American Barleywine | Spike Brewing Flex+ Fermenter

[@Andrew_Thompson1776]

Add sanitized weights (glass marbles or mason jars filled with sanitizer) to the fermentor to make up volume space. Then your thermowell will be of use.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Good point. Or brew more beer :)

[@ArthurCeballos]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge Even gooder point ;)

[@19AKS58]

Or tip it slightly (keeping it stable) so that the thermowell contacts the beer

[@abouttimebrewing3215]

I've been using Stout tanks for about 14 years now and they came with a sample pack Bar Keeper's Friend, which they recommend for all their products. I've been using that ever since. I have copper plumbing in my system and circulating some of that stuff after cleaning makes it and the tanks look like brand new. Thanks for the video!

[@kevinrich5312]

Wow! You have some nice toys! I appreciate seeing the new gear, and your review on them. It helps with planning on upgrades in the future.😀

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks 🙂

[@piazzonim]

I’m laughing. The comparison between Lauren’s face with the Barleywine compared to her joy with the Seltzer (I watched that video next) was too funny!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

😫😋

[@LaurenCutthroat]

Haha. Yeah, those two tastings were like night and day!

[@fivefingerfullprice3403]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge lmao

[@300Z31]

Letting people with Carolina Hurricanes gear on the show!? I joke I joke...but also GO CAPS! Love the videos, I look forward to it every week...you got me hooked! Thanks!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

😆

[@qtiphead]

I love a Brit. In the states brewing every beer you can come up with, I have used alot pointers from you, thanks.

[@EngineeringDisaster]

Lauren’s face!! Tasting that beer Haha.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

😦

[@jamiedraper1985]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge the look on her face when she tried the American barley wine 😂

[@EngineeringDisaster]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge yes. Her face when she tried the brew. Too funny.

[@briandrewes2025]

Love your videos! I wish I had the resources to acquire the same equipment, but I like seeing you try them out before I buy them.

[@simonn8212]

Thanks for challenging the hegemony of the 5 gallon / 19 L batch. There isn’t nearly enough homebrew gear available for us smaller batch brewers.

[@smashy152]

I use barkeepers friend on my glassware aswell it makes them very clean without destroying head retention like detergent, I prefer the powder version over the cream though you can make it as strong/abrasive as you need

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Good call with the glassware.

[@ianlaker9161]

As much as I love the channel I have to agree with some of the comments regarding gadgetry and budget. I do have the odd piece of expensive kit but it has to really earn its place. Great technique is the key thing to promote I think. I would certainly have used a starter from a smackpack for a beer that big, as I do with pretty much all beers.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Yeah that’s a fair point. For my 2.5 gallon batch BeerSmith estimated 150 billion yeast cells needed. My packet had at best 100 billion. So a bit short. Had the yeast packet not been fresh I would have made a starter first. As it was I underpitched a bit

[@rafaelpestano7436]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge or to be more practical just do a vitality starter on the brewday with the produced wort: brulosophy.com/2015/06/29/yeast-pitch-rate-pt-2-viable-cell-count-vs-vitality-exbeeriment-results/

[@TheAlchemistsBrewery]

Bar keeper's friend is oxalic acid. It dissolves iron/rust/beer stone and passivates steel, which means that the steel will receive a layer of cromium oxide. I use citric acid 10%. Does the same thing.

[@Fishlip5]

you could boil up some rhubarb leaves and use the liquor

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

And maybe make a crumble with the leftovers? 🙂

[@TheAlchemistsBrewery]

@@Fishlip5 you can make rhubarb beer. I don't know why you would do it, but you can.

[@Fishlip5]

@@TheAlchemistsBrewery yes ihave had a sour rhubarb , also rhubarb cider is nice. but don't use the leaves!

[@Fishlip5]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge love a rhubarb and custard crumble

[@kenhunt]

I have 3 spike fermenters (5, 10, and 15 gallon) and I love them. If you're in it for the long haul then I highly recommend them.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Wow that’s quite the collection

[@HopsANDgnarly]

The color of that fermenter jacket is pretty rad! Why couldn’t you use that thermowell? I’m guessing the probe wouldn’t fit?

[@icomur825]

I bought a bomber of barley wine and just left it on a shelf for a year. it's the only one I've been able to tolerate so I do think this is a style that seems to benefit from it

[@TheSkipinatorVids]

I had the same "low liquid level" while doing a half batch in my Spike CF15. I couldn't push the temperature probe through my jacket because I've got a heating wrap between the conical and the jacket. What I ended up doing was buying a 1.5" Tri-Clover "Instrument Tee", and a 30 inch thermowell. I can attach the tee to the 1.5" opening in the lid and drop the thermowell in the top and it's long enough that I can make batches as small as about 4 gallons in my 15 gallon conical. The extra port on the tee allows me to still attach blow off tubes, a pressure regulator or what ever. Your little 5 gallon would obviously need a shorter thermowell, but you can get them in lots of sizes. I preferred this solution to making up the volume with other objects because I don't have to worry about finding things to throw in my fermentor if I come up short of the temperature line. It just works, every time, and is easily stored with the rest of the conical pieces.

[@JusBrewing]

What a gorgeous beer! I need to grab a drink now!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

😋

[@arturocm9758]

Did you make your own glycol chiller? What kind of pump did u use for recirculating glycol ?

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

I’m using a Blichmann glycol chiller with their pumps.

[@maxe6538]

Hi there! Had a quick question. Will the coil for fermentation temp work with my statis glycol chiller? I don’t want to have to add the extra $300 for TC100 bundle

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

I don’t see why not. But maybe shoot the guys at. Spike an email - they’ve been very helpful.

[@kmind71]

Great video. Didn’t realize I could use the Spike Flex+ for 2.5 gallon batches as that’s what I do now. Go Pack!!

[@altaibskt1]

Thanks 😊

[@pasolano612]

Totally an awesome Job!! Congratulatios Marty, greetings from Ecuador!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks! 🇪🇨

[@Vykk_Draygo]

On gravity: my English Barleywine came out to 1.116 OG, and finished at 1.021 (so right about 13% abv). No sugar adjuncts, all barley. Tastes amazing. Loved the video, as always! Edit: Had the wrong OG. 1.106. Correct OG is 1.116.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Wow that’s a serious OG!

[@Vykk_Draygo]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge Actually, I just realized I had a typo. It was 1.116. Obviously 1.106 to 1.021 doesn't equal 13%.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

You know... If you add a piece of sanitized piece of silicone tubing to the racking arm so it will reach down farther, you can put the probe in the bottom port. Problem solved!! Cheers Martin!! 👍🍻

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Ooh that’s clever switch the racking arm to the higher port. Nice.

[@bulldog9708]

Is there an explanation as to why it is called it Barley WINE rather than beer ? Or is it just the end result ABV ?

[@ApartmentLibrarians]

That's it; the ABV is close to that of wine. Although the style guide says 8 to 12 percent ABV, the higher end of that range seems to be more common

[@locke64]

Nice one again Martin!!!! Nice to see both Barleywine!!!! Which one do you prefer?? Planned to brew one this winter besides a Russian Imperial Stout!! Keep up the good work!!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Well so far the older one is better. Will be interesting to see in 6 months.

[@sreenathraparti6458]

Out of curiosity, do you just do a secondary stage fermentation or just a single stage?

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Only primary except for a few rare occasions.

[@KelrynGrey]

A second 6-12 month tasting would definitely be fun to watch. I hope you'll do that with as many of the strong beers as you can.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Agreed. 🤞

[@1972prem]

Love the channel. Question: can you leave your maturing beer in a keg unrefrigerated for an extended period of time? Looked like you had yours stored out in the open

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Yep that’s what I’m doing.

[@canadianJaouk]

same as leaving your bottles to age at room temperature.

[@1972prem]

@@canadianJaouk yeh but 2 weeks is a little different from 4-6 months

[@chrismccroray1105]

I use Grainfather kit and that's decent, but the Spike equipment looks different level but expensive, need to start saving.

[@pioterr]

I'm really surprised (I mean, really) that You didn't do a yeast starter for a huge OG beer like this one. I mean I do starters everytime and use a slurry for high gravity beers. That's how it's meant to be made, at least here in Poland among homebrewers. It always amazes me how much of a fancy equipment You use and at the end just throw in the yeast from the package. Do You check how many yeast cells You need for a healthy fermentation and how many are there in the package? I'm just curious how that works out for You :)

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

This is a good question. This is a 2.5 gallon batch and I pitched a full yeast packet intended for 5 gallons. BeerSmith calculated I needed 150 billion yeast cells. The pack I pitched was fairly new so would have a little under 100 billion. So I was a little short but not by a huge amount. And in the end it seemed to finish as planned. I am working on a higher OG beer and I did make a starter for that.

[@EMPERORDEATX]

That big balloon whisker, where did you get it? :)

[@thomashamann7035]

Hi Martin. I'm sure I can taste your beers whilst watching your videos! Great production levels 👍🏼 Did you happen to make a note of the final gravity of this beer? Merry xmas too.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thank you. Finished 1.014

[@thomashamann7035]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge A behemoth!

[@leroygross9144]

😀 you got a spike conical fermenter. That's the kind of fermenter 👍 I'm planning on getting one to for quiet sometime now. I think it's the best one out there!!! cheers 🍻

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Enjoying mine for sure. Thanks for watching.

[@williamhouse5081]

Great video as always!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks!

[@luke5406]

Stainless steel shiny things are a light to us homebrewer moths, just looks great! Have you had a look at some of the mini-keg style systems yet? I have to admit, as a big novice, I do miss some of the more in-depth style discussions and professional opinions that you had going on at the beginning, are there any plans to bring those back?

[@Tomtiburon]

Where can i buy these beautiful beerglass? (The first one)Thx, greetings from germany

[@javierchirinos28]

Now that you've made a barleywine you can make a mead, it is the homebrew challenge and part of the bjcp beer styles guideline

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Yes would be interested in brewing a mead.

[@knightonwarbeck1969]

Who is that guy???

[@chriscamarillo8914]

Haha. You look hammered Lauren! Cheers

[@LaurenCutthroat]

The cross I have to bear when there are so many kegs to drink in the house. 🤷‍♀️😂

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

True dedication.

[@Exposfan4ever]

How many trillions does that cost? :P

[@A2an]

Looks grate 👍

[@michaeldeneault7308]

"Why are we so close?" Yup, still 2020... :-(

[@johnsikking4891]

I received an email from Beer Smith that the BJCP style guide has been with four provisional styles - does this mean we are moving from 99 to 103? The Four Provisional Beer Styles Since the 2015 BJCP update, several styles have emerged and are now brewed widely enough to be recognized by the BJCP as separate provisional styles. The four new styles are: Catharina Sour (X4): A Brazilian kettle soured beer that incorporates fruit. From the guide: "A light and refreshing wheat ale with a clean lactic sourness that is balanced by a fresh fruit addition. The low bitterness, light body, moderate alcohol content, and moderately high carbonation allow the flavor and aroma of the fruit to be the primary focus of the beer. The fruit is often, but not always, tropical in nature." New Zealand Pilsner (X5): A cleanly fermented, golden pilsner that highlights the fruity, tropical and citrus flavors of New Zealand hops. From the style guide: "A pale, dry, golden-colored, cleanly-fermented beer showcasing the characteristic tropical, citrusy, fruity, grassy New Zealand-type hops. Medium body, soft mouthfeel, and smooth palate and finish, with a neutral to bready malt base provide the support for this very drinkable, refreshing, hop-forward beer." Burton Ale (17A): A rich, malty, bitter and historic strong ale from the Burton-on-Trent area in England. From the guide: "A rich, malty, sweet, and bitter dark ale of moderately strong alcohol. Full bodied and chewy with a balanced hoppy finish and complex malty and hoppy aroma. Fruity notes accentuate the malt richness, while the hops help balance the sweeter finish. Popular in Burton before IPAs were invented, widely exported to the Baltic countries. After 1822, reformulated to be less sweet and strong. Most popular in the Victorian Era, with several different strengths available in the family. The strongest versions evolved into English Barleywines. Became less popular after WWII, eventually dying out around 1970." New England IPA (21B): A cloudy American IPA with intense juicy fruit flavors and aroma. From the style guide: "An American IPA with intense fruit flavors and aromas, a soft body, and smooth mouthfeel, and often opaque with substantial haze. Less perceived bitterness than traditional IPAs but always massively hop forward. This emphasis on late hopping, especially dry hopping, with hops with tropical fruit qualities lends the specific ‘juicy’ character for which this style is known."

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Interesting. So I’ve brewed the NEIPA already but not the others. 🤔

[@johnsikking4891]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge just the Sour, Z Pilsner and Burton Ale to go...

[@Christoph1888]

Cool intro music.

[@woodshedbrewingco.481]

Great video! Thanks! Sláinte!

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

🍻

[@lacaval]

1.5" Butterfly valves seems like a massive overkill, especially when the dip tube's diameter is so small...

[@ДаценкоЄвген]

How many microns does a hop spider have? Thanks!

[@mitchellfite879]

Usually they are made with 200 micron mesh

[@Saintsdevotee]

I have a 300 micron one, i think it's a common size, but i wouldn't recommend it. It lets very little fluid pass through so utilization goes way down. Partly because of limited transfer, but more because the temperature inside the spider goes way down when circulation is limited. I've gone back to straight hop additions and been much happier with the beers it produced. A strong cold crash gets my beer crystal clear even with a lot of muck coming in from the kettle to the fermenter. The only issue I have is on beers with significant hop additions or other adjuncts. They can insulate the heating element and cause it to shut off. I just bought an 800 micron spider made for a grainfather. I think it will be a good solution, but I haven't used it yet to know for sure.

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Are you using a recirculating system? Does it get blocked without the hop sleeve?

[@Saintsdevotee]

I do use a recirculation pump while mashing 100% of the time. I'll use it again while chilling/ whirlpooling. Loose leaf hops will clog it, but not pellets. I've tried using it during the boil to get the wort to flow through the spider. It didn't help me. It usually pushed the pellet residue into the mesh and clogged it up, further reducing flow. The spider did work well with leaf hops.

[@ДаценкоЄвген]

@@TheHomebrewChallenge what hop spider do you use?

[@Peter-Southern-Victoria-Aust]

anything would be better than that bloody Smoke Beer you did 🤣

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

So true

[@Jaguargamingtemple]

Wait , there was no video footage of the grain lol It just magically became wort haha

[@jasongarland3165]

The whole COVID related lockdown must've been the perfect opportunity to work your way through making these videos, eh? We all have not much else to do...

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Yes. Downside has been limiting who can taste the beer.

[@jasongarland3165]

I have had that very same problem myself.

[@Blackoakx2222]

Great video, I've been seeing a lot of barleywines on various forums/videos, debating on a barleywine or Flanders red. One thing that you may want to look into on the glycol system is these quick disconnects. I use them on my CF5 and Flex+ for the coils. Less mess and less loss of glycol, I just snipped my lines about 2 feet from the 90-degree adapters on the cooling coil and attached the two units there. There is also a little nub on the male portion of the valved quick disconnect, if you cut that off you can rotate the in/out feeds for cold crashing as per spikes suggested flow direction for cold crashing in the TC-100 documentation. Cheers, love the videos! www.freshwatersystems.com/products/dpcd17006-valved-in-line-hose-barb-panel-mount-coupling-body-3-8-id-barb www.freshwatersystems.com/products/dpcd22006-valved-in-line-hose-barb-coupling-insert-3-8-id-barb

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Thanks! I love quick disconnects for everything so this appeals.

[@TexasForever-tw8ko]

These are turning into advertisements for shit most of us don’t have in the budget....oh yeah and he brews beer in them. Need to bring the content back to the brew and less on the expensive shit most of us don’t have the budget for. These are starting to be advertisements and not about the beer styles.

[@SKmattie1]

6 weeks is low...minimum 3 mots ;-)

[@TheHomebrewChallenge]

Agreed, will only improve with age.