I'm planning on brewing the American Barleywine in the next day or two, since I'm kind of in a holding pattern for the Porter and Wheat while they ferment and carbonate respectively. These lulls should dissipate after this first one, since I will be brewing once per week, but for now, I need to find another trial to occupy my time...So how's about a beer that takes a year or more to make?!
With Barleywines, the high amount of alcohol requires time to soften so the complex flavors of malt and hops can shine, otherwise you're looking at a drink that tastes more like whiskey or vodka than beer. Also, in American varieties, the hop profile is so intense that aging is vital as it allows time for the bitterness to mellow. This means that if it takes me ten experiments to perfect the recipe, ten years or more will pass before its perfect.
I based the recipe on a few suggestions picked up in Zymurgy magazine from a few months ago, and a podcast on The Brewing Network. It looks like it will end up at about 9.3 percent alcohol, ferment for 6 weeks or so, and age for about a year before I even think of trying it.
I also "built" a mash tun to keep my temps a little more stable in the mash. All I did was wrap some insulation (the silver, foil-like, bubble wrap type that goes around hot water heaters and such) in two layers around the pot I usually mash in. Then I duct taped two layers to the bottom, and taped two layers together to form a lid. I'm giving it a shot with the Barleywine, and will see how it does.
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