Entre Deux Mères IV

By Ian Cosier

Recipe is part of Recipe Index

BJCP 2021 Style 17D English Barleywine

This was one of the last brews I did in late 2022 before packing up the brewery for 18 months due to building work.The kegs sat in a shed during a hot summer, so perhaps some accelerated aging took place! It is rich and strong, with plenty of toffee, dark fruits, and a spicy, marmalade-like, earthy background. You can be fairly heavy-handed with the late hopping as much of this will fade as the beer ages. I usually find that these beers start to hit their stride after about a year in the keg, and can then be bottled and put aside for years.

Awards

Welsh National 2023

2nd - Best in Show

1st - Strong Ales

Brewcon London 2023

1st Best in Show

1st Strong Beers & Impys

Measures

• IBU 65
• ABV 12.7%
• OG 1.107
• FG 1.013
• EBC 34
• 44.17 litres at start of boil.
• 35 litres into fermenter.

Ingredients

Water

2:1 Sulphate to Chloride ratio Aim for 130ppm Calcium after the boil.

Malt

• Pilsner (Weyermann) (3.3 EBC), 6500g, 36.6%
• Pale Ale (Crisp) (7.9 EBC), 5800g, 32.7%
• Crystal Medium - 77L (Crisp) (147.8 EBC), 630g, 3.5%
• Acidulated (Weyermann) (3.5 EBC), 450g, 2.5%
• Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (39.4 EBC), 300g, 1.7%
• Crystal Extra Dark - 120L (Crisp) (236.4 EBC), 300g, 1.7%
• Special B Malt (300.0 EBC), 170g, 1.0%
• Pale Chocolate Malt (525.0 EBC), 60g, 0.3%
• Extra Light Malt Extract (Muntons), 1940g , 10.9% - Added to boil
• Corn Sugar (Dextrose), 1600g, 9.0% - Added to boil

Hops

• Target (10.00%) 102g at 60 minutes
• Pilgrim (10.00%) 25g at 60 minutes
• Styrian Goldings (3.1%) 50g at 15 minutes
• Pilgrim (10.00%) 50g at 15 minutes
• Bobek (4.4%) 50g steep at 80C
• Pilgrim (10.00%) 50g steep at 80C
• Bobek (4.4%) 50g dry hop 7 days before bottling
• Pilgrim (10.00%) dry hop 7 days before bottling

Yeast

• Lallemand Nottingham - 5 packets

Process

Mash

Overnight mash at 65C

(If I was mashing for an hour I'd probably do a step mash at 62C and then 70C)

Boil

60 minute boil

Ferment

Hold at 18 degrees for 2-3 days to keep activity at a moderate level, then let free rise over 3 days to 22 degrees to ensure a strong finish.