Obelisk Black Barleywine

Mill the grains and mash at 154°F (68°C) for 60 minutes.

Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 9 gallons (34 liters) of wort, depending on your kettle size and evaporation rate. As necessary, stir in DME to help hit your target pre-boil gravity (about 1.114). Boil for 300 minutes (5 hours), adding hops and yeast nutrient according to the schedule. After the boil, do a whirlpool step: Stir or recirculate to create a vortex, add the whirlpool hops, and allow 20 minutes to steep and settle.

Chill the wort to about 64°F (18°C), aerate the wort thoroughly, and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at 65°F (18°C) and aerate again on Day 2. Toward the end of fermentation, allow the temperature to rise to 70°F (21°C) for a diacetyl rest and more complete attenuation. Once fermentation is complete and the gravity has stabilized, rack to a small-format whiskey/bourbon barrel or a secondary fermentor with bourbon-soaked oak cubes, spirals, or chips.

Rest for several months and taste occasionally. When ready, crash to 32°F (0°C), keg or bottle, and carbonate to 2.45 volumes of CO2.

BREWER’S NOTES
Water: For the water profile and salts, shoot for a 5.2 mash pH. Depending on your water, you can add a small amount of gypsum and calcium chloride.
Hops: You can sub in other hops, but Motueka provides a nice complexity to this beer when aged. Just shoot for enough bitterness to back up the sweetness, without becoming an imperial American black ale.
Drink Sooner: This recipe has a lot of flexibility. It is intended for extended aging, so if you plan to drink it fresh or want a lighter-bodied beer, here are some suggestions:

Sub in Golden Promise or more Maris Otter for the Munich.
Cut back on the gravities if you want a drier beer or a barleywine that’s ready to drink sooner. Keep in mind that you still want a substantial finishing gravity and full body to this beer.
The long boil provides a lot of complexity and mouthfeel to the finished beer. If your evaporation rate is too high for 5 hours, cut it shorter—but I wouldn’t go below 3 hours.