Black IPA critique

Hi, My friend and I are doing our first AG recipe next weekend, we will try a Black IPA. The specialty malts will be 8oz of the following: Caramel 120, Chocolate Malt, Chocolate Rye and Chocolate Wheat. What I’m not sure of, do you think this is overkill and should we just stick to one of the specialty malts? Thanks!

10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 83.3 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2 4.2 %
8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.2 %
8.0 oz Chocolate Rye Malt (250.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.2 %
8.0 oz Chocolate Wheat Malt (400.0 SRM) Grain 5 4.2 %
1.00 oz Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 32.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 7 23.4 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 8 -
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 4.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 10 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 ml] Yeast 11 -
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs

that’s 12.6% chocolate malt which is way too much. you’ll want a dark color with limited roast character. Use just enough chocolate wheat or rye to get the color right - and you can add it to the sparge for even less roast character.

Thank you.

Cut out almost all that chocolate and use Midnight White or debittered black malt to add darkness. Like S.Scoggin said, you want a little roast in a Black IPA, but IMO, only a very little bit. All that chocolate malt your adding will make it extremely roasty… more like a stout. Midnight wheat and debittered black malt will add color without all the roast and astringency.

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback!

Midnight Wheat right? Its a great malt for styles like this, as is Blackprinz, also by Breiss.

Midnight Wheat right? Its a great malt for styles like this, as is Blackprinz, also by Breiss.[/quote]

My bad. I fat fingered it. Yes Midnight wheat.

Midnight Wheat right? Its a great malt for styles like this, as is Blackprinz, also by Breiss.[/quote]

I blackened a portion of an IPA using midnight wheat by cold steeping 8 ounces in a quart of water and adding it to one gallon of IPA. It turned out really good.

[quote=“Rookie L A”]
I blackened a portion of an IPA using midnight wheat by cold steeping 8 ounces in a quart of water and adding it to one gallon of IPA. It turned out really good.[/quote]

did you boil the cold steeped “wort” to avoid a lactobacillus infection?

[quote=“S.Scoggin”][quote=“Rookie L A”]
I blackened a portion of an IPA using midnight wheat by cold steeping 8 ounces in a quart of water and adding it to one gallon of IPA. It turned out really good.[/quote]

did you boil the cold steeped “wort” to avoid a lactobacillus infection?[/quote]

Yes.