Cold Steeping

I've decided upon a black IPA for my next brew. Not being seasoned enough to play with all grain stuff, I found this recipe on HBT crafted by damdaman in this thread (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/extract-recipe-black-ipa-161100/).

7.5 lbs light DME (3 lbs. at start of boil, 4.5 at end)
12oz. victory
12oz. crystal 60L
6oz carafa II
6oz chocolate

2oz centennial 60
1oz centennial 30
1oz centennial 20
1.5oz cascade 15
1oz cascade flameout
1oz willamette flameout
1oz cascade dry
1oz willamette dry

Pitched 2 vials WL001 California Ale
OG: 1.077
Est. FG: 1.017
ABV: 7.8%
Color: 27 SRM
74 IBU
(SRM and IBU calculations by recipator)

Later on in the thread, someone suggested that the grains be cold-steeped first for a day or two. Here are my questions: How much water do I use to steep the grains? Do I discard the water after steeping as it will contain all the tannins that I'm trying to eliminate or do I brew with it? My local homebrew shop mixed the grains together before milling them. Is this a problem as only the dark grains are mentioned in regards to cold steeping?

Thanks and I bow to your beer-brains!

Let me tell you I first started homebrewing about 2 years ago. I did one Extract kit then went straight into all grain brewing. I say you just try it, of course you will probably screw a few things up your first time but that is how you learn. Pick an easy ale to make, there isn't much you can do that will make it taste horribly.

Thanks for the motivation and encouragement! Unfortunately, after brewing 5 different beers I've only made one that I consider potable (my most recent...a peach wheat). I'd like to get at least a few more yummy brews in before I go back to screwing things up. ( : Please excuse my doubt but "you can't really screw it up" is something I heard incessantly before screwing up four separate batches.

Fermentation temperatures are key to a good beer. If those aren't under control, it's near impossible to make a good beer.

How are you fermenting?

That was my original issue. I was pitching at 80-85 degrees ( my lady and I HATE being cold). My brews were coming out with the most horrendous cough-medicine taste. For the peach I just made, I dropped down to 68 for pitching and 70 for secondary which seems to have solved the problem.
I'm still curious about the cold steeping thing. ( :

When I made extracts, I would usually fill up the boil kettle with as much water as I needed for the boil. Then I added steeping grains, turned in the heat an brought it up to 150 or so. After 30-60 minutes, I'd remove the grains, and start the boil.

Cold steeping is a method used by SOME people when brewing Black IPA's only. You can cold steep carafa malt, so this way you get all the color, but not all the taste (BIPA is very dark but not malty at all). You can cold steep for an hour or two but NOT for a day or two, because the malt will sour.
The "cold" steeping pretends to Carafa only, the rest of the grains you want to steep the usual way. It doesn't really make much differance how much water you use for cold steeping Carafa, you're not malting it anyways, just simply extracting colors from it.

renba7 said:

Do I discard the water after steeping as it will contain all the tannins that I'm trying to eliminate or do I brew with it?

Click to expand...

No, you don't trow out the water from cold steeping, you use the water and throw out the used Carafa grains. The point once again is to get the color but not the taste.

BTW, I don't use cold steeping in my BIPA and i get excellent results, so you really do not have to do it, it's up to you and what kind of tastes you like in your beer. Check out my Darth Vader Black IPA

The 5.5gal version of your Vader IPA (stellar name, dude) calls for 5oz of hops. The one I listed above calls for 9.5oz. Should this alarm me? I certainly don't want to end up with something that tastes like I could remove stains with it!
Also, the homebrew shop down the street mixed all the grains together before milling them so that they are now inseparable. What kind of taste should I expect from not cold-steeping as opposed to doing so?

I steeped 4 oz of Chocolate Malt in 2 pt of cold water for 18 hrs, I added the liquid at the beginning of my boil (AG Brown Ale). It made for a much smoother flavor then when I did the same recipe previously, (choc added to mash with rest of grains). The choc I had seemed very harsh for some reason when mashed.