Hero Barleywine and Sidekick Pale Ale

HeroandSidekick

Every good hero needs a sidekick. This heroic barleywine gets a pale (ale) sidekick made from the leftover mash sugars.

Here is an all-grain, American-style barleywine, with an option to brew a second beer (a pale ale) from the leftover mash sugars. The barleywine wort is made by cutting wort collection short to collect only relatively high-gravity wort, and boiling it for 2.5–3 hours. The barleywine is strong, full-bodied and very hoppy. The leftover sugars in the grain bed can be used — along with some fresh grain — to make a pale ale. The pale ale uses the same hop varieties as the barleywine. If you get enough 1 oz. packets to brew the barleywine, the pale ale uses up most of the “leftovers.” You will also need to make a 1.25 qt. (1.25 L) yeast starter to ferment the pale ale.

You’ll need a 10-gallon (38-L) kettle to boil this wort, which is cutting things close. The directions for the pale ale differ depending on if you have a 10-gallon (38 L) or 15-gallon (57-L) mash tun. Having a second kettle and heat source to brew the pale ale is nice, but not required. Instructions for both batch sparging and continuous sparging are given. There is also an extract version of the barleywine.

 

Hero Barleywine and Sidekick Pale Ale

by Chris Colby

All-grain; English units

 

DESCRIPTION

Hero Barleywine is a big, American-style barleywine. It is similar to Bigfoot in strength and bitterness (88 IBUs), but not a clone. It is fermented with American ale yeast to yield an amber ale with a final gravity (FG) of 1.021, a full body and nearly 10% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Sidekick Pale Ale is made from the uncollected wort of the barleywine, with some supplemental grains added. It is a straight-up American pale ale with the flavor and aroma of several American hop varieties.

INGREDIENTS (for 5.0 gallons)

 

Water

adjust water so that mash pH falls into 5.2–5.4 range

add gypsum such that sulfate concentration is approximately 250 ppm (optional)

Malt (for an OG of 1.096 and 15 SRM)

16 lbs. US 2-row pale malt

5.5 lbs. English pale ale malt

5.0 oz. English crystal malt (60 °L)

3.0 oz. US crystal malt (40 °L)

Hops (for 88 IBUs total)

Magnum hops (50 IBUs)

1.25 oz. (at 12% alpha acids), boiled for 75 minutes

Simcoe hops (22 IBUs)

0.50 oz. (at 13% alpha acids), boiled for 75 minutes

Summit hops (15 IBUs)

0.25 oz. (at 18% alpha acids), boiled for 75 minutes

Chinook hops (0 IBUs)

0.25 oz., added at knockout

Centennial hops (0 IBUs)

0.50 oz., added at knockout

Amarillo hops (0 IBUs)

0.75 oz., added at knockout

Cascade hops (0 IBUs)

1.25 oz., added at knockout

1.0 oz. Cascade dry hops

0.50 oz. Centennial dry hops

0.50 oz. Amarillo dry hops

Yeast (for an FG of 1.021 and 9.7% ABV)

Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Fermentis US-05 yeast

(5.0-qt. yeast starter)

Other

1.25 tsp. Irish moss

 

PROCEDURES

Make yeast starter (at OG ~1.020) 3 days ahead of time. Let ferment to completion. Chill to sediment yeast, if needed.

If you can’t apply direct heat to your mash tun, mash in your kettle. Heat 6.9 gallons of water to 161 °F and mash in grains at 150 °F. Hold at this temperature for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, then heat mash slowly to 170 °F (or a few degrees higher if you’re mashing in your kettle). Scoop mash over to lauter tun, if needed (and rinse kettle). Recirculate wort prior to runoff.

Batch Sparge Option: Collect first wort (about 4.2 gallons). Stir in 4.2 gallons of sparge water and recirculate wort. The sparge water should be hot enough to raise grain bed temperature to 168 °F. Collect second wort, yielding approximately 8.4 gallons of wort in your kettle. Stir in second batch of sparge water and see directions below if you’re brewing the second beer (Sidekick Pale Ale); else, proceed to the boil.

Continuous Sparge Option: Keep your sparge water heated such that the grain bed temperature remains around 168 °F. Run off 8.4 gallons of wort over the course of 90 minutes. See instructions for Sidekick Pale Ale if you’re brewing that second beer; else, proceed to the boil.

Boil the 8.4 gallons of wort down to just over 5 gallons (to account for losses to trub and hop debris). This should take 2.5 to 3 hours with a vigorous boil. Watch for a boil-over when the wort first comes to a boil. Your wort density should be SG 1.059 at 8.4 gallons. If it is lower than this, you can stir in malt extract to make up the deficit, or just accept the difference and move on. Add bittering hops with 75 minutes left in the boil. If hops collect on the side of the kettle, knock them back into the wort. Add Irish moss (or whirlfloc) with 15 minutes left in the boil. Add aroma hops at knockout and begin chilling wort. Chill wort to 66 °F. Let chilled wort sit, covered, to let hop debris and trub settle (unless you are filtering or straining it). Let it sit for an hour or two. You can work on the second beer during this time. Transfer wort to fermenter and aerate thoroughly. Pitch yeast and ferment at 68 °F. Option: You can collect the trub and “gunk” at the bottom of your kettle in sanitized mason jars. Let them sit overnight in your refrigerator. This will allow the trub compact a bit more. The next day, pour the clear wort into your fermenter. You may want to heat it to 170 °F to sanitize it, then cool it down before doing this.

If you made the yeast starter, this strain of yeast should not require any additional help finishing this fermentation. (You don’t need to rouse the yeast or let the temperature rise, for example.) Let beer sit on yeast for a few days after all signs of fermentation have ceased. Rack beer to a secondary fermenter or keg, and dry hop for 7–10 days. If you use whole hops for dry hopping, treat them with CO2 so you aren’t introducing the air trapped in between the bractioles to the beer. Carbonate beer to 2.4 volumes of CO2 and let condition for two months. (Pitching the right amount of yeast and running a good fermentation should set this beer up to condition properly in that amount of time. If you pitch less yeast, expect to have to age the beer longer.)

 

Sidekick Pale Ale option:

At this point, you should be able to collect roughly 5.5 gallons (21 L) more wort before you oversparge. The average density of this wort should be around 1.020. You can use this wort to make a second beer, if you supplement it with fresh malt. Your grain bed should be filled with water, with perhaps an inch or two (2.5–5 cm) of water standing on top, at around 168 °F (76 °C).

10-gallon Mash Tun Option: Take 1.5 lb. (680 g) US 2-row pale malt and 0.50 lbs. (230 g) US crystal malt (40 °L) and place the crushed grains in a clean bucket (or other container). Stir in 2.5 qts. (2.3 L) of water at 159 °F (71 °C) to mash in at 148 °F (64 °C).  Layer freshly mashed grains on top of existing grain bed. (Do not stir in.) The heat from the grain bed below will bring up the temperature of the new grains by a few degrees. Let mash for at least 30 minutes, but you can let the mash go as long as you need while you brew the barleywine. Stir mash and recirculate the wort. Collect 6.5 gallons (24 L) and boil for 60–90 minutes to reduce to 5.0 gallons (19L). Follow hopping directions below. Stir in 3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) light liquid malt extract for the final 15 minutes of the boil. Your yield should be 5.0 gallons (19 L) at OG 1.054 and 38 IBUs.

15-gallon Mash Tun Option: Take 5.0 lb. (2.3 kg) US 2-row pale malt and 0.50 lbs. (230 g) US crystal malt (40 °L) and place the crushed grains in a clean bucket (or other container). Stir in 1.7 gallons (6.5 L) of water at 159 °F (71 °C) to mash in at 148 °F (64 °C). Layer freshly mashed grains on top of existing grain bed. (Do not stir in.) The heat from the grain bed below will bring up the temperature of the new grains by a few degrees. Let mash for at least 30 minutes, but you can let the mash go as long as you need while you brew the barleywine. Stir mash and recirculate the wort. Collect 6.5 gallons (24 L) and boil for 60–90 minutes to reduce to 5.0 gallons (19L). Follow hopping directions below. Your yield should be 5.0 gallons (19 L) at OG 1.051 and 38 IBUs.

Hopping and Remaining Directions: Add 0.25 oz. (7.1 g) of Magnum and 0.25 oz. (7.1 g) of Simcoe hops with 60 minutes left in the boil. Add 0.50 oz. (14 g) of Chinook and 0.25 g (7.1 g) of Centennial hops with 15 minutes left in the boil. Also add 0.5 tsp. Irish moss with 15 minutes left in the boil. At knockout, add 0.75 oz. (21 g) of Cascade, 0.25 oz. (7.1 g) of Centennial and 0.25 oz. of Amarillo hops. Ferment same yeast strain from 1 qt. (1 L) yeast starter. Dry hop with 0.50 oz. (14 g) Centennial and 0.50 oz. (14 g) Amarillo hops.

 

Hero Barleywine and Sidekick Pale Ale

by Chris Colby

All-grain; metric units

 

INGREDIENTS (for 19 L)

 

Water

adjust water so that mash pH falls into 5.2–5.4 range

add gypsum such that sulfate concentration is approximately 250 ppm (optional)

Malt (for an OG of 1.096 and 15 SRM)

7.3 kg US 2-row pale malt

2.5 kg English pale ale malt

140 g English crystal malt (60 °L)

85 g US crystal malt (40 °L)

Hops (for 88 IBUs total)

Magnum hops (50 IBUs)

35 g (at 12% alpha acids), boiled for 75 minutes

Simcoe hops (22 IBUs)

14 g (at 13% alpha acids), boiled for 75 minutes

Summit hops (15 IBUs)

7.1 g (at 18% alpha acids), boiled for 75 minutes

Chinook hops (0 IBUs)

7.1 g, added at knockout

Centennial hops (0 IBUs)

14 g, added at knockout

Amarillo hops (0 IBUs)

21 g, added at knockout

Cascade hops (0 IBUs)

35 g, added at knockout

28 g Cascade dry hops

14 g Centennial dry hops

14 g Amarillo dry hops

Yeast (for an FG of 1.021 and 9.7% ABV)

Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Fermentis US-05 yeast

(4.6-L yeast starter)

Other

1.25 tsp. Irish moss

 

PROCEDURES

Make yeast starter (at OG ~1.020) 3 days ahead of time. Let ferment to completion. Chill to sediment yeast, if needed.

If you can’t apply direct heat to your mash tun, mash in your kettle. Heat 26 L of water to 72 °C and mash in grains at 66 °C. Hold at this temperature for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, then heat mash slowly to 77 °C (or a few degrees higher if you’re mashing in your kettle). Scoop mash over to lauter tun, if needed (and rinse kettle). Recirculate wort prior to runoff.

Batch Sparge Option: Collect first wort (approximately 16 L). Stir in 16 L of sparge water and recirculate wort. The sparge water should be hot enough to raise grain bed temperature to 76 °C. Collect second wort, yielding approximately 32 L of wort in your kettle. Stir in second batch of sparge water (16 L) and see Sidekick Pale Ale directions if you’re brewing the second beer; else, proceed to the boil.

Continuous Sparge Option: Keep your sparge water heated such that the grain bed temperature remains around 76 °C. Run off 32 L of wort over the course of 90 minutes. See instructions for Sidekick Pale Ale if you’re brewing that second beer; else, proceed to the boil.

Boil the 32 L of wort down to just over 19 L (to account for losses to trub and hop debris). This should take 2.5 to 3 hours with a vigorous boil. Watch for a boil-over when the wort first comes to a boil. Your wort density should be SG 1.059 at 32 L. If it is lower than this, you can stir in malt extract to make up the deficit, or just accept the difference and move on. Add bittering hops with 75 minutes left in the boil. If hops collect on the side of the kettle, knock them back into the wort. Add Irish moss (or whirlfloc) with 15 minutes left in the boil. Add aroma hops at knockout and begin chilling wort. Chill wort to 19 °C. Let chilled wort sit, covered, to let hop debris and trub settle (unless you are filtering or straining it). Let it sit for an hour or two. You can work on the second beer during this time. Transfer wort to fermenter and aerate thoroughly. Pitch yeast and ferment at 20 °C. Option: You can collect the trub and “gunk” at the bottom of your kettle in sanitized mason jars. Let them sit overnight in your refrigerator. This will allow the trub compact a bit more. The next day, pour the clear wort into your fermenter. You may want to heat it to 77 °C to sanitize it, then cool it down before doing this.

If you made the yeast starter, this strain of yeast should not require any additional help finishing this fermentation. (You don’t need to rouse the yeast or let the temperature rise, for example.) Let beer sit on yeast for a few days after all signs of fermentation have ceased. Rack beer to a secondary fermenter or keg, and dry hop for 7–10 days. If you use whole hops for dry hopping, treat them with CO2 so you aren’t introducing the air trapped in between the bractioles to the beer. Carbonate beer to 2.4 volumes of CO2 and let condition for two months. (Pitching the right amount of yeast and running a good fermentation should set this beer up to condition properly in that amount of time. If you pitch less yeast, expect to have to age the beer longer.)

 

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Comments

  1. Hey Chris. Looks like a great recipe! I was looking for a great beer to brew for my 20th year brewing to give to friends. I will have to give it a try. Keep up the great work 🙂

  2. I really enjoy all of the articles you post. Keep up the great work! I have a quick question about the second round of sparge water for the sidekick pale ale. How much sparge water do you need for that second sparge for the sidekick pale ale?

    • Chris Colby says

      Good question. You’ll need very little sparge water for the pale ale. You’ll start with a little over 4 gallons (~16 L) of weak wort in the grain bed from the barleywine. Then you’ll have the water from mashing the “cap” of second grains, a little over a gallon (~ 4L) after the grain absorbs the water (assuming the 15-gallon mash the option; only a couple quarts (liters) with the smaller mash tun option). You’ll need just a little over a gallon (~ 4L), but I’d say heat 2 gallons (~ 8L) and you’ll have enough and a little to spare in case something doesn’t go as planned. (Heat 3 gallons (~12 L) if you do the smaller mash tun option.)
      The easiest option, if you have the mash tun space would be to add the final sparge water (a little over a gallon/4 L) when you stir the mash before recirculating; then just run it all off quickly, as with no-sparge brewing. The majority of the grains have already been well-sparged. Your efficiency with regards to the fresh grains may suffer slightly, but you’ve also got a huge brewday and this might save some time.

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