Belgian Dark Imperial India Pale Ale

Belgian Dark Imperial IPA (BDIIPA)

Liquid Malt Extract – 10 lbs
Special B Malt – 16 oz
Crystal 20L – 16 oz
Turbinado Sugar – 1 lb
Corn Sugar –¾ c (Priming)
Warrior Pellet Hops – 2 oz (60 min)
Warrior Pellet Hops – 1 oz (30 min)
Cascade Pellet Hops – 2 oz (5 min)
Cascade Pellet Hops – 2 oz (dry hops)
WLP 530 yeast – 1 vial

Approximate Numbers

OG – 1.090
FG – 1.021
IBU – 117.6
SRM – 21.5
ABV – 8.9%

Style: 23A Specialty Beer

• Steep Grains at 155F for 30 minutes.
• Add liquid malt extract.
• Bring to boil.
• Add 2 oz Warrior Pellet Hops with 60 minutes remaining.
• Add 1 oz Warrior Pellet Hops with 30 minutes remaining.
• Add 1 lb Turbinado Sugar with 15 minutes remaining.
• Add 1 tsp Irish Moss with 15 minutes remaining.
• Add 2 oz Cascade Pellet Hops with 5 minutes remaining.
• Cool to <75F and pitch yeast.
• Add 2 oz Cascade Pellet Hops AFTER bulk of fermentation is complete.
• Boil ¾ c Corn Sugar in 8 oz of water, add to bottling bucket, siphon beer on top, and bottle.

Hey surfer, how did this bad boy turn out?
Sounds like an interesting recipe!

Kind of resembles BrewDog's Basha. Did you get to taste it yet?

Belgian Dark Imperial Pale Ale? Don't you mean Cascadian Belgian Dark Imperial Pale Ale?

I really enjoy it. The yeast is more present than the basha. The WLP 530 has more of a peppery/clove flavor to it, next time I think I will use the 500. Ean your description may be more accurate than mine because of the hops choice, good call. I also watered it down to an OG of 1.075 to get closer to 6 gallons out of it. It still wound up at 7.8% ABV. I am proud of it. It has some nice red/orange hues and a deep off white head.

I was jsut making a joke. Your ale souunds really good. I am saving the recipe for a futre date. Thanks for posting it.

Let me know if you end up brewing it and how you like it! One of my friends just tried it and rather enjoyed it. He said it definitely tasted Stone. Which lends me to believe Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, and Amarillo might do nicely in a variation. But I love the Warrior and Cascade combo.

I'm totally brewing this one! Subbing Centennnial for the Warrior (+1oz, 4 total) and Amarillo for the Cascade (same weight). Caravienne instead of 20L...haven't picked a yeast yet, but leaning towards the 500. Grain bill arrives in the mail next week, lhbs run for the yeasties! :rockin:

hi....recipe looks awesome and i'm going to make it. I have 1 question, what exactly is the special B malt? Don't see that listed anywhere in the catalogs...thanks.

talljetsfan said:

hi....recipe looks awesome and i'm going to make it. I have 1 question, what exactly is the special B malt? Don't see that listed anywhere in the catalogs...thanks.

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It's a crystal malt, 140-155L (dark roasted) here it is: Special B Malt | MoreBeer

They appear to be out, but it's not hard to find...

Did you do a secondary fermentation and if so how long in primary then secondary?

Frymn1969 said:

Did you do a secondary fermentation and if so how long in primary then secondary?

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I did not transfer this to a secondary. When I brewed it I lived in a 400 sqft studio apartment and didn't have room for extra stuff (hence 10lbs of extract rather than at least a partial mash). I didn't have any issues dry hopping in the primary either. If I recall, I waited about 3 or 4 weeks until I dry hopped. Now that I have the space for more equipment, I do secondary for dry hopping.

How long in the primary is up to the brew. You need to wait until it hits the FG and stays stable there. Once it has been stable for a few days/week then I would transfer it. Since this is a big(ger) beer, if you have the patience, I would consider letting it bulk age in the secondary for a few weeks before dry hopping. Dry hopping can last anywhere from a few days to two weeks depending on your preference and the hops.

If you have any other questions or if I was unclear let me know.

DrinkinSurfer said:

I did not transfer this to a secondary. When I brewed it I lived in a 400 sqft studio apartment and didn't have room for extra stuff (hence 10lbs of extract rather than at least a partial mash). I didn't have any issues dry hopping in the primary either. If I recall, I waited about 3 or 4 weeks until I dry hopped. Now that I have the space for more equipment, I do secondary for dry hopping.

How long in the primary is up to the brew. You need to wait until it hits the FG and stays stable there. Once it has been stable for a few days/week then I would transfer it. Since this is a big(ger) beer, if you have the patience, I would consider letting it bulk age in the secondary for a few weeks before dry hopping. Dry hopping can last anywhere from a few days to two weeks depending on your preference and the hops.

If you have any other questions or if I was unclear let me know.

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Thanks for the reply. I'm new and this is my second batch of brew. You answered my questions very clearly. I'm using a 6.5 bucket with airlock for primary. It's been in there for 6 days. Just pulled sample and its down to 1.020 from 1.074. Lots of activity still, nice thick yeast cake. Super happy with flavor already. I will definitely take my time with this beer. Based on what I'm seeing and your suggestion I will keep in primary until I hit the FG I want. Then rack into carboy for secondary. Most likely going to toss in the dry hops right way as the aroma could use a boost. I altered your recipe slightly by adding the hops at 60, 30, 15, and 5. Same amount just spread it out to keep the IBU at 100. I also used Belgian candy sugar. Keeping good notes too. Keep you posted

Let me know how yours turns out! Some things to keep in mind with dry hopping are that if you dry hop for too long you end up imparting a grassy flavor (not desirable) and hop aroma does fade over time. The latter affects you because big beers need some time to age. So for ideal results I would allow it some time to bulk age in the secondary(assuming you have enough buckets to keep other brews going) and then dry hop it. That way when you bottle it the hop aroma is at its freshest so any more time needed for aging won't affect it as much. But a few weeks shouldn't make or break anything. Regardless, have fun and let us know how it turns out! Cheers!

2 oz cascade dry hops in at 21 days. Going to keg in 7 days

Looking good!

Looks like a great recipe. Thinking about adding bourbon soaked oak cube into the mix. Thoughts?

abbysdad2006 said:

Looks like a great recipe. Thinking about adding bourbon soaked oak cube into the mix. Thoughts?

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If you like oaked beer, do it to it!

DrinkinSurfer said:

If you like oaked beer, do it to it!

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Here's my question, what is the normal amount of oak and when would I put them in and for how long?

abbysdad2006 said:

Here's my question, what is the normal amount of oak and when would I put them in and for how long?

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For all of the times I have thought about oaking a batch, I must admit, I never have. So I have nothing to offer in useful information. I would recommend asking around on the forum or searching. Let us know how it turns out if you push forward with brewing it. Good luck!

Finished and keg'd. Ummm Ummm Good

You should bourbon oak it, age it on coffee and vanilla beans, and dry spice it with cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, pepper, and grains of paradise.