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Strong Ales

Strong Ales. Brett Goldstock Mike Habrat. September 24 th , 2013. BJCP Guidelines. Category 19 19A Old Ale OG 1.060-1.090 ABV 6 - 9% Fills space between strong bitters/porters and barleywines . Sweeter/ maltier balance; strength/character vary widely.

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Strong Ales

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  1. Strong Ales Brett Goldstock Mike Habrat September 24th, 2013

  2. BJCP Guidelines Category 19 19A Old Ale OG 1.060-1.090 ABV 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)

  3. BJCP Guidelines Category 19 19B English Barleywine OG 1.080-1.120 ABV 8 - 12% Rich and strong. Can show character from aging. Less emphasis on hops than 19C.

  4. BJCP Guidelines Category 19 19C 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.

  5. Mike’s American Barleywine • Brewed November 2012 • Grain 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

  6. Mike’s American Barleywine • Yeast • White Labs WLP001 • Mash • Single step • Saccharification Rest: 150F, 90 minutes • Mash Out Rest: 160F • Batch Sparge

  7. Brewer’s Association Guidelines Old Ale OG 1.058 – 1.088 ABV 6 – 9% Suggest that Brettanomyces/Sour versions can be treated separately.

  8. Brewer’s Association Guidelines Strong Ale OG 1.060 – 1.125 ABV 7 - 11% • Minimal hops • Low roast is ok • Rich, sweet, complex esters

  9. Brewer’s Association Guidelines British-Style Barley Wine Ale OG 1.085 – 1.120 ABV 8.4 – 12% • High residual malty sweetness • Usually low hops • Oxidative aromas/flavors

  10. Brewer’s Association Guidelines American-Style Barley Wine Ale OG 1.090 – 1.120 ABV 8.4 - 12% • Hops • No oxidative aromas/flavors • Complex alcohols

  11. Brewer’s Association Guidelines Other Strong Ale or Lager Double Alt Triple IPA Quadruple Cream Ale Imperial Anything

  12. American Barleywine vs. Double IPA

  13. American Barleywine • 11 gallon recipe • Single boil kettle, 2 fermenters • OG: 1.100 • Fermenter 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

  14. Accidents Happen

  15. History of Strong Ale • Old Ale • Predates Barleywine – 17th/18th century • “Strong” not used until 18th century as descriptor • Designator of “old” denoted that beer was “vatted” for 1 year or more • Character 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

  16. History of Strong Ale • Old Ale • Today’s character • Not usually brewery aged for extended periods • Lower gravity • No Brett/bacteria character • Can 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

  17. History of Strong Ale • Barleywine • Originated out of Burton-on-Trent in second half of 19thcentury • Designator not employed until 1903 • Used as a marketing ploy by Bass • Bass No. 1 (1868) • Employed partigyle brewing process

  18. History of Strong Ale • Barleywine • Compared to Old Ale • Bigger than Old Ale (OG, alcohol) • Increased hop character (bittering & late additions) • Lactic acid may have balanced low attenuation in early days as in Old Ale • English 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 20th century • Increased bittering and flavor/aroma hop character • Ex: Anchor Old Foghorn (1975), Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (1983), Alesmith Old Numbskull

  19. Brewing Strong Ale

  20. Brewing Strong Ales Generally Speaking… • Grain Bill • British Pale Malt (for Old Ale/English BW) • American 2-row (for American BW) • Caramel (Crystal) Malt • Some dark malts • Adjuncts (Molasses, Treacle, Invert Sugar, Dark Sugar) • Starchy Adjuncts (Maize, Flaked Barley, Wheat)

  21. Brewing Strong Ales • Hops • British (EKG, Fuggles, etc.) for Old Ale/English BW • Citrusy American Hops for American BW • Less hopping for Old Ale/English BW vs. American BW • Dry hopping for American BW • Yeast • Less attenuative British Ale Yeasts (Old Ale and English BW) • Attenuative American Ale Yeasts (American BW)

  22. Brewing Strong Ales • Extract Beers • Large amount of malt extract (~10-15 lbs. for 5 gallons) • Adjuncts to raise alcohol • Steeping grains (Crystal Malts)

  23. Brewing Techniques • Hopping • Use flavor, aroma, and dry hop additions for American style BW • Dry hop after primary, post yeast flocculation (Secondary) • Hop freshness counts (American BW) • Not very relevant for Old Ales and English BW • Attenuation • Avoid 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

  24. Brewing Techniques • Fermentation • Temperature control important to keep fusel alcohol and ester production in check • Ferment cool (64 – 70 F) • Higher temps for Old Ale and English BW • Cooler temps for American BW • Aging • Time 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)

  25. Brewing Challenges

  26. Brewing Challenges • Achieving high gravity • All grain brewing • Mash thick (1 qt./lb.) • Increase grain amount as efficiency usually lower • Supplement with extract • Make 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

  27. Brewing For Competition What we like to see as judges Old Ale • Malty, sweet. • Alcohol, but not sharp. • Optional character: Oxidative, Esters, Light Roast/Chocolate, Lactic, Brett

  28. Brewing For Competition English Barleywine • Very rich and sweet. • Intense and complex malt. • Toast, caramel, toffee, molasses. • Oxidative/vinous • Plenty of alcohol, but not harsh or solventy. • Low hops

  29. Brewing For Competition American Barleywine • Hops! (Citrus) • Balance the hops and malt. Let malt sweetness come through, but always bitter. • Smooth alcohol

  30. Thanks!

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