Feedback on my black IPA recipe?

Looking for some feedback on this IPA recipe. I based it on a variety of 60 minute IPA, with some tweaks to add some body and a little more depth to the recipe.

Looking for just a hint of roast and backbone with a good dose of aromatic hop. I was thinking of upping the amarillo/simcoe additions for flavor and aroma, any thoughts?

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Midnight 60
Brewer:
Asst Brewer:
Style: American IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (0.0)

Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 6.70 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.20 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.071 SG
Estimated Color: 31.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 75.0 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 66.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.9 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt Name %/IBU
13 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) 87.3 %
12.0 oz Carafa III (525.0 SRM) 5.0 %
8.0 oz Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) 3.4 %
4.0 oz Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) 1.7 %
4.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) 1.7 %
1.1 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) 0.5 %
1.1 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) 0.5 %

1.00 oz Warrior [16.70 %] - Boil 60.0 min 49.9 IBUs
0.50 oz Amarillo Gold [7.50 %] - Boil 35.0 min 9.3 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [12.70 %] - Boil 35.0 min 15.7 IBUs

0.50 oz Simcoe [12.70 %] - Dry Hop 12.0 Days 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [10.30 %] - Dry Hop 12.0 D Hop 0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 3.0 Days 0.0 IBUs

1.0 pkg Nottingham (Danstar #-) [23.66 ml] -

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 14 lbs 14.2 oz
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Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 15.89 qt of water at 167.7 F 152.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 4.76 gal water at 168.0 F
Notes:
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Add half the Warrior hops at 60 min. Then remaining hops were added continually- first warrior only for the first 25 minutes just a few pellets at a time, then remainder all mixed together and continually added, starting at 35 minutes.

I think I would push the boil additions of Amarillo and Simcoe back to 5 mins and 0 mins. Adding them where they are won't give you much in the way of flavor/aroma...

other than that though, I think the grain bill looks decent...although I've struggled to find a good mix for a Black IPA. I might try just a bit more Roasted Barley perhaps.

kbuzz said:

I think I would push the boil additions of Amarillo and Simcoe back to 5 mins and 0 mins. Adding them where they are won't give you much in the way of flavor/aroma...

other than that though, I think the grain bill looks decent...although I've struggled to find a good mix for a Black IPA. I might try just a bit more Roasted Barley perhaps.

Click to expand...

I'm doing the simcoe/amarillo as a continuous hopping (a la DFH 60 minute IPA) so there will be additions every minute or so from 35 minutes onward. It does give a nice balance that I've had a hard time replicating. The main problem I've had (like you've pointed out) is getting the balance right for a black IPA. I think it should have just a touch of roasted character, but steer clear of porter/stout territory.

In this case, ditch the chocolate and maybe double the roasted barley?

Ditch the roast and chocolate altogether IMO. 12 oz of carafa 3 is plenty to blacken that biitch right up.

I know the carafa iii will darken it up enough, but will it add any of the roasted character that I'm looking for? I've never used it before and wanted just a little roasted touch in the grain bill.

Yeah, the carafa, if you mash it for the full time, will add plenty of black and a light roast aroma. I'd skip the chocolate for sure and probably the roasted barley as well.

robdamanii said:

I know the carafa iii will darken it up enough, but will it add any of the roasted character that I'm looking for? I've never used it before and wanted just a little roasted touch in the grain bill.

Click to expand...

de-bittered carafa will lend a slight bitterness. I'm with Irrenarzt. Dump the roasted and the chocolate. If anything up the carafa to a # and call it good.

also, change the hop adds. Change the late additions to 15 min or less and shorten the dry hop to 7 days or less. Everything else looks pretty good.

I also just stirred in my Carafa III with 15 minutes left in the mash. This resulted in a nice black color with only slight bitterness. You still get a little roast flavor and smell but it doesn't overpower the hops.

I use dehusked carafa iii in my black ipa and, believe me, you get a nice roast with it. I mash it the full time and use it for about 10% of the grain bill (the remainder being 75% 2-row pale or Marris Otter, 11% crystal 60, and 4% carapils).

Sounds like I can get away with just the carafa iii. As I said with the hop additions, I'm going to do the 35 minute additions as continuous addition, every minute for the last 35 minutes of the boil so I'm not worried about flavor or aroma.

I'm just bottling 5 gal of black IPA in a few minutes that has 1 lb of dehusked Carafa III and 1 lb of caramel 60. I just tasted it on transferring to the bottling bucket and it has a nice roastiness to it. I think you'll be happy without the chocholate and roast. In fact, just having that has made my 98 IBUs and 4 oz of dry hop less apparent than they are in my previous light IPA. Surprised me but this is my first try at a black IPA.

Good info. I'll be avoiding the crystal, going with the biscuit and aromatic instead. Add in 1 pound of the carafa (maybe an ounce or two of regular and the rest dehusked) should give the roast alongside the nice hop aroma and flavor.