Help with Black IPA (roastiness)

[RootDownBrewing]

I am going to make my first ever black IPA /winter warmer in the very near future and I really want some roast flavor to show through without being overwhelming like a stout. Everything I read points to carafa III special in the last 5-10 mins of the mash but then I wonder if I'd get any roast flavor at all?

My recipe for a 12 gal batch looks like this:

24lbs Marris otter
1lb crystal 40
.5lb crystal 80
5oz carafa III (ground up 60 min mash

1 lb carafa III last 10 mins of mash

Id mash around 154 and this gives me an SRM close to 30 but will this work for what I'm looking for?

 

[stubbornman]

Maybe sub the 5oz addition with roasted barley then derive most of your color with the 1lb addition at 10? I might even go with more than 5oz in a 10 gallon batch.

 

[OldWorld]

I would highly recommend using rauch malt. It adds spice to black IPA, it will also tame the chocolate flavor. I'd use some pale chocolate in the recipe.

I'd alter it as follows:
22LBS Marris Otter
3LBS Rauch Malt
1LB Crystal
1LB pale Choclate

The less yellow colored rauch is the good stuff. The other stuff will be too bacon like. A slight smoke with a chocolate overtone really compliments the high hopping rate of black IPA style.

 

[mistercameron]

Maybe sub the 5oz addition with roasted barley then derive most of your color with the 1lb addition at 10? I might even go with more than 5oz in a 10 gallon batch.

RootDown: I just kegged my first CDA and used 1# of carafa ii in a 5 gallon batch. The roast might be a little on the higher side but even the flat beer at the FG reading wasn't so bad.

 

[Airborneguy]

I'm tryin midnight wheat in my next one. From what I'm reading, it's the best grain for color with no roast flavor.

 

[mistercameron]

I'm tryin midnight wheat in my next one. From what I'm reading, it's the best grain for color with no roast flavor.

I think part of the point of the black IPA is to have a little bit of roast. But if you want less, it looks like steeping the roasted grains is a good option.

 

[RootDownBrewing]

My goal is to get all the color and some good roastiness but i want to be careful not to make it overwhelming.

 

[mistercameron]

I do want roast but want to be careful not to make it overwhelming.

I was concerned about that as well, but it turned out to be alright. Try a smaller batch. Even with 6% carafa ii in the full time it wasn't overwhelming. Of course I need to give it a couple weeks to mature before I make any decisions on changes for the next variation.

 

[RootDownBrewing]

You'll have to let me know how yours turns out with a week or 2 on the gas!

 

[Airborneguy]

I've played with the roast level in the past, but want to try one with none to see how I like it.