Black IPA Recipe and Thoughts

[CHflyfish]

So I recently had a Black IPA from Saint Archer Brewing in San Diego, and I loved it so I decided to try and make one. Any of you have any experience or advice for brewing this style? I have a recipe that I will throw out there for discussion. Cheers!

Grain Bill:
10lbs Marris Otter
1lb Munich
1lb Chocolate Rye
1lb Crystal Rye
1lb Carafa III
1lb Flaked Barley

Hop Schedule:
1oz Simcoe @ 60 minutes
1oz Citra @ 15 minutes
1oz Amarillo @ 5 minutes
1oz Simcoe and 1oz Citra Dry Hopped for 3-5 days

Yeast:
WLP005

Mash @ 150 for 60 minutes

 

[specharka]

Looks like the recipe I saw on CB&B. It really doesn’t need to be that complicated, and will taste less like a black IPA and more like a bitter porter with all those specialty grains. All you really need is good ol’ American 2-row, debittered black malt, and maybe a touch of medium crystal (40-80L) for a little body. I used flaked barley in my black IPA as well but it came out thick like a stout — think I would omit it next time.

Those hops are wasted in the boil. It’s easy to use something cheaper like Columbus for your bittering addition and move the remaining hops to the whirlpool or dry hop. Especially if you’re looking for that in-your-face aroma.

 

[day_trippr]

All you really need is good ol’ American 2-row, debittered black malt, and maybe a touch of medium crystal

I've always thought the same thing - it's supposed to be a black IPA, not a hoppy porter.
Then again I've only had a couple of commercial black ipas, and didn't think much of either one.
They tasted like hoppy porters, so what do I know

Cheers!

 

[SEndorf]

Agreed with the above comments.
You don't want a porter; "trick" your IPA into the proper SRM with Midnight Wheat. Your recipe is far too complicated.

 

[SEndorf]

I placed 2nd in a competition with this:

86% 2 row
7.5% Caramunich III
6.5% Breiss Midnight Wheat

1 oz Magnum 60 min.
2 oz centennial 20 min
2 oz chinook 20 min
3 oz centennial 5 min

Dry hop:
2 oz. centennial
2 ox citra

 

[micraftbeer]

I've had good experience with those hops (Amarillo and Simcoe) on dark hoppy beers (black IPA and black lager). I echo the comments of keeping the dark malts simpler. I definitely recommend doing the Gordon Strong dark malt trick of doing your mash with the base malt, and then adding the dark malts at vourlaf or mashout. That trick really takes the edge of the dark malts and makes their taste a bit softer. Definitely what you want when you're trying to taste hops as well.

 

[CHflyfish]

Looks like the recipe I saw on CB&B. It really doesn’t need to be that complicated, and will taste less like a black IPA and more like a bitter porter with all those specialty grains. All you really need is good ol’ American 2-row, debittered black malt, and maybe a touch of medium crystal (40-80L) for a little body. I used flaked barley in my black IPA as well but it came out thick like a stout — think I would omit it next time.

Those hops are wasted in the boil. It’s easy to use something cheaper like Columbus for your bittering addition and move the remaining hops to the whirlpool or dry hop. Especially if you’re looking for that in-your-face aroma.

Yes I got the idea from another recipe. Thanks for the advice. I will for sure dumb it down a bit.

 

[CHflyfish]

I placed 2nd in a competition with this:

86% 2 row
7.5% Caramunich III
6.5% Breiss Midnight Wheat

1 oz Magnum 60 min.
2 oz centennial 20 min
2 oz chinook 20 min
3 oz centennial 5 min

Dry hop:
2 oz. centennial
2 ox citra

Sweet. Thanks for the advice. I will have to dumb down the recipe then.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

I don't like it to be honest that's a hoppy porter not a Black IPA in my opinion a IPA should be lighter and that's a good amount of rye also the hop selection is nice again just my opinion you may love it more than any other recipe

this is my 4 Horseman of the Ahopalypse Black IPA and it's always a big hit in my circle for a comparison (probably closer to a double IPA)

12lbs 2 row
0.5 lb Midnight wheat
1 lb Black Prinze
0.5 Caramunich lll
mash in 152 60 minutes

1 oz Magnum 60 min
1 oz Centennial 15 min
0.5 oz Citra 15 min
1 oz Chinook 10 min
.05 oz Centennial 5 min
1 oz Citra 5 min
0.5 Chinook Flameout


dry hop days 14-21
1.5 oz Centennial
1.5 oz Citra
0.5 oz Chinook

Imperial Dry Hop Yeast A24

OG 1.071
FG 1.015
7.7% ABV

It's a hop bomb with some very light toasty notes to it and it's jet black