Need Barley Wine Advice

[eyepah]

Well I brewed my first Barley Wine last sunday (OG for 4.5 gallons was 1088) and pitched a 3 stage full quart starter of Scotch Ale Wyeast. The yeast ripped through this thing in 4 days. Activity is dropping quickly.

I have not checked the SG yet but am beginning to wonder about the best approach for the conditioning phase. Should I:

a) Rack to a secondary for 2 weeks, let the beer clear and bottle condition for 6 months.

b) Rack to a secondary and condition in the secondary for 3 months then bottle condition for 3 months.

c) Rack to a secondary for two weeks at room temp (65 here) and then move to the cellar (54 here) for 3 months then bottle.

d) None of the above. Explain.

Finally, (bonus essay question) I have read about "blasting out oxygen with CO2" somewhere. I would like to "blast out" oxygen from the secondary in the case of long term conditioning. I am equipped for kegging. How do I do this?

[Mad Scientist]

Personally, I would consider option 'a' or option 'c' as I prefer to get beer into bottles quickly once fermentation is done.

If you are equipped for kegging, I think I'd secondary for two weeks--maybe three--this would depend on your dry hopping, transfer to a keg, flush & pressure seal it with CO2, then forget about it for a couple of months. If you do that, I might also add priming sugar to carbonate it naturally.

As a side note, my Imperial IPA with an O.G. of 1.10 as of last night also appeared to ready for transfer (after being brewed on sunday). I used a massive starter also...I had activity in about ten minutes after pitching....I haven't gotten a gravity sample yet, I'll do that when I transfer, but I wonder just how low it has gotten....

I'm planning a two to three week secondary on this one as well, gravity depending.

[HogieWan]

I almost always do at least three weeks in the secondary. I find that the conditioning is done quicker in the secondary than in the bottle. Palmer quickly suggests longer secondaries in "How To Brew", but I can't find it right now. Unless you need to free up the carboy, I'd leave it there for 6-8 weeks.

[Mad Scientist]

What hogie said.

[quantum24]

I'd rack to secondary, let it sit for several weeks (3-5) to allow the beer to fully finish fermenting, then move the whole thing to the cellar and let it sit for 2 months or longer (this will be great for flavor and will really clear the beer), then bottle, let it carbonate for several weeks at room temp, then down to the cellar again. its a lot of moving for sure, but worth it. BW's take time.