Cascadian Dark Ale (CDA) - color help

[balikian]

I'm working on a Cascadian Dark Ale. I've been brewing for years, but this is my first time using some calculators to work on my grain bill to try to hit a particular style. I had a GB mapped out, but when I plugged it into a couple different SRM calculators, it was WAY off. I'm shooting for a SRM of 40 and it was giving me 21.75. Here's my original grain bill for an 11 gallon batch:

23lbs 2-row pale malt (85%)
3lbs Crystal 10L (11%)
13oz Dehusked Carafa II 430L (4%)
4oz Special Malt (1%)

Part of this came from someone's comment in these forums of not using more than 4% of the GB for the dark malts. Tweaking the SRM calculators to get to the correct color I'm going for and it ends up needing 3lbs of Carafa and 1lb of special malt (11% and 3% respectively).

Doesn't that seem like a lot? Am I going to blow the color out of the water? I tried 2 different SRM calculators online.

Normally I don't really care all that much and just brew a beer, but I thought this would be a good exercise into trying to hit a particular style guide. Thanks!

 

[doomy86]

For my last CDA i used just 220g (7.7oz) of dehusked carafa III for a 19l (5 gal) batch. I think it was not dark enough and i would go to 300g (11oz) next time.

 

[balikian]

Thanks. I think I'll modify to use around 24oz of the carafa II. That's what I originally had down before I started tweaking and reading up more on the style. This style will go great with my Doug flag!

 

[Redtab78]

if all you want is to add some color, why not add some black prinze or midnight wheat for the last 15 min the mash? this will impart the color without the flavor

 

[balikian]

The carafa will add the color. I'm just trying to figure out how much to add to hit the target color I want.

 

[Redtab78]

Ah, ok. I recently made a Black Rye IPA, but used the midnight wheat to achieve the color I wanted is why I mentioned it. I only used about .25# and it came out VERY dark. just trying to lend my (lack of) knowledge

 

[balikian]

Very much appreciated. I've never used carafa before and my LBS has been spotty with stock lately, so it's good to have some backup options.

 

[Redtab78]

ok, so using a program I like on android, plugging your grain bill in using 24oz of carafe II (which comes out to 5.41%) has an SRM of 26.7, with expected an OG of 1.063 at 70% efficiency. If you kept the same bill, and dropped to 10gal into fermenter, I get an SRM of 28.5 at 1.069.

If you were to keep it back to 11 gal with 24oz of carafe II, but add in 8oz of the midnight wheat, your SRM jumps to 33.2 yet still keeping the OG at 1.064.....change that to 1# of the midnight wheat, then your SRM is at 39.2, and your OG is at 1.065

so my suggestion is that if you want to limit the amount of carafe in the bill, but want the higher SRM, add the midnight wheat

 

[Redtab78]

If you do though, just know that it is also dehusked and needs to be milled finer ( I think I gap at .026 for dehusked malt) as with the carafa

 

[balikian]

Thanks. That's what I've been getting with online calculators. I need to get an app for my phone. I used to use some brewing software prolly 10 years ago, but fell off of it. Need to get back into it. thanks. I'll look for the midnight wheat as well.

 

[Stillraining]

FWIW I find anything past 32 SRM and no way can you see through a glass. ( Beer Smith calculations)

 

[balikian]

Annnnnnd, I make it to my LBS and they had nothing. I've been really down on them lately. I've used them for years. Then they moved even closer to me! Since November, they've had no bags of malt available. I was able to squeeze out a bag of pilsner malt in November, but I had to beg. Today, they had a sign saying they would not sell whole bags of malt - just what you need for your recipe - which is... ok, I guess. Only they didn't even have that to sell me. I was looking at their sparse specialty malts and when a guy came to ask what I was looking for. I told him and he said they were out of stock on those. Decided to re-up on some of the DME I use for starters and they were out of that. Needed a couple pieces of hardware and those shelves were bare too! It was just nuts. I don't know how they are staying in business.

They claimed they would have malt by the end of March, but in November they told me December. In December they told me January. I should have called, but I figured they must have some by now. Nope. Apparently other brew stores in the area have malt. Just not them for some reason. Management changed from the previous guy who ran it. He retired and now his son runs it and apparently having some trouble with inventory. I'll still keep going back, but it's going to be awhile before I can be confident they'll have what I need without calling ahead.

To cheer myself up, I picked up a bottle of Full Sail's CDA. Only one I could find in Fred Meyer.

 

[Patrick87]

FWIW I find anything past 32 SRM and no way can you see through a glass. ( Beer Smith calculations)

I agree. I was going to comment that the Black IPA's, Stouts, Porters, etc. that I've made to 29-30 SRM have seemed as black as black gets.