Black IPA Recipe Feedback

First time brewer here. Brewing with a buddy in a couple weeks and using the Jasper's Buxbaum Bixby O'Bray kit, but want to make it my own with some of my own tastes. Here is what I'm thinking - and I'd love feedback on it! I'm thinking of switching out the Columbus hops the recipe includes with some magnum hops. I am also going to soak 2 oz wood chips in Woodford Reserve Bourbon. I think I'm also going to throw in some honey (my buddy is a beekeeper and often brews with it). Trying to fuse my love of stouts with my love of IPA's. Beersmith gives me a min IBU of 60 and a max IBU of 120 (which is too high imo, I'd like it between 75-90).

The Jasper's Recipe is below.

Malt Bag 1
4.4 lbs. Munich Malt Extract Syrup

Malt Bag 2
3.3 lbs. Light Malt Extract Syrup
1.1 lbs. Wheat Malt Extract Syrup

Grain
4 oz 10L Crystal Malt (Crushed)
4 oz 20L Crystal Malt (Crushed)
8 oz Biscuit Malt (Crushed)
16 oz De-Husked Carafa I Malt (Crushed)

Hops:
1 oz Nugget Hops (Bittering, 65 Minutes)
1 oz Columbus Hops (Bittering, 65 Minutes)
1 oz Cascade Hops (Flavor & Aroma, 5 Minutes)
1 oz Centennial Hops (Flavor & Aroma, Dry Hop)
1 oz Amarillo Hops (Flavor & Aroma, Dry Hop)

Yeast:
Dry Yeast: Safale US-05 Yeast

Thanks for all the help.

First time brewer? Don't change a thing! For the most part kits are there because they work. Actually, you're giving it your "own tastes" simply by using your local water, if you use tap water. As for the bourbon wood chips (I hope oak from LHBS) and the honey, these really don't have a place in a black IPA, IMHO.

First and foremost, make a proven recipe that taste good before you start tweaking things. You'll have plenty of opportunities later.

I agree with Bierliebhaber....

One of the mistakes of new home brewers (I was tempted myself at first) is to "experiment" before they have a firm understanding of the process required to produce good beer.

If you experiment before you have the process down and your results are poor you won't know whether to blame your process or your experimental recipe. If I were you I would make the recipe once, just as it is. Then if it comes out good make it a second time with your own "tastes" added to it.

I agree with both posters.


Looking at the hop schedule, it seems the recipe is going for a more citrusy hop character. The change to magnum, which I very much dislike, would not be a good choice. I use Columbus for bittering in all of my Black IPA's and it works wonderfully with the other hops in your schedule.

Skip the bourbon, wood chips and the honey. I think with the amount if hops already in the beer, adding bourbon and the wood chips will not taste good. I have never tried it with a Black IPA but most styles you see it in are ones with a more malty profile in which the additional flavors from the 2 will help balance the maltiness. Don't mess with the honey either. It does not do for the beer what you think it will do.

If you want to marry your 2 loves, try a Russian Imperial Stout or a Baltic Porter. You will get the roasty taste like a stout but with more hop character and those styles will let you play with things like oak and bourbon.

Thanks everyone. I think I'll go with the recipe as-is. I'm impatient and I want to do every kind of beer I like right now, but I'm getting into this long haul, so I can wait and do a RIS with some bourbon and perhaps a wheat beer with some honey. I appreciate the advice!

Took me a while but I brewed up this kit as-is last week. It was actually my second brew and I did my third (a Russian Imperial Stout with bourbon vanilla molasses and brown sugar) yesterday. I'll update when the Black IPA is finished. Just dry hopped it yesterday after a week in the primary. Gonna leave it there and not rack to secondary (really as a test since I racked my first one hear from many you don't need a secondary and also because I don't have the room!).