Jackson Tribute Barleywine Options

[Tim]

Hi all,

This idea was kicked around in the Michael Jackson post over in the general beer section but I thought I would get the ball rolling over here with a framework for a recipe. I haven't included any specifics in terms of ingredients in a hope that the community will continue modifying this recipe until we get something that everyone feels will do proper justice to such an inspirational member of the beer community. I want this beer to be something that could be served as a cask beer in the CAMRA tradition that Jackson extoled. This beer will be a tribute / memorial beer in honor of the Beer Hunter so here we go:

English Barleywine

OG @1.100
IBUs @70
SRM @13

Grain bill
English pale malt
Wheat malt
Biscuit malt
English crystal malt

Hops
High alpha English for bittering (Target, Challenger, etc)
EKG for flavor and aroma

Yeast
Something english

[just-cj]

Any reason you chose a Barleywine? Just wondering since a cask Barleywine is something I've never heard of, and serving it real ale style (gravity with air intake) would take a hell of a long time to finish!

[OldSock]

Since he was both a beer and scotch man, I would vote that you combine the two by adding some scotch to the beer. I think something along the lines of the JW Lees Lagavulin barrel aged barley wine would be perfect.

[MicCullen]

I'll go along with the group consensus, but would rather do something that can be put up for long keeping. BW, Trippel, Wee Heavy, Dopplebock etc...

[Tim]

Any reason you chose a Barleywine? Just wondering since a cask Barleywine is something I've never heard of, and serving it real ale style (gravity with air intake) would take a hell of a long time to finish!

I think an English Barleywine would be great on cask. The oxidation flavors and how the beer changes over 2-3 days would be very interesting with a beer like this. Additionally, this is a memorial beer, you wouldn't want to drink it alone; get people together and show them that great beer is still alive because of people like Michael Jackson.

This post has been edited by Tim: Aug 30 2007, 03:35 PM

[blktre]

I think a cask BW is a real sweet idea. But i have a few reservations about it. Not everybody has the means to cask a beer properly or the gumption to drink 8g of BW in a few days. I almost would like to bottle up instead with choice of cap or cork. That way we can celebrate MJ through a few years on such a big beer. Also, maybe a Bock or Belgian....he loved those beers too!

[just-cj]

I think a cask BW is a real sweet idea. But i have a few reservations about it. Not everybody has the means to cask a beer properly or the gumption to drink 8g of BW in a few days.

My point exactly. Even if I had it at my annual beer party with 30+ people, we would have a hard time finishing even a 3 gallon keg, especially since it's hard to imagine a party where ONLY barleywine is served.

I almost would like to bottle up instead with choice of cap or cork. That way we can celebrate MJ through a few years on such a big beer.

This is more what I was thinking with a barleywine.

Also, maybe a Bock or Belgian....he loved those beers too!

When I think of Michael Jackson, Belgian is what comes to mind first. But, I'm not a big Belgian beer drinker/lover, so if we're going big, a barleywine would be my choice.

[MtnBrewer]

I think a barleywine is a great idea. I think we should leave it optional whether to cask or bottle it (I'll be bottling it since it will probably take me years to consume). I think the general outline for the grain bill is pretty good. I'd suggest the following changes:

• Eliminate the wheat and crystal malts.
• I could see a case being made for oats, either flaked or malted.
• WLP007 yeast. It's English and can go big.

[MicCullen]

So;

18 lbs of MO or other UK pale malt
1.5 lbs Flaked oats
1.0 lbs Biscuit
.5 lbs 34L Carastan (OPTIONAL)

English Hops in a 90 minute boil to get 75 IBU, and dry hop with 1-2 oz of Goldings?

Your choice of English Style yeast (I'll end up using dry, probably...)

Mash at a low temp Say 148 for 90 Minutes to ensure good fermentablity



I was almost hoping we'd got with a Russian Imperial Stout or Belgian Strong Ale cause I already have a Barleywine kegged. But it's not anything like this so....


Maybe we should all just take the $$ we were otherwise going to use on this batch and pool it all and make a Brewboard donation to a Parkinson's foundation?

This post has been edited by MicCullen: Aug 30 2007, 06:52 PM

[MtnBrewer]

I still vote to leave out the crystal.

[Yeasty Boy]

If there's crystal, maybe like 2%. A little wheat wouldn't hurt, nor a little bicuit, but a 100% MO with Challenger and EKG would be my choice.
I'd also vote to bring the OG down under 1.090, like 1.085. Very English in fact, and a bit easier to consume real-ale style.
If we're going huge, maybe American hops would be appropriate, since he was also apparently fond of American IPA.

[MicCullen]

Well if you wanna go big American how's this?

Mike Jackson Tribute Ale IIPA version

18.00 lbs. ESB Malt Gambrinus(2-row)
1.50 lbs. Flaked Oats
1.00 lbs. Munich Malt(dark)

Hops

2.00 oz. Centennial Whole 10.50 49.1 First WH
1.00 oz. Ahtanum Whole 6.00 14.6 60 min.
1.00 oz. Ahtanum Whole 6.00 13.4 45 min.
1.00 oz. Chinook Pellet 13.00 17.2 15 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade Whole 7.00 6.2 10 min.
1.00 oz. Nugget Pellet 13.60 7.2 5 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade Whole 7.00 0.0 0 min.
1.00 oz. Chinook Pellet 13.00 0.0 Dry Hop

1.00 Unit(s)Whirlfloc Other 10 Min.(boil)


Yeast : users choice

Mash 149F 60 Minutes

90 Minute Boil

[Yeasty Boy]

Perfect.
What about an English barleywine, American IIPA, and then a Belgian blonde?

10 lbs Pilsen (Dingemans) (1.6 SRM) Grain 76.9 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 11.5 %
8.0 oz Munich, Belgian (7.0 SRM) Grain 3.8 %
1.25 oz Hallertauer [4.80%] (60 min) Hops 18.2 IBU
1.50 oz Saaz [4.00%] (10 min) Hops 6.6 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
1 lbs Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 7.7 %
1 Pkgs Belgian Abbey II (Wyeast Labs #1762) Yeast-Ale

Est Original Gravity: 1.072 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.6 %
Bitterness: 24.8 IBU
Est Color: 4.0 SRM

[Tim]

I still vote to leave out the crystal.

Why? In an English Barleywine you want a little more residual sugar and malt presence than in an IIPA, American Barleywine or Belgian Tripel so why not include 5% or so crystal malts and allow yourself to mash a little lower?

As with any creative tribute I totally expect that everyone will put their own flair on this but I would like everyone to have something substantial and long lasting in their cellars to commemorate the Beer Hunter.

Here is where we stand so far based on the comments above:

14-18lbs English Pale Malt (MO, Optic, Golden Promise, etc)
2lbs Wheat or Oat Malt (can be toasted)
1lb Biscuit Malt
1lb Crystal Malt 55 or 60L


2oz Target (11% AA) Boil
1oz EKG (4%) 15 minutes
2oz EKG (4%) Dry

WhiteLabs 007 Dry English Ale Yeast

I will likely split this batch in half and add a good single malt scotch to half and the EKG dry hops to the other half. I may back blend them but then again I may not.

[blktre]

Snowman, Tj, and I will partygyle this batch. We want 15g of BW and second runnings are up in the air. We just need to figure out what small beer MJ likes.........any ideas?