Recipe check - Extract Black IPA

[vin8n1]

Hey all, I'm a new homebrewer (3 batches so far) and I have read a ton on the subject. Just wanted some expert advice on the tentative recipe for my next brew:

Northern Brewer Ace of Spades Black IPA
Extract
5 gal fermenter
3 gal boil

Steeping Grains
0.75 lbs Briess midnight Wheat
0.625 lbs Caramunich III

Fermentables
6 lbs Gold LME
3.15lbs Gold LME (15 min late addition)

Hops
(60) 1 oz Columbus
(10) 1 oz Chinook
(10) 1 oz Centennial
(5) 1.5 oz Centennial
(3 days Dry) 1 oz Columbus
(3 days Dry) 2 oz Centennial
(3 days Dry)1 oz Citra

Safale S-04 or Safale S-33?

 

[Alan Reginato]

I brewd with both. S-33 is very neutral, even at high temp, has poor floculation and left a powdery, non-compact sediment. Also left a lot of residual sugar behind. Not something you might want in an IPA.
S-04 has a aftertaste, that I just can't describe. But it will be masked by other flavours in a black IPA. Attenuation is average, but flocs and sediment pretty good. I would use this one. Or Nottingham, that's my favourite yeast.

Another insight, try use simpler hop combination, maybe starts with single hop beers, to find out which leaves what behind.
Whirlpool or flameout additions are nice too.
And chew the grains and pellets! So you would have an idea of how it will taste in the beer. Take notes as well. Read blogs and technical stuff too, there's a lot of interesting information.

Hope it was helpful.

Cheers!

 

[user 298779]

Welcome to the Homebrewing community Vin - 3 batches may be enough to get you hooked!

It looks like you’ve only modified the NB hop schedule for this. I’ve made this specific kit when I didn’t have time for AG, and it was excellent. NB dry yeast in kit selection is SafAle S-05; there’s no need to use anything else at this point. It’s an excellent choice and makes a great Ace of Spades.

If you buy NB recipe kits, which I did when first started, use the ingredients provided and follow their advice/directions. This will give you a good benchmark for the kit style and a baseline for making changes and experimenting as you progress. Unless of course someone gave you the kit and there’s ingredients included that you know you don’t like!

Let us know how this turns out. HC is an outstanding place to learn more - so many people with decades of experience and knowledge.

Cheers

KBW.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Safale S-04 or Safale S-33?

If it's an either/or choice, I would go with S-04. For IPAs, my current "go to" strains are either US-05 or Nottingham; occasionally S-04.

Northern Brewer Ace of Spades Black IPA

Are you interested in some ideas for how to adjust the kit for a shorter boil?

 

[Miraculix]

You want the hops to shine in a black IPA. That's classic us05 territory. Nottingham is also very clean but it tends to mute hop flavour and aroma so my choice would be us05 or bry97.

If you have to choose between s04 and s33, easy choice for s04.

But better buy yourself some us05 and use the s04 for a stout.

 

[vin8n1]

Thanks for the great advice all!
Looks like I will be getting some US-05.
And good idea, i will start doing some SMASH beers after this to get used to the ingredients. I will take out Columbus and move those late addition hops to whirlpool.
BrewnW, I want this beer to be pretty bitter. Brewers friend predicted 64 IBU and 1.072 OG. Will that blow my face off or be fine?

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

BrewnW, I want this beer to be pretty bitter. Brewers friend predicted 64 IBU and 1.072 OG. Will that blow my face off or be fine?

An oz of Columbus in 5 gal should be fine.

 

[user 298779]

Thanks for the great advice all!
Looks like I will be getting some US-05.
And good idea, i will start doing some SMASH beers after this to get used to the ingredients. I will take out Columbus and move those late addition hops to whirlpool.
BrewnW, I want this beer to be pretty bitter. Brewers friend predicted 64 IBU and 1.072 OG. Will that blow my face off or be fine?

The 1.072 seems too high for the Ace of Spades extract, but at 68 IBU I think I’d be pretty good - at least to me. What you’re really making is a Black IPA so it will have noticeable bitterness

Cheers

KBW.

 

[user 298779]

If it's an either/or choice, I would go with S-04. For IPAs, my current "go to" strains are either US-05 or Nottingham; occasionally S-04.


Are you interested in some ideas for how to adjust the kit for a shorter boil?

Yeah depends on what you’re shooting for in style. I really like the English ale yeasts (doing 3 bitters next week), but for Ace of Spades the American style is original intent.

I’d like to know more about shorter boil recipes! I did my first one back in July when quick turnaround was needed and didn’t have time for all-grain day. Everyone seemed pleased with it. “Zoomin’ Pale Ale” recipe from NB.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Some ideas for shorter boil times.

30 minute boils. Recipe software can be used to change the 60 min bittering addition to a 30 minute addition (I think it's about 35% more hops).

15 minute boils. 15 Minute Cascade Pale Ale. You can change hops by using HBUs (link). You can change styles by using different steeping grains (link).

0 minute boils, "no boil (pasteurized)":

• No-Boil Recipes! New for 2019!
• New England IPA - Blasphemy - No Boil NEIPA

 

[Dgallo]

Thinks look good to me. My only suggestion would be one based on my personal preference, I would up the Citra in the dryhop to 2 or 3 oz and remove the centennial. With you using Columbus, Cent, and Chinook hotside, you will definitely carry a more earthy/floral character. Adding Citra will really brighten up the aroma and flavor of the hop character. again that’s only personally preference of what I like to do with my black ipas. If you don’t try that this time, just try it next time so you know what I mean