Black Double IPA?

[sunvalleylaw]

Hi Guys! I am new here. I posted this here, and as a post in the beginner's forum, before I realized maybe I should post a new thread. I am returning to homebrewing after a pretty fair absence. I have been an extract (dry preferred often) brewer since the 90's but quit in the mid 00's due to kids, etc.

I am getting set to brew up a Black Double IPA this weekend. As per usual for me, I am combining some ideas/recipes to get there. This is what I have:

Specialty Grains to steep before boil:

.5 lbs Crystal 80L
.5 lbs. Chocolate Malt
.25 lbs Black Patent Malt
.25 lbs Roasted Barley

Malts/Fermentable Sugars:

7 lbs. darker mixed LME from Williams Brewing Scottish Ale kit
3 lbs. Muntons Plaine Extra Light DME

Hops:

English Fuggle and Golding pellet hops (KCF 125 Williams Scottish Ale kit hops), bittering
1 oz. US Goldings leaf, bittering 1
1 oz. Chinook Leaf, Bittering 2
1 oz. Willamette leaf, Flavoring 1
1 oz. Cascade leaf, Flavoring 2
1 oz. Cascade leaf, Aroma

Hops schedule:
Bittering 1 added after returning to boil after adding LME and DME
Bittering 2 added after another 15 min.
Flavoring added after 50 min. (add Irish Moss)
Add Aroma hops after another 8 or so min. (58 or so total so far)
Boil 2 more min and remove from heat.

Yeast:

1 package Wyeast 1056 American Ale
I have another package of 1728 Williams Scottish I was considering pitching as well, but it is past date and does not seem to be activating after a couple hours.

I am going for something like a Oskar Blues Gordon's ale blackened up and hopped up. I like Ruination, I like Seven Seas Balls Deep double IPA (though it needs more hops to balance out all that malt), and like the color and flavor added by blackening an IPA with black patent.

I can bump up the black patent or barley, and am open to suggestions on my hopping schedule. I have not dry hopped before, and am not so comfortable doing so as I worry about contamination after pitching.

I will use a larger (8 gal I think) plastic primary with airlock, and rack to glass secondary. Probably unneeded basic info but since I have not done this in a couple years, just kinda reminding myself what worked in the past.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

 

[lutherslagers]

I wouldn't mix the yeasts. I'd use the 1056 since this is an American IPA & do a yeast starter.

Before you throw out the William's Scottish do a yeast starter to see if its viable. If its any good craft a recipe around that yeast strain.

Do you have a dry hopping schedule? you'll need one.

Also what's in your target OG? I imagine big since its a double IPA. I ran your ingredients through brewing software at 70% eff. and came up with 1.070 an a BU:GU ratio of 0.83 which seems appropriate according to Ray Daniels.

I would also swap out the Goldings for Centennial and the Willamette for Chinook or Amarillo if you can find it.

Just my thoughts and opinions

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Thanks for the thoughts! I will likely not dry hop (never did it before, and don't know how), and hop just as scheduled in my recipe. I will look at swapping those hops for next batch, but the stuff I listed is what I have, and no homebrew store is within almost 100 miles here. The William's Scottish is not activating. I won't use it this time. I will have to do without a starter this time, as I don't have one made and won't have the time to make one before I need to pitch. Will remember that for next time. Hopefully the 1056 will work. It poofed up nice and full in just an hour or so.

That OG is about what I was shooting for. 1.065 to 1.070. or about 8% potential alcohol on my hydrometer. I honestly have no clue what Ray Daniels is (having been out of the game for a while), but am willing to learn. Thanks for the tips!

 

[AkwardTurtle]

The few times that we've used dry hopping, usually trying to duplicate one of the isane IPA's from Dogfish Head, its turned out pretty well. All dry hopping is to add hops to your primary, or maybe even secondary, to add some of the oils that you normally lose during a boil. Gives a real nice fragarance and taste to the beer. We just measure our hops, pop a hop sock into the carboy first, then dump the hops in. Tie a knot and drop the sock in. I guess you could also use a muslin or grain bag. When you go secondary just pull the sock out once the beer's gone. Super easy and makes a tasty beer. Good luck

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Thanks! I don't have any extra hops to use today, other than some that have been in the freezer a few years and smell like they have freezer burn. Maybe I can find some and add some to the primary bucket in the next day or two. It would add some nice flavor I bet to balance out all that malt I used.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Well, the brew is on. Making adjustments on the fly as I always did. Not gonna pitch the scottish yeast. It did not poof up. but the Wyeast 1056 looks good and ready and will hopefully do the job.

In between boiling hops and flavor hops now. Going to add the Cascade flavoring 5 min. before the Willamette flavoring, then the Cascade aroma at 58 or just before taking it off the boil. sure is making my garage smell good! It is fun to do this again!


EDIT: Came out at 1.091 OG. Smelled great brewing. Pitched at a little over 70 degrees. Hopefully it will turn out well!

 

[lutherslagers]

I'd recommend pitching lower next time. I like to pitch my ales at 63 to 65 degrees and let it free rise to 68 degrees where I'll hold it. If i'm in a hurry to package it I'll take it up to 70 degrees on day four or five of fermentation to try and clean up any diacetyl. If I'm not in a hurry I just hold it a 68 degrees.

1.091 is a really big beer. Most liquid yeast packages are designed to pitch directly into a 1.050 beer or thinner. Check out Mrmalty.com for pitching rates based on your OG.

Welcome back to brewing. Glad to have you.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I was surprised at the OG myself. I expected closer to 1.070. Not quite sure how it got up quite that high, but that is what my sample from the poured from the spigot of my primary said. I will do a starter next time for sure. I usually in bigger beers put in some dry champagne yeast, but apparently forgot to get it at the store this time.

Should I try to pitch something else in, or just see how it goes? Seems to be fermenting steadily at this point. Our house is kept in the mid 60's.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I am going to go ahead and do some dry hopping too I think. I am thinking an ounce of Cascade hops upon transfer to secondary.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Transferred to the carboy tonight. Tasted really good, maybe a bit sweet but not bad. Dryhopped with an oz. of Cascades. The transfer gravity was 1.038 though. Still fairly high. Wondering if I should just leave it, or consider pitching some more yeast.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Transferred to the carboy tonight. Tasted really good, maybe a bit sweet but not bad. Dryhopped with an oz. of Cascades. The transfer gravity was 1.038 though. Still fairly high. Wondering if I should just leave it, or consider pitching some more yeast.

Bump. I found my packet of red star champagne yeast. You guys think I should pitch it, or just let it doe what it is going to do in the carboy for a while? Dropping 0.054 from it's OG at transfer is something at least, but I would love for it to finish out a little more. My sample did have a nice taste and the dry hops should add a nice aroma.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

BTW, temp has been steady after the first couple/few days in the low 70s, to steady at 66.

 

[thoughtsonhops]

I'd let the 1056 do their thing.
I did a CDA with light LME. You want a little roastedness but not too much. And I've read carafa III is practically a requirement for CDAs. As are hops from the Cascadian region.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I am finally getting around to bottling this batch tonight. It has been in the carboy since. I did not pull a sample before the carboy had emptied, but the sample of leftover stuff in the bottom did not reveal much more of a drop in gravity. Oh well, gonna bottle anyway.