Murky Brown Black IPA!

[abrewer12345]

hi guys,
i dont want any responses about “bLaCk IpAs ArE JuSt HoPpY StOuTs!”

anyway, i just kegged it and the flavor is pretty solid- but the color is pretty murky and brown. is this just yeast and hops still floating or did i not include enough dark malts. recipe below:

11.5# 2-row
2.5# flaked oats
.75# carafa special lll
.4# caramel 60
.3# carapils

enough dark malts for a black beer? thanks in advance!

 

[day_trippr]

Going by description slone, seems evidently "no". But it could be murky because of trub loading. See what it looks like after it has cleared.
Otherwise, throw some debittered black barley in there next time...

Chhers!

 

[thehaze]

Was this for a 5 gal batch? In that case, it is perfectly normal that the beer would look brown. It's only around 26 SRM if you out the recipe through a recipe calculator. Black would be at least 30. I always go for at least 35 SRM to be sure. Try to get a hold of Sinamar or similar products, if you do not want roasted malts in there.

 

[bracconiere]

i dont want any responses about “bLaCk IpAs ArE JuSt HoPpY StOuTs!”

damn man, that's like a barley wine!

i was punching the recipe into beersmith to see what the color prediction was, and realized the OG was going to be 1.093! but yeah, beersmith said it should be black....

 

[bracconiere]

32 SRM

this is a clip of what beersmith told me.....i agree with day_tripper, yeast are white....

 

[Dgallo]

damn man, that's like a barley wine!

i was punching the recipe into beersmith to see what the color prediction was, and realized the OG was going to be 1.093! but yeah, beersmith said it should be black....

There’s no way 15 lbs of grain with be 1.093 a 5 gallon batch especially when accounting for losses, so make sure you have your program set correctly. It takes every bit of 19-20lbs to do that. He’s probably looking at 1.065-1.070 depending on his efficiency.

I agree with @thehaze that you should aim for a higher srm. I also aim to go over 38-40 srm to make sure it’s jet black

 

[bracconiere]

There’s no way 15 lbs of grain with be 1.093 a 5 gallon batch especially when accounting for losses, so make sure you have your program set correctly. It takes every bit of 19-20lbs to do that. He’s probably looking at 1.065-1.070 depending on his efficiency.

I agree with @thehaze that you should aim for a higher srm. I also aim to go over 38-40 srm to make sure it’s jet black

huh? i get 10 gallons of 1.060+ with 20lb's.....or two full cornies.....hell when i use store bought malt it comes out to 1.067 with 20lb's for 10 gals....

 

[Dgallo]

huh? i get 10 gallons of 1.060+ with 20lb's.....or two full cornies.....hell when i use store bought malt it comes out to 1.067 with 20lb's for 10 gals....

This is his recipe plugged in

Efficiency drops greatly as you go above 1.070 in most systems especially with flaked oats in the grain bill. In the 1.090 range, you’d see 10-15% drop in efficiency, unless you’re willing to add more water to the mash and boil for 90-120 minutes

 

[bracconiere]

back at you, and i actually usually get closer to 90% effeciency.....

 

[Dgallo]

back at you, and i actually usually get closer to 90% effeciency.....

View attachment 667399

Sierra Nevada has the top 5 efficient system in the nation(as of 2018 that is ) and they get 93% efficiency, so you being able to get 90% efficiency is not typical for Homebrewers. I would say you’re probably in the top 1% then.

It’s a ipa, so he has to account for hop losses and if he’s dryhopping even more. So it has to be set at a 5.5 gal and most likely closer to 6 gallons to ensure a full 5 gallons in the keg

 

[abrewer12345]

i appreciate the advice, definitely gotta pump the dark malts up a hair, but it's carbing right now, i'll post a picture in here to show the final product. i think it should clear up a bit, but it's not pitch black like i want. always next time right?

also 1.068 is the OG. haha

side bar- the little extra dark malts shouldn't affect flavor really right? like if i like where this is at, or if i don't, the adjustments will be the same in regards to the hop bill?

 

[Dgallo]

i appreciate the advice, definitely gotta pump the dark malts up a hair, but it's carbing right now, i'll post a picture in here to show the final product. i think it should clear up a bit, but it's not pitch black like i want. always next time right?

also 1.068 is the OG. haha

side bar- the little extra dark malts shouldn't affect flavor really right? like if i like where this is at, or if i don't, the adjustments will be the same in regards to the hop bill?

It will effect it certainty but it will depend on the grain to what extent. I would just bump your carafa to 1-1.25lbs or keep it the same and add .25-.4lbs of midnight wheat. It will get more chocolate/coffee like but you can adjust your dryhop amount and varieties to make sure you still get a solid hop character.

 

[abrewer12345]

It will effect it certainty but it will depend on the grain to what extent. I would just bump your carafa to 1-1.25lbs or keep it the same and add .25-.4lbs of midnight wheat. It will get more chocolate/coffee like but you can adjust your dryhop amount and varieties to make sure you still get a solid hop character.

right on, yeah i want to try and keep it resinous and dank with a touch of the fruity hops. i seem to trust your opinion in most of your posts, what would you lean on, more carafa or adding midnight wheat?

 

[Dgallo]

right on, yeah i want to try and keep it resinous and dank with a touch of the fruity hops. i seem to trust your opinion in most of your posts, what would you lean on, more carafa or adding midnight wheat?

I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer there. In dark beers I tend to pair carafa and midnight wheat because I like the boost that the midnight wheat can add for head retention. But I would think you get a very similar flavor profile with either of the combos. since the flavor perception varies from person to person, the only way to know which is better is to try it both ways eventually and settle on what you like.

 

[abrewer12345]

I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer there. In dark beers I tend to pair carafa and midnight wheat because I like the boost that the midnight wheat can add for head retention. But I would think you get a very similar flavor profile with either of the combos. since the flavor perception varies from person to person, the only way to know which is better is to try it both ways eventually and settle on what you like.

my man, thank you! cheers

 

[abrewer12345]

I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer there. In dark beers I tend to pair carafa and midnight wheat because I like the boost that the midnight wheat can add for head retention. But I would think you get a very similar flavor profile with either of the combos. since the flavor perception varies from person to person, the only way to know which is better is to try it both ways eventually and settle on what you like.

updated recipe is as follows:
9.5# 2-row
2.75# Flaked Oats
8oz Midnight Wheat
6.4oz Carafa Special III
4.8oz Carapils

Hops etc

hows that feel?

 

[Dgallo]

updated recipe is as follows:
9.5# 2-row
2.75# Flaked Oats
8oz Midnight Wheat
6.4oz Carafa Special III
4.8oz Carapils

Hops etc

hows that feel?

You’re still only around a 30-33 srm at that amount. You’re going to want roughly 1.25 lbs or 20oz of a 450L+ Portion of that grainbill size to get around 40srm. You can probably get away with a 35 srm. For me I use .75lb carafa III and .5lb midnight wheat but again this is just my personal preference.

 

[abrewer12345]

You’re still only around a 30-33 srm at that amount. You’re going to want roughly 1.25 lbs or 20oz of a 450L+ Portion of that grainbill size to get around 40srm. You can probably get away with a 35 srm. For me I use .75lb carafa III and .5lb midnight wheat but again this is just my personal preference.

copy that- brewfather was saying it was 42 SRM and with the bump it puts me at 51. these apps, man.

 

[Dgallo]

copy that- brewfather was saying it was 42 SRM and with the bump it puts me at 51. these apps, man.

This is what I got for 5.5 gallon batch size

 

[abrewer12345]

This is what I got for 5.5 gallon batch sizeView attachment 667409

thank you! i bumped it up. i'll still post the picture of the beer thats in the keg right now too. dying to see what it looks like carbed and once all the junk falls out

 

[Dgallo]

thank you! i bumped it up. i'll still post the picture of the beer thats in the keg right now too. dying to see what it looks like carbed and once all the junk falls out

Once The yeast and proteins flocs out it will def gain some deeper hues