Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Nottingham
Yeast Starter: Yeast slurry from a previous recipe
Batch Size (Gallons): 6
Original Gravity: 1.041
Final Gravity: 1.010
IBU: 14.6
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 23 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 3 days @ 18C
Additional Fermentation: Bottle carbing
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 11 days @ 18C
Tasting Notes: Slight roastiness from the chocolate malt balanced by the little bit of hop aroma.

I concocted this as I usually do: I find something I've never had, check recipes then work out something not too expensive. I had leftover Target hops, some chocolate malt and carafoam. With labels, caps and ridiculously inflated hop prices this still came out to 35¢ a beer.

I originally made this expecting 65% efficiency with my modified BIAB method and some pretty gravelly LHBS crushing. I got 75% and ended up topping up with 2 litres tap water.

4.0kg Pale malt (2 row) 86%
350g chocolate malt (450 srm) 7.5%
300g Carapils 6.5%
10g Target (11%) 60 mins 12.2 IBU
10g Target (11%) 5 mins 2.4 IBU
10g Target dry hopped 11 days

Mashed in with 13 litres at 158F for 60 minutes followed by three 6 litre "sparges" in a brewing bucket.

Initial fermentation in a brewing bucket followed by a transfer to a carboy once krausen fell. SG at that point was 1.011. Last hop addition then till I had time to bottle 11 days later.

After 5 days in the bottle (I always seem to have quick bottle priming) I cooled one and had one of the best beers of my life: Well roasted (what else?) and a little earthy with just enough hop aroma for a very refreshing beer.

This should be great to give to my idiot friends who won't stop telling me dark beers are meals in a bottle.