Black IPA (Sorry!)...Help/Advice please

[Dave1970]

Looking at my own recipe for AG#3, and apologies to those who don't like the idea of black IPA, call it an IBA if you like
Based mainly on what I have in, I'm finding myself shopping for every new brew and I want a 'free' brew that involves buying nothing.
First time I've thought of my own so could be complete ********, please feel free to be critical.

Black IPA (American IPA)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.066 (°P): 16.1
Final Gravity (FG): 1.017 (°P): 4.3
Alcohol (ABV): 6.48 %
Colour (SRM): 45.9 (EBC): 90.3
Bitterness (IBU): 69.5 (Average)

5.3 kg 75.71% Maris Otter Malt
0.6 kg 8.57% Black Malt
0.4 kg 5.71% Carapils (Dextrine)
0.4 kg 5.71% Wheat Malt
0.3 kg 4.29% Crystal 80

30g 1.3 g/L Nugget (15.1% Alpha) @ 90 Minutes (Boil)
15g 0.7 g/L Challenger (7.7% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
20g 0.9 g/L Perle (8.2% Alpha) @ 30 Minutes (Boil)
20g 0.9 g/L Fuggles (5.7% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Aroma)
30g 1.3 g/L Fuggles (5.7% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes, Steep for 20mins (Aroma)


Single step Infusion at 67°C for 90 Minutes. Boil for 90 Minutes

Fermented at 18°C with Fullers Bengal Lancer Yeast (I know US-05 would be the obvious choice but I love the way the Fullers yeast behaves and glues itself to the bottom of the bottle)


Recipe Generated with BrewMate

I also have some Caramalt
and some Magnum, Challenger, Target, Northdown & EKG

any comments/suggestions?

 

[shocker]

Well its going to be a hefty beast ! Im not onto AG yet so in no place to criticise or comment...much however , you must like your fuggles alot to be using it as an aroma hop , Im interested in your choosing to do it that way (Ive got loads of fuggles that needs using up !) , whats the theory behind it ? Bengal Lancer - yup , Im culturing some up as we speak ! It does hug that bottle-base , doesnt it !

 

[Dave1970]

Hefty is good (says the 19 stone second row forward). My thinking on the Fuggles was just that it was fairly low AA% so more suited to aroma than bittering. I could easily replace one of the the doses of Fuggles with EKG.

 

[robsan77]

Take the black malt out but add it to the top of the mash for sparging. That will give you colour but not flavour.

 

[Dave1970]

Take the black malt out but add it to the top of the mash for sparging. That will give you colour but not flavour.

that's an interesting idea, I've not used the black malt before, does it give a burnt flavour? Would I get as much colour from the black doing it that way or would it need more to achieve the same colour?

 

[shocker]

My taste would be toward the EKG for the late hop . Fuggles may have a lower AA but thats really only in comparison with the new breeds that are fantastically high . Traditionally the big F was used as a copper hop , for bittering....though not exclusively so ! Like everything in this game its all subject to personal tastes and lots of variation . Personally I have thought of fuggles as a bit of a blunt instrument for a while now , but that could be down to the fact that back when I was brewing a lot the hops that reached the homebrew market werent very special . Even so , I think your EKG closer to the mark , for what its worth ..........

This black malt on top for sparging thing is interesting ....how does that work ? Is it steeped or soaked or even wetted first ? Sounds a much better way of adding colour than using caramel or browning like in the old recipes :hmm:

 

[Darcey]

I have been looking in to a BIPA for awhile and I think some people even steep the black malt over night to get the colour but not the sugars / flavours from it and then add it to the copper. Id be interested to try as I am a fan of the style porter which .... most Black IPA's fall in to if done incorrectly but love the IPA.. esp the American IPA that is in vogue at the moment.

 

[Dave1970]

I'm fermenting an APA with lots of Cascade at the moment so I don't want my next brew to be a very similar beer except dark, hence the English hops.

Would this work?
Steep black malt overnight in 2 litres cold water, at end of mash heat this to 75 degrees and add to top of mash then sparge through this. Increase crystal & MO to compensate
Replace final addition of Fuggles at flame out with 30g EKG

 

[Easy Peasie]

Shocker
Is fuggles not primarily an aroma hop that is also used for bittering?

 

[shocker]

I had always thought of it the other way round but of course I am often mistaken and things may have changed over the years

 

[Dave1970]

I'm now thinking along these lines...
include 200g of the black malt in the mash, the other 400g steep overnight then heat to sparge temp and add to top of grain bed at end of mash then continue to sparge through it.
Replace the final 30g of Fuggles with 30g EKG

Does this sound ok? I want a decent dark colour

 

[shocker]

I am an AG novice but it sounds like an innovative and interesting recipe and approach to me , for what my opinions worth :thumb:

 

[puravida]

Any tips for using this sort of method with BIAB?
Should I steep the black malt grains overnight and then use that water as my strike water?

Am thinking of steeping in 60 degree water and letting it go cold and sit overnight. :wha:

 

[Farmbrew]

I agree with Robsan...dump the black malt. However, I'd dump all the black malt cos' it's going to make it way too roasty for an IPA style (even a dark one)...it would be going towards a robust porter roast profile. This may even be too noticeable with a cap layer of black malt in the mash. Check out one of the brew shops and get yourself some Carafa special III malt - it's black as sin without the burnt taste.

Fuggles are classed as bittering hops...you can bitter your wort with any hops. They're classed as aroma if they are useful for "bouquet" in the final beer. It's all a bit arbitrary as I've just brewed a beer with Celeia at 2.25% alpha acid...I did lose lots of wort to the mass of hops though :?

 

[Dave1970]

I agree with Robsan...dump the black malt. However, I'd dump all the black malt cos' it's going to make it way too roasty for an IPA style (even a dark one)...it would be going towards a robust porter roast profile. This may even be too noticeable with a cap layer of black malt in the mash. Check out one of the brew shops and get yourself some Carafa special III malt - it's black as sin without the burnt taste.

whoops, too late, I've started brewing now

I think you're right Farmbrew that the Carafa special would be better than the black.....but the start point for this recipe was that it had to be made from existing stocks of grains & hops. Halfway through the mash now so have to see how it turns out