Wanting to experiment with Black Patent

I have been looking around at recipes on here for dark/black ales and I would really like to try one. However, my beer taste buds are not as developed as some of the more astute around here, and I don't want a super high IBU beer. I would love to keep it in the 30's if possible. Most of the recipes are upwards of 60 and 70.

Anyone have any black patent laden recipes that aren't tongue curlers? I might sound like a big baby but I like my beers dry, medium hops, and lots of flavor.

Thanks!

I would try something like a schwarzbier

Black Patent recipies that use a lot of it always taste like licking the bottom of an ashtray to me. I try to use less than 2 ounces in any recipe.

boo boo said:

Black Patent recipies that use a lot of it always taste like licking the bottom of an ashtray to me. I try to use less than 2 ounces in any recipe.

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This. Go easy on the Black Patent or unless you just want a burnt/ashy flavored brew.:cross:

stubbornman said:

This. Go easy on the Black Patent or unless you just want a burnt/ashy flavored brew.:cross:

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Damn I knew I shouldnt have picked up 3 lbs of this stuff at the LHBS. Thats what you get for shopping without a recipe/grocery list!

BYO says not to use black patent in a schwarzbier because its only for robust, english beers. But if I only use about 1 oz of the stuff it shouldn't really influence the taste and character of the beer would it?

Also, would this be something I can do as an ale, or would I need to lager it? I am seeing a lot of lagered schwarzbiers.

You can ferment it however you want, but schwarzbier is technically a lager.

If you cant lager it, you could try using wy2112 cali lager yeast and keep it at 58 ish.

timbudtwo said:

BYO says not to use black patent in a schwarzbier because its only for robust, english beers. But if I only use about 1 oz of the stuff it shouldn't really influence the taste and character of the beer would it?

Also, would this be something I can do as an ale, or would I need to lager it? I am seeing a lot of lagered schwarzbiers.

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1 oz will have an effect on the beer for a five gallon batch.

But that's the whole point, isn't it?

coypoo said:

If you cant lager it, you could try using wy2112 cali lager yeast and keep it at 58 ish.

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Won't be able to lager anything for a while as my lagering fridge is turning into a kegerator soon enough. And I wont have my ferm cabinet built for a while yet.

Okay so after looking around it seems like Carafe III would be a better bet than black patent unless I can find the debittered stuff. Here is a recipe I put through beer calculus:

malt & fermentables
6lbs American Two-row Pale
2lbs Munich Malt
12oz Carafa III
8oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine


hops
1.0oz Centennial 50 min
1.0oz East Kent Goldings 10 min


yeast
Nottingham

31 srm
37 ibu
5.1 abv


how does that look?