought of this...I thought US-05 could do everything I couldn't find anything on US-05 either, but I looked up Wyeast 1056 (listed at 10%) and White Labs 001 (listed at 10-15%), so this would probably be pushing it.Anyone have a recommendation for high tolerance bottling yeast? Wyeast's website lists 1762 (Belgian Abbey II) and 1728 (Scottish Ale) as suitable yeast strains for a barley wine and both are tolerant to 12%. I don't suppose I would get much flavor from bottle conditioning would I?

[al_bob]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. Well, the situation has changed a little...I had a keg kick Sat. night, so the immediate need for the keg is gone for now, but I still need to figure out what to do with this beer. I really wanted to avoid kegging it because it will take me a while to drink and I only have room for three kegs in my fridge. It sounds a little risky trying to bottle it though.I hadn't even thought of this...I thought US-05 could do everything I couldn't find anything on US-05 either, but I looked up Wyeast 1056 (listed at 10%) and White Labs 001 (listed at 10-15%), so this would probably be pushing it.Anyone have a recommendation for high tolerance bottling yeast? Wyeast's website lists 1762 (Belgian Abbey II) and 1728 (Scottish Ale) as suitable yeast strains for a barley wine and both are tolerant to 12%. I don't suppose I would get much flavor from bottle conditioning would I?

I had a BW that wouldn't finish fermenting and making a starter of 099, WL High Grav yeast. It finished way on down there and carb the bottles perfectly.

[gnef]

You can also try Wyeast 4347 Eau de vie, with a stated alcohol tolerance of 21%.