Black IPA recipe advise

Here's a recipe for a Black IPA that I've come up with based on ingredients that I have on hand. Let me know if you think it will be any good or if I should make a different style of beer with my ingredients.

Shot In The Dark Blak IPA

Original Gravity (OG): 1.060
Final Gravity (FG): 1.015
Alcohol (ABV): 6%
Colour (SRM): 32.1 (EBC): 63.2
Bitterness (IBU): 49 (Average)

78.5% Maris Otter Malt
7.7% Chocolate
7.7% Crystal 60
3% Brown Malt
3% Carapils

0.1 oz/Gal Pacific Gem (13.7% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.1 oz/Gal Fuggles (5.7% Alpha) @ 30 Minutes (Boil)
0.3 oz/Gal Fuggles (5.7% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)
0.6 oz/Gal Motueaka (7% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Boil)
0.6 oz/Gal Nelson Sauvin (11.5% Alpha) @ 0 Days (Dry Hop)

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Ferment at 18°C with US-05

I think there are 2 different schools of thought when making a Black IPA - some make it with roasted and/or dark malts whose flavor will come though in the final beer and those who want to make a standard tasting IPA whose color is black but has no flavor impact from the dark malts used. I go for the latter of the 2 personally and made one recently where dehusked Carafa III was used to provide the dark color. I used around 5% and it turned out very nicely. Brewer's choice I suppose

I agree with nberna19's preference that a black IPA should be just that - an IPA that's black. The dehusked carafa 3 will give you an ever so slight roastiness that is wanted, but not too much. IMO, when you start adding that much roast flavor you are really just making a really hoppy stout, or porter.

I'd say drop the chocolate and brown completely and add about 8oz or 225 grams or so of the dehusked carafa 3 to the last 15 min of your mash. The hops look very intresting and very Australian, but for an IPA you'll need a bit more flameout additions and def more dryhopping. I like to go with at least 3oz for my IPAs.

Keep us posted on whatever you do!

agreed with the above, i'd reduce the dark malts, prolly no more than 5% (including the brown). i'd also reduce the crystal (10% is alot for an IPA) and at least double the late hops. you got more of a kiwi porter there, not that thats a bad thing

I think I'd be more inclined towards first school of thought as I don't really see much point in making it black only in color. Also I want to use grains on hand and don't have any carafa. So I'm basically just trying to get a feel of whether or not an ipa with chocolate malt would work. I might be better off making a standard ipa.

As for hops amounts, that's per gal so I think quite a lot of hops actually?

I just went down this road and the bottom line was don't waste hops if you are putting a lot of roasted/toasted malts in there, the flavors will conflict. I'd just save the chocolate for another time and make a standard IPA with what you have.

As long as that's what you want then go for it. A lot of places are making these so called Black Ales nowadays which just seem to be a really hoppy american stout. That sounds more like what you are thinking about and what you're grain bill looks like

My black IPA uses 81% base, 6% crystal (60L), 4% special roast, 2% chocolate, 2% Carafa II, 2% Carapils, 3% Midnight Wheat (previously black malt, but the wheat is not as strong/bitter/dry as the black).

I would cut the chocolate in half, is that literally the only grain options you have? might not turn out as dark as you would like. I would also up the bittering hops. Wait, just noticed that was per gallon. I'd probably up it anyhow. (at least 1 ounce 60 min for 5 gallons). Maybe lower the amount of brown malt. Maybe roast it in the oven!

I'm with you aidan. The reason I like black IPAs is because of the little bit roastiness you get that lingers just a bit longer than the hops. I use a small but equal amounts of chocolate and carafa III (2.5% each) and a bit more crystal 60 or 80 (3.5-5%). But I also have some pretty healthy hop additions to keep a true IPA flavor. You want it to taste like a roasty IPA, not a funky cup of coffee!

We make an all Citra hopped IPA with some chocolate malt and its amazing. We use 2% chocolate malt and 6% chocolate wheat. I would personally lose the crystal, cut the brown to 2% and add some chocolate wheat to get the srm you want. I also agree with bumping the IBUs and late additions.

If you like your grainbill, keep it. As already suggested, try milling your dark grains separately and adding them right before you mash out to reduce their roastiness somewhat.

My school of thought on the BIPA style is that it shouldn't just be an IPA with black color. What's color if there is no discernible taste??? If that's what you want then just add some caramel food coloring to your best IPA recipe!

Here's my recipe (also available at http://hopville.com/recipe/1397163).

Everyone who tied it fell in love with it. Midnight wheat for color and flavor. Lots of crystal malt but it attenuates well with the right yeast. It has some roasty toastyness but not overdone. Massive rocky head. Killer hop flavor and aroma. Strong bitterness but balanced.

This is for 10G.

LB OZ
18 0 Briess 2 Row Brewers Malt
4 0 American Crystal 15L
1 12 Briess Midnight Wheat
~ 8 Rice Hulls
~ 8 Crystal 120L
~ 6 Briess Chocolate 350 L
~ 4 Crystal 75L

Usage Time OZ Type AA*» IBU
first wort 60*min 2 Columbus*~*pellet 12.9*» 36.7
first wort 60*min 2 Warrior*~*pellet 15.0*» 42.7
boil 15*min 2 Columbus*~*pellet 12.9*» 18.2
boil 5*min 2 Citra*~*pellet 11.0*» 6.2
post-boil 25*min 2 Cascade*~*pellet 5.5*» 0.0
post-boil 25*min 2 Columbus*~*pellet 12.9*» 0.0
dry hop 14*days 2 Amarillo*~*pellet 7.0*» 0.0
dry hop 14*days 2 Citra*~*pellet 11.0*» 0.0
dry hop 14*days 2 Columbus*~*pellet 12.9*» 0.0

Mash at 152. Collect 13G. Boil for 60 mins. I used 1056 but I could see any high attenuating yeast working well here. I'd ferment in the 65-67F range if you can.

little bit of roast is good, but should cut down those darker malts. i capped the mash with black patent (added 5 mins before end of mash before vorlauf and sparge) and it went black plus extracted some roast character. dont see why you couldnt do that with chocolate, etc. but the hops, which wouldve been sufficient for ipa, shouldve have been increased to deal with the slight roast from late addition black patent