As this is a new experience, I will split a 5 gallon batch with a friend.
Would light Munich Malt fit in the grain bill?
Here is what we have so far:
Pale Malt
Dingemans Special B
Crystal Rosewood 40L
I tend to use some Munich 10 in mine. I'd definitely lose the Special B. As a point of comparison, here's my recipe (albeit American style) that took BOS at the OR State Fair one year. BTW, it was 5 years old! https://www.experimentalbrew.com/recipes/dennys-old-stoner-barleywine
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
It seems like Special B is not very popular here. My recipe is from the 7 Seas Brewery, in Gig Harbor, WA. They actually call for 13 ounces of B for a 5 gallon batch size.
https://www.7seasbrewing.com/
Special B is great, but its easy to overdo it. I'm curious why you picked the beer as a model. Have you ever tasted it? I don't live too far from there and am in the area frequently, but I've never heard of the brewery nor seen their beer around.
I got the recipe from BYO, and there were good comments. Never tried it. It looks like a simple recipe, without dry hopping. IBU 38. ABV 12%. Our friends are looking for a high-octane Guinness type beer. This looks like it would work.
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.107 FG = 1.026
IBU = 38 SRM = 22 ABV = 12%
“Brewed slightly differently each year, but typically aged a minimum of eight months, these Barley Wines display a reddish-brown hue and exhibit prominent notes of ripe pit fruit, brown sugar, toffee, and a full-bodied, malty mouthfeel.”
17 lbs. (7.7 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) British carastan malt (34 °L)
13 oz. (0.37 kg) Belgian Special B malt (120 °L)
5.7 AAU Glacier hop pellets (60 min.)
(1 oz./28 g at 5.7% alpha acids)
5.7 AAU Glacier hop pellets (40 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 5.7% alpha acids)
3.6 AAU East Kent Golding hop pellets (20 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 4.75% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU East Kent Golding hop pellets (5 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.75% alpha acids)
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) clover honey (10 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss (30 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) or Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) yeast or Safale US-05 yeast
3⁄4 cup (150 g) dextrose (if priming)