Vanilla black ipa

I just finished my very first brew (chinook IPA) and that is currently happily bubbling away. Now comes the second. I want to make a vanilla black IPA for my girlfriends bday… I would prefer to stick close to a kit… But my one reservation is the ingredients that make it black also generally add coffee notes. I hate coffee. I am looking at the black IPA extract kit… And am willing to order substitute malts instead of the choc malts that comes with it. Any advice guys!! Much thanks ahead of time .

Henry v

I’ve brewed that recipe and did not find it all that roasty.

Having said that it’s the carafa III that would give the roasty flavor to the beer not the choc malt. If you wanted less…meaning almost zero roast flavor… then you could sub something like carafa “special” III which is dehusked and less roasty/bitter.

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Or you brew an IPA and get some of this.

I like that idea… Interesting .

It was also suggested by one of the NB crew to add Lactose (about 4 oz) to the beer to bring out a bit of sweetness and mellow the roast? When would I add it?

Personally I think that’s a dumb suggestion for an IPA.

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Agreed - I would never add lactose to an IPA. Dry it out as much as possible, use sinamar or debittered carafa III, and if you want some vanilla, go for some light toast French oak cubes in secondary. That would be an awesome beer - but lactose would ruin it.

I admittedly don’t know what lactose actually does (it always tastes like super sour, acrid bile to me), but I have had sweet IPAs before. Usually with a high percentage of caramel malt. It’s a little odd, but can be done. I still stand by the fact that the kit in question doesn’t have a coffee taste.

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I think the best course is to brew the kit… With the only change is the vanilla bean addition at about a week before bottling . Thanks all for the advice you guys rock. It’s on order :smile:

If you go the vanilla bean route, which is a great way to go, be advised that the flavor tends to fade pretty quickly. If it were my beer, I would find the best vanilla beans possible. 2 per 5 gallons provides a pretty noticeable flavor without being overpowering. Split the beans lengthwise, scrape the insides, and add the entire contents to maybe 4 to 8oz neutral spirits for a couple weeks. Add it either to primary or secondary, whichever you prefer.

Good luck!

Thats the plan, i will probably add it to the secondary during the transfer. After this beer I need to invest in a chest freezer … summer is coming and i live in the Tampa bay area.

Might be a good idea if you plan on brewing other than January! Doesn’t matter the recipe or the ingredients if you can’t control the temps.