Would love some advice. I’m getting ready to brew a black IPA in the next week or so. I can’t get enough of Lagunitas Nightime (although am not trying for a clone, just using that as a point of reference).
I’m going for what I’ll call ‘super dank’ as my hop flavor/aroma profile. I’m most nervous about my hop schedule, but would love any constructive advice about any portion of the recipe.
Recipe Specifications
Boil Size: 7.30 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.24 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.065 SG
Estimated Color: 36.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 56.6 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 67.50 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 74.5 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
11 lbs Brewer’s Malt, 2-Row, Premium (Great Wes Grain 1 80.0 %
1 lbs Midnight Wheat (550.0 SRM) Grain 2 7.3 %
12.0 oz Crystal, Dark (Simpsons) (80.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.5 %
16.00 g Apollo [18.30 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 4 34.6 IBUs
1 lbs Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 5 7.3 %
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 6 -
20.00 g Apollo [18.30 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 Hop 7 9.8 IBUs
20.00 g Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [12.50 %] - Hop 8 6.7 IBUs
20.00 g Comet [10.40 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 Hop 9 5.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg Vermont Ale (The Yeast Bay #) Yeast 10 -
0.50 tsp Gelatin (Primary 24.0 hours) Fining 11 -
24.00 g Apollo [18.30 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs
24.00 g Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [12.50 %] - Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
24.00 g Comet [10.40 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 14 0.0 IBUs
Mash Schedule: 148 Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 13 lbs 12.0 oz
Advice from Sweden so sorry for the language.
You could cut the midnight wheat to 2/3. The color will bee ok and the malt will mask the hops less. Hops ok but i had bumped it up 25-50% in wp maybe with lower temp so bitterness wont go above 65 IBU.
I think hop a black IPA like a DIPA but with less bitterness. Usually i cold steep the roasted malts but midnight wheat is kind of mild so…
Decided to goto my LHBS today and picked up my grains.
I’m curious how it’s going to come out. They only had Carafa III (not the special, so it still has husks). Hoping I don’t get any noticeable astringency My new grain bill is:
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs Rahr 2-Row (1.9 SRM) Grain 1 82.8 %
12.0 oz Bairds British Crystal 70-80 (Bairds) (7 Grain 2 5.2 %
12.0 oz Carafa III (Weyermann) (525.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.2 %
1 lbs Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 5 6.9 %
At this point I’m committed with this grain bill, so we’ll see how it comes out. I’ll post the final recipe in a few days once I brew.
Would still love additional input on the hop schedule/amounts if anyone has any.
I’m debating switching out the dextrose for some Dark Belgian Candi Sugar to add some additional color. Beersmith is showing me at about 29 SRM right now, and I’d like it a bit darker if possible. Not sure if they stock it locally, and I don’t want to pay for shipping on just a pound of sugar just for some color. I can always adjust the recipe next time I brew if it’s not dark enough.
Mill the dark grains real fine and cold steep them in half a gallon of water the night before brew day. Strain with fine mesh and add last 20min of boil. Best way to get lots of color without astringency in my opinion.
Agreed on the method for adding the roasted grains.
FYI, next time you can use something like Blackprinz or Midnight Wheat to around 4% of your grain bill and it will give you the slightest roast flavor with no astringency or ash. Like a properly roasted (not Charbucks) coffee bean.
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs Rahr 2-Row (1.9 SRM) Grain 1 82.8 %
12.0 oz Bairds British Crystal 70-80 (Bairds) (7 Grain 2 5.2 %
12.0 oz Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (470.0 SR Grain 3 5.2 %
18.00 g Apollo [18.30 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 4 39.3 IBUs
1 lbs Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 5 6.9 %
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 6 -
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 7 -
12.00 g Apollo [18.30 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 4.7 IBUs
12.00 g Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [12.50 %] - Hop 9 3.2 IBUs
12.00 g Comet [10.40 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 2.7 IBUs
12.00 g Apollo [18.30 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 Hop 11 5.9 IBUs
12.00 g Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [12.50 %] - Hop 12 4.0 IBUs
12.00 g Comet [10.40 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 Hop 13 3.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Vermont Ale (The Yeast Bay #) Yeast 14 -
0.50 tsp Gelatin (Primary 24.0 hours) Fining 15 -
24.00 g Apollo [18.30 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 16 0.0 IBUs
24.00 g Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [12.50 %] - Hop 17 0.0 IBUs
24.00 g Comet [10.40 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs
Notes:
Doughed in at 159 but only got to 145. Added 1 and 3/4 quarts boiling water taken from sparge volume to bring temp up. Added at 12 minutes into Mash, reached desired temp of 148.
Stirred about every 15-20 minutes briefly until 12 min remaining. With 188 spage water temp went to around 160.
Ended at 16 brix, or 1.064
Pitched 1L starter at ~66 degrees at pitch.
Fermenting at 68 for 3 days then up to 72 until FG.
Final gravity ended up at 1.012 for an ABV of ~6.8%. I cold crashed last night and added some gelatin.
I’m going to transfer to the keg tomorrow and hope to start drinking it next Friday. Tasting the sample I took for testing gravity, the bitterness is sharper than I prefer although still tasty. That sample was just before adding any dry-hops. I’m hoping a little more time and the dry-hops will help balance/mellow the bitterness.
I’ll post again next week with how it comes out. So far I’m relatively pleased.
Dry-hops just didn’t come through. Taste is fine, but could use more hop character. Definitely need to play with the hop bill. The grains came out perfect though. All in all, just an OK brew.
I decided to add an ounce and a half of some home grown cascade in a nylon bag to the keg. 2 days later the beer is much improved. Not quite what I envisioned when I put the recipe together, but it has turned out pretty good now. I’m pleased with the result. Now to drink this one up to make room for my next batch.
