Black IPA (British Hops)

[Stu's Brews]

Planning my first brew of 2021 and currently thinking of doing a Black IPA that uses exclusively British hops. Will be my first attempt at a Black IPA and the first time I've done any more that dropping a Campden Tablet into my water so any thoughts or suggestions are much appreciated.

Grain Bill

• Chevallier - 2.5kg
• Munich - 0.6kg
• Crystal Rye - 0.4kg
• Flaked Barley - 0.4kg
• Crystal 80L - 0.4kg
• Carafa Special III - 0.2kg
• Chocolate - 0.2kg

Hops

• Challenger - 30g @ 60mins
• Phoenix - 25g @ 10mins
• Godiva - 25g @ 10mins
• Phoenix - 25g, Hop Stand @ 75degC for 20mins
• Godiva - 25g, Hop Stand @ 75degC for 20mins
• Phoenix - 50g, Dry Hop @ 16degC for 2 days
• Godiva - 50g, Dry Hop @ 16degC for 2 day

Yeast

Whitbread Ale @ 1million cells/ml​

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Water

• Alkalinity: 40ppm
• Calcium: 120ppm
• Chloride: 200ppm
• Sulphate: 120ppm

Mash Schedule

• 65degC for 60mins
• 75degC for 10mins

Fermentation Schedule

• 18degC for 10days
• 16degC for 2 days (dry hop)
• 5degC for 1 day (cold crash)

Profile

• OG: 1.052
• FG: 1.013
• ABV: 5.2%
• IBU: 50
• EBC: 58

Hoping that it will come out as a clean, full bodied IPA with flavours of tangerine or marmalade.

 

[The Baron]

Looks good but from my perspective I would lower the challenger bittering to reduce the IBU's but that is just me as I do not like too much bittering in my beers also use carafe special is it is technically de-bittered to reduce any extra hidden bittering/astringency
Just my turn on it but apart from that go for it

 

[Stu's Brews]

Looks good but from my perspective I would lower the challenger bittering to reduce the IBU's but that is just me as I do not like too much bittering in my beers also use carafe special is it is technically de-bittered to reduce any extra hidden bittering/astringency
Just my turn on it but apart from that go for it

Thanks. Good shout on the Carafa Special, that will be a much better fit with what I'm going for.

How much would you reduce the Challenger hops by? I'm not looking for a particularly bitter beer so 50 IBU does seem pretty high but it is the lower end of what I've seen suggested (50 - 90) for a Black IPA.

 

[An Ankoù]

I wouldn't use Chevallier, if I were you. It can be quite coarse when drunk young and this coarseness mellows out with aging. But if I've guessed your intent, you want something like an American IPA, but with British hops, which should be drunk fairly young to get the fullness of the hops.

 

[The Baron]

Everybody will be different so the answer will be personal I would not go higher than 40 IBU's but as I have said it is personal taste - do not forget that you will not have intense fruity flavours to balance out some of the bitterness as with American style IPA's but it has a reasonable malt profile which does help. Just go with what suits your preference. It is rare to get a brew right the first time so use it as a Mark 1 version and go from there also you can add bitterness but not take it away by using hop oils if you want after it has brewed

 

[Stu's Brews]

I wouldn't use Chevallier, if I were you. It can be quite coarse when drunk young and this coarseness mellows out with aging. But if I've guessed your intent, you want something like an American IPA, but with British hops, which should be drunk fairly young to get the fullness of the hops.

Ah, interesting, wasn't aware of that.

You are right that I would be planning on drinking it young to get the full hop flavours and aroma.

Sounds like it would be better to use something like Pale Ale or Maris Otter instead then.

 

[Stu's Brews]

Everybody will be different so the answer will be personal I would not go higher than 40 IBU's but as I have said it is personal taste - do not forget that you will not have intense fruity flavours to balance out some of the bitterness as with American style IPA's but it has a reasonable malt profile which does help. Just go with what suits your preference. It is rare to get a brew right the first time so use it as a Mark 1 version and go from there also you can add bitterness but not take it away by using hop oils if you want after it has brewed

Good point about being able to add but not take away bitterness. Might err on the side of caution and drop the Challenger down to 20g which would give an IBU of 42.5.

 

[An Ankoù]

Everybody will be different so the answer will be personal I would not go higher than 40 IBU's but as I have said it is personal taste - do not forget that you will not have intense fruity flavours to balance out some of the bitterness as with American style IPA's but it has a reasonable malt profile which does help. Just go with what suits your preference. It is rare to get a brew right the first time so use it as a Mark 1 version and go from there also you can add bitterness but not take it away by using hop oils if you want after it has brewed

Good points about both the fruit flavours and the first shot being a "range-finder". Phoenix is a lovely hop, but I wonder if so much of it is what you're looking for in an IPA, it has a chocolate aroma! Jester might be a decent shot. I'd definitely go with Godiva, though.
I made up the forum Christmas porter without using any chocolate at all and with the malts, the invert sugars and Phoenix, it tastes very chocolatey.

 

[An Ankoù]

Put a dozen brewers together in a room and ask them how to brew a style and you're going to get at least two dozen recipes.
And that's before the first round has been got in!

 

[The Baron]

Put a dozen brewers together in a room and ask them how to brew a style and you're going to get at least two dozen recipes.
And that's before the first round has been got in!

So true also what one tastes in a hop another persons descriptor can be miles away so listen to all opinions then make a judgement call

 

[Oneflewover]

Ah, interesting, wasn't aware of that.

You are right that I would be planning on drinking it young to get the full hop flavours and aroma.

Sounds like it would be better to use something like Pale Ale or Maris Otter instead then.

I tend to agree with @An Ankoù that Chevalier perhaps isn't the best choice, but I don't get the coarseness with it. I've found it to be very rich and moreish. I just don't think it'd add much to a beer where you want the hops to take centre stage, and I think it might muddy the waters

 

[Stu's Brews]

Good points about both the fruit flavours and the first shot being a "range-finder". Phoenix is a lovely hop, but I wonder if so much of it is what you're looking for in an IPA, it has a chocolate aroma! Jester might be a decent shot. I'd definitely go with Godiva, though.
I made up the forum Christmas porter without using any chocolate at all and with the malts, the invert sugars and Phoenix, it tastes very chocolatey.

Interesting point about the Phoenix. I've had it in a couple of beers recently that I've really enjoyed, (one was a porter, the other an IPA) so was keen to give it a try. Sounds like a finer touch might be the way to go though.

Jester looks like it could work well, although I'm not 100% sure about the grapefruit flavours. What about Bramling Cross? I'm imagining that the blackcurrant/gooseberry flavours could work well.