This Killer IPA earns its title by being brewed with six different hops to create an aggressive yet exceptionally well-balanced beer. Look for notes of pine and grapefruit balanced by caramelized malt.

Terrapin Hopsecutioner

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Barleywine - American - Chico, CA - 9.6% ABV - 90.0 IBU Bigfoot is a beast of a beer, packed with bittersweet malt and heaps of aggressive whole-cone Pacific Northwest hops. First introduced in the winter of 1983, Bigfoot is a cult-classic brewed in the Barleywine style, strong and robust with the refined intensity of a wine.

Heat 4.5 gallons of strike water to about 168°F to target a mash temperature of 152°F. Adjust for equipment losses and desired mash thickness (approx. 1.25–1.5 qt/lb). If using water treatments, add gypsum and calcium chloride to the strike water and stir to dissolve.

Heat strike water

Add the crushed grains (all malts listed) to the strike water, stirring to eliminate dry clumps. Hold mash at 152°F for 60 minutes to extract balanced fermentable sugars and preserve body. Maintain +/- 2°F through the mash.

Mash in

Raise mash temperature to 168°F (mash out) over 10 minutes by adding near-boiling water or applying heat. Rest 10 minutes.

Mash out

Sparge with enough water at 168°F to collect roughly 6.5–7.0 gallons of wort in the boil kettle (target pre-boil volume accounting for evaporation). Aim for approximately 1.060–1.080 pre-boil gravity depending on boil volume.

Sparge

Bring the collected wort to a vigorous, rolling boil. Watch for boil-overs as barleywines are high gravity and proteins can foam.

Bring to a vigorous boil

At the start of the 90-minute boil add Columbus hops (3 oz) and Centennial hops (3 oz). For a barleywine style with high IBUs, run a 90-minute boil total to drive off DMS and concentrate wort; this also increases gravity. If you plan a 60-minute total boil, expect slightly lower gravities and adjust pre-boil volume accordingly.

Bittering addition (60 minutes)

With 30 minutes left in the boil, add 1 oz of Columbus (if splitting) or a portion of the mid-hop addition to retain more flavor. Add yeast nutrient at 10–15 minutes remaining.

Mid/Flavor additions (30 minutes)

With 10 minutes remaining, add 2 oz Cascade for late hop flavor and aroma. Add any whirlpool/finish hops now if doing a hop stand. Do not add all aroma hops at flameout if you want less green bitterness.

Late additions (10 minutes)

After flameout, cool the wort to 180°F, then add the remaining late hops and steep for 20–30 minutes to extract aroma. Then chill to yeast pitching temperature as quickly as possible (65–68°F for an ale).

Whirlpool / hop stand

Chill the wort to 66–68°F (ideal for the chosen yeast). Transfer to a sanitized fermenter, minimizing oxygen pickup after aeration steps. Top up to desired volume (typically 5.5 gallons) if necessary after chilling.

Cool and transfer

Aerate vigorously or oxygenate the wort before pitching yeast — high-gravity beers require more oxygen for healthy fermentation. Use an oxygenation stone for 60–90 seconds or shake vigorously if small batch.

Aeration / oxygenation

Pitch two packs or a healthy, appropriately sized starter of American ale yeast at 66–68°F. Add yeast nutrient as listed. Seal and attach an airlock.

Pitch yeast

Ferment at 66–68°F for 7–10 days until vigorous fermentation subsides. Expect an extended fermentation due to high gravity; monitor gravity rather than time.

Primary fermentation

Rack to a secondary/conditioning vessel after vigorous activity slows (typically day 7–14). Raise temperature gradually to the low 70s for a diacetyl rest for 48 hours if needed, then allow to fall back to 60–65°F. Condition for an additional 2–6 weeks to allow flavors to meld and reduce harsh alcohol notes.

Secondary / conditioning

If you want extra hop aroma, add Amarillo or Simcoe (2 oz) to the secondary for 5–10 days. Remove hops and allow the beer to settle for several days before packaging.

Dry-hop (optional)

If kegging, cold crash to near 35–40°F, then carbonate to desired volumes (2.2–2.6 vols CO2). If bottling, dissolve priming sugar (4 oz) in a small amount of boiled water, cool, and gently mix with beer before bottling to reach ~2.2–2.6 vols CO2. Bottle or keg and cap/close.

Stabilize and carbonate

Age bottles at cellar temperatures (55–65°F) for at least 6 months to a year for the barleywine to mature; Bigfoot-style beers benefit from extended aging to smooth harsh edges and develop complex malt-hop balance. Periodically sample.

Bottle conditioning / aging

Ensure all packaging equipment is thoroughly sanitized. Avoid oxygen pickup during transfer to bottles or kegs to prevent staling.

Sanitation

Store bottles upright for the first couple weeks while carbonation completes, then on their sides for even aging if corked. Keep in a cool, dark place (50–60°F) for long-term aging.

Store

Two-row Pale Malt

Munich Malt

Crystal/Caramel 40L

Light Crystal 10-20L

Victory or Biscuit Malt

Aromatic Malt (optional)

Corn Sugar / Dextrose (for additional fermentables)

Columbus (CTZ) whole-cone hops

Centennial whole-cone hops (or Chinook)

Cascade whole-cone hops (aroma/late)

Amarillo or Simcoe (optional dry-hop accent)

American Ale yeast (high-gravity strain, e.g., Wyeast 1056 / White Labs WLP001 / Safale US-05)

Yeast Nutrient

Fermentation Nutrient / Oxygen (for high gravity)

Water (brewing liquor) - strike + sparge + top-up

Priming sugar (if bottling)

Gypsum (calcium sulfate)

Calcium chloride

Bigfoot

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Notorious BdG - Gin Barrel

Sour - Berliner Weisse - Santa Fe, NM - 5.0% ABV - 5.0 IBU

Germophile - GABF Silver Medal

Lambic - Santa Fe, NM - 6.0% ABV - 5.0 IBU

Lover - Mango/Goldings Dry-Hopped

Fruited Sour - Santa Fe, NM - 5.0% ABV - 5.0 IBU

Mountain of Light - Palisade Peach

Barleywine - Santa Fe, NM - 14.0% ABV - 44.0 IBU

Ned Ryerson - Colkegan BBL

Make Bigfoot Recipe in just 8h . Barleywine - American - Chico, CA - 9.6% ABV - 90.0 IBU Bigfoot is a beast of a beer, packed with bittersweet malt and heaps of aggressive whole-cone Pacific Northwest hops. First introduced in the winter of 1983, Bigfoot is a cult-classic brewed in the Barleywine style, strong and robust with the refined intensity of a wine.

Bigfoot Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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