New year new brew!

Here the reciepe with modifications and my notes below:

Add the brewing salts (CaCl, MgS04, NaHCO3) to both the mash and to the kettle. The weights given are to be added to both, the total amount of brewing salts used will be double the ammount listed.

Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 7.78 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.98 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.088 SG
Estimated Color: 25.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 27.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 73.2 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 1 -
4.00 g Baking Soda (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
2.00 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 3 -
11 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 58.7 %
2 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 5 10.7 %
1 lbs Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 6 5.3 %
1 lbs Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 7 5.3 %
1 lbs Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 8 5.3 %
8.0 oz Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 9 2.7 %
4.0 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 10 1.3 %
10.00 g Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 11 20.4 IBUs
34.00 g Styrian Goldings [4.20 %] - Boil 20.0 mi Hop 12 7.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Abbey Ale (White Labs #WLP530) [35.49 ml Yeast 13 -
1.0 pkg Trappist High Gravity (Wyeast Labs #3787 Yeast 14 -
1 lbs Dark Candi Syrup [Add to fermentor day 5](80.0 Sugar 15 5.3 %
1 lbs Dark Candi Syrup D2 [Add to fermentor day 7](10 Sugar 16 5.3 %

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 18 lbs 12.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 21.18 qt of water at 167.5 F 153.0 F 75 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (0.73gal, 4.01gal) of 175.0 F water

THis is why I changed what I changed:

• First, the major goal is to get good fermentation. No fusel alcohols and no under-attenuation. A way to help this is to add the candi sugar to the primary fermentor. I would add one pound on day 5, just after peak fermentation, and the other pound at day 7. This technique lowers the original gravity from 1.088 to 1.077, allowing for a 1.75L starter (using 1 pack of yeast on a stir plate). It will also keep the fermentation from getting too hot and kicking out lots of fusel alcohols. Finally it will help everyone's beer attenuate fully. Pure sugar,like a candi syrup does not need to be boiled or sanitized, and can be dumped right in to the fermentor. Also, if we can manage it, maybe we could repitch the yeast 3 times (the first 4 make starters, the next 4 repitch, and again)
• Water will have a big impact on both flavor and yeast health. I listed the quantities in the recipe. That quantity needs to be added twice, once in the mash (mix it in the hot water before the malt) and once into the boil, at the start of the boil. Same quantities twice. I added the CaCl for yeast health and to balance the beer toward the malt, I added the MgSO4 for yeast health, and added the baking soda to reduce the acidity and round out the malt flavor.
•  
• I tweaked a number of other things due to the barrel. The barrel will dry out the beer and it will make it more tannic (astringent).  So I significantly reduced the hop bitterness as tannins are perceived as bitter and the dryness of the beer will accentuate the bitterness that is there. I also simplified the flavor hops (went with the spicy one) just for simplicity. Brewers should add an ounce of the styrings regardless of their AA's. I though a clean bittering hop would be more appropriate then NB as are a lot of other flavors in this beer especially with the barrel, so I subbed out the NB for magnum.
•  
• Mashing, I suggest a higher mash temp because the barrel will dry out the beer and we need some body to balance that.
•  
• Malts. The big change is to swap the chocolate and biscuit for Munich and melonidian. Essentially it is a swap of toastyness for richness. Or the difference between a newcastle and a dopplebock. Richness work better with special b and dark candi sugars. I also added wheat for head retention.
•  
• Those are my thoughts,
•  
• James

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/styrian-goldings-pellets-1-lb.html

Looks like they are in good supply.