Adding Color to beer during fermentation - Black IPA not Black

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stillwater867

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Just brewed a Black IPA yesterday and it looks more dark brown than black. Is there anyway to darken the beer during fermentation or after fermentation? Any additives out there that will darken it up?
 
Or just suck it up and say you made an Imperial Brown. My third batch and first recipe of my own was for a red ale, but it ended up an amber ale instead. It still ended up being one of my better beers.
 
I just made an Imperial Black IPA (IBIPA?). I used chocolate wheat to get to 55 SRM. I milled that wheat to flour. It's black now, I don't expect it to get any lighter. High hopes for this beer. If it turns out, I'll post the recipe.

To the OP, I'd second the sinamar idea. That should do it. Does Beersmith have that in the ingredients somewhere?
 
I have enjoyed the BIPAs I have tried but it has been a while. I am not sure if the blackness is connected with characteristic flavor of darker malts, or as the Sinamar sales pitch implies just add malt based dye to get the look you want out of your IPA?
 
I would leave it be and see how the finished product comes out. Next time you can tweak the recipe to try to get what you're after. You're still going to end up with beer and chances are you'll end up with good beer. I brewed what was supposed to be an Imperial Red IPA, but I used a few too many dark grains and ended up with what can best be described as an Imperial "Murky" IPA. The beer is still good, but I know next time around I'll be rethinking my grain bill.
 
i've used sinamar for a black ipa that didn't come out black...my advice is to make sure it mixes really well in your beer (maybe during primary?). i had some harsh flavors for the 1st dozen pints from the sinamar sinking to the bottom of the keg.
 
Get some de-bitter'd black Patton and make a small BIAB chill and add what you want to get color. It will ferment out and be fine. I have had to do this on a Irish Red with different grain of course but it worked fine. Let us know what comes of it.
 
How do you know it's not black know? If it's fermenting still you have tons of yeast floating around in the beer which may cause it to look brown. When the yeast drops it should darken considerably. Even dark stouts can look brown during primary.
I'd drink it as is - I'd rather have a beer where the color might not be perfect than to throw a bunch of stuff in it to darken it and possible screw it up.
 
Good stuff! Wish I had known about these tricks sooner. My "black" IPAs have been coming in around 30-35 SRM and I'd like to get closer to 50....
 
You could cold steep some a couple of ounces of black malt overnight, then just boil it for a couple of minutes to sterilize it and add it to your beer. I'd probably wait until it's already done fermenting since it's already started. No reason to mess with it while the yeast are doing their thing. It should add little to no fermentables or flavor if you're steeping and adding it to to a BIPA recipe.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'm just going to leave it alone and call it an Imperial Brown IPA. Next time I'll either try using Black Malt instead of Choc. Malt or add some sinamar to get that dark black coloring.
 
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