Yet Another: Session Black IPA

Ok, another Black IPA, after the success of my fully-leaded version recently. This one has overtaken my Stone clone brewday, as I need this ready for a wedding in six weeks' time.

So, this time around, shooting for 4% ABV after bottle conditioning (which itself adds around 0.2%). Reduced Nelson Sauvin content by 50% as it was overpowering the other hops slightly. Substituted Citra for Amarillo, and also added some Centennial. IBUs dropped from around 80 to 50ish. Yeast swapped from US-05 to S-04 to reduce attenuation and flocculate better (don't have much time!).

Hit mash temp at 70c spot-on.

The recipe:


HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Session Black IPA
Author: Roddy

Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: American IPA
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 22 liters (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 26 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.036
Efficiency: 67% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.042
Final Gravity: 1.013
ABV (standard): 3.86%
IBU (tinseth): 55.78
SRM (morey): 14.79

FERMENTABLES:
3 kg - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (67.2%)
0.9 kg - German - Vienna (20.2%)
0.45 kg - Flaked Oats (10.1%)
0.001 kg - Torrified Wheat (0%)
110 g - German - Carafa III (2.5%)

HOPS:
15 g - Amarillo, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 8.6, Use: First Wort, IBU: 9.32
15 g - Chinook, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 13, Use: First Wort, IBU: 14.09
15 g - Amarillo, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 8.6, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 5.58
10 g - Centennial, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 10, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 4.33
10 g - Mosaic, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.5, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 5.41
5 g - Nelson Sauvin, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.5, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 2.7
20 g - Amarillo, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 8.6, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 4.09
15 g - Centennial, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 10, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 3.57
15 g - Mosaic, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.5, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 4.46
7.5 g - Nelson Sauvin, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.5, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 2.23
20 g - Amarillo, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 8.6, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days
15 g - Centennial, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 10, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days
15 g - Mosaic, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.5, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days
7.5 g - Nelson Sauvin, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.5, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Temp: 70 C, Time: 60 min

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 75%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 12.22 - 25 C


NOTES:
My stronger 7% version brewed at 80IBUS...
Add the same amount of Carafa III again on sparge/mashout.


Now, you've seen photos of my brewing setup before, and it's all much the same. The only thing I'll post is this, a photo of me first wort hopping in my mash tun. The hops are soaking while I sparge, before the whole lot goes in the boiler together.



I rehydrated the S-04 for an hour or so, and the beer was already bubbling a few hours after adding it. It's now going like a train.

Let us know how that works out, I like the changes you've made to adapt it to a lower ABV.

Gravity still near 1020 for a whole day. Maybe I'm checking too often, but it has slowed massively. Still the occasional bubble though. I hope it doesn't get stuck. Temperature is solidly between 19.5c and 20.5c.

Ok, I've moved it upstairs where I can hold it at 21c. It's bubbling, but very slowly.

I've got 7 points to go, and I do want to get there as it's a low ABV beer, but I don't want it to be that low.

I mashed at (I think 69C, or maybe it was 68C. I'm not at home so haven't got my notebook to hand) and used S0-04 on my last brew, a mild. The attenuation from the S04 was 70%, so about medium attenuation.

Cheers. How long did that take to reach final gravity?

I'm currently managing one airlock gurgle every four minutes versus the once every few seconds when it started.

About two weeks. I was away on holiday for the second week of fermentation and simply took a gravity reading when I came back. I'm not 100% sure it has reached terminal gravity as my recipe says it should drop another 2 points (I think, again can't check the receipe at the mo) but S04 is a fast fermenter and I mashed high so I think it's done now but I'm leaving it in the FV till Thursday as I haven't time to bottle till then plus I want to make sure it's 100% fermented out

It's barely budging now. Roused yeast, and added 5g of hydrated S-04. Holding at 21c.

Hasn't really moved much below 1020. I'm putting this mainly down to unfermentables.

The extended fermentation seems to have killed off some of the hop aroma that was there a week ago, and it's not as fresh tasting as it was. I've dry hopped it just now, and and hoping that this will revive the hop freshness.

I'll monitor the yeast activity / carbonation when I prime with dextrose and bottle to see if I can get a better idea of what's going on.

Dry hopped two days ago which has prompted the beer to start fermenting again without any agitation.

rodabod said:

Dry hopped two days ago which has prompted the beer to start fermenting again without any agitation.

Click to expand...

That's interesting. I wonder if you've discovered a new method of restarting stuck brews :lol:

Honestly, don't know what's going on. Still bubbling slowly this morning. I wonder if the hops could have adjusted the PH, or provided some sort of nutrient to the yeast?

Anyway, I'm happy as long as it's doing what it should be doing.