Dumb Question

[DallasSVT]

I have a barleywine that has been in the secondary for like a month now, i am kegging but my kegerator is getting repaired. should i leave in in the secondary or will that screw it up.

when kegging i have allways put the carboy in the frig before kegging and force carbonating to get it as cold as possible, do i need to do this or can i keg beer warm?

[brewmonkey]

You can keg your beer warm and then cool it down to carbonating temps.

[Payson]

Leaving it in a properly a properly airlocked secondary should be fine.

[bierboy]

I would leave it in secondary for a long time. You are not going to hurt anything. Barley wines, especially those in the higher gravity range, need a long, long time. Consider that many lagers are lagered for several months. I plan on making a really high gravity barley wine, around 1.10 OG, next week. I will primary for 2 weeks, secondary for at least 3 months, and then go to bottle for another 9 months of aging.

[ray m]

I'm just here to catch up on my welcomes to the new members---dallasSVT and bierboy. Glad to have you, guys--welcome!

[Jeff]

I've never made a barleywine but was wondering if you would really leave it in secondary for that long? Woudn't you want to transfer it a couple more times to get it off the yeast cake? I would assume there would still be yeast falling out of suspension in such a big beer.

[DallasSVT]

thanks for all your help, and yes i like to rack in into a new secondary about every two weeks

[paul84043]

There is alot of variation in beer making styles and even more variations and opinions on Barleywines..
I have only made one, I left it in the primary for about two to three weeks based on activity and gravity, then racked to a secondary. After about two months, I checked the gravity and it was exactly the same as when I transferred it. I added more yeast at the auggestion of my Homebrew shop and kept rousing it every week or so.
After 4 or 5 months, I finally broke down and bottled it. I didn't check the gravity because I felt it was a moot point, if it was the same, then it wouldn't matter, if it had continued to ferment, then great, it had to have been done by then.

THere was no yeast cake to speak of and definitely no autolysis had ocurred in the secondary, probably due to the high alcohol and hop content. It was very strong, and still somewhat sweet. (green) I estimate it just based on the gravity when I transferred it to the secondary at just under 9%. I hope that after another 3 to 6 months in the bottles, it will have aged to a decent level.

Don't get in a hurry with a barleywine, that's a contest you'll lose...

[b3s]

might consider getting some yeast hulls from your LHBS...gives your yeast new bodies...and cheaper than re-pitching.