low alcohol CDA (black IPA)

[Cascadegan]

the goal is an easy drinking low alcohol IPA, but i figured since i already have an IPA why not make it a cascadian dark ale? I want something that doesn't taste too thin or without malt character, but is hop dominant.

Thoughts? Has anyone attempted a low alcohol IPA here? Also all malts will be mashed (roasted malts included), do you all think the level of roastedness will be right? Wont be brewing this for a while, so plenty of time to help me tweak this recipe.

OG: 1.036
IBU: 42
SRM: 25
ABV: ~3.4%

Grains:
3lb 2 row
1lb biscuit/victory malt
1lb crystal 40
1lb flaked barley
5oz chocolate malt
5oz black patent

Hops:
1oz Cascade @ 90 minutes
1oz Cascade @ 10 minutes
1oz Cascade @ 5 minutes
1oz Cascade dryhopped
(might change up aroma/dry hops, maybe some amarillo or cent)

Yeast:
something basic US-05 or wyeast 1056

 

[Pappers_]

I think you've done something subtle here - because you want a 'smaller' beer, you need a lower OG, but so you've lowered the IBUs too, giving you a malt/bitterness balance that is IPAish, although the total bitterness will be lower than most IPAs. That's an interesting approach.

Have never brewed a beer like this, so can't offer any first-hand experience. But it sounds like an interesting experiment. If it were me, I'd probably back off the bittering hops a little and up the finishing hops.

Also, for an IPA this small, I'd mash high, to boost the perception of maltiness and body.

 

[duckmanco]

http://www.brewingtv.com/recipe/2011/1/11/little-bear-session-cda.html

I brewed it, but changed out the athanum for an even ratio of Amarillo and simcoe. Awesome recipe. My .02 cents says black ipas grain bills should be simple and slightly roasty, but not stout like. This beer is all that and at 4 ish percent abv and 40ish ibus, it's awesome.

 

[Cascadegan]

I think you've done something subtle here - because you want a 'smaller' beer, you need a lower OG, but so you've lowered the IBUs too, giving you a malt/bitterness balance that is IPAish, although the total bitterness will be lower than most IPAs. That's an interesting approach.

Have never brewed a beer like this, so can't offer any first-hand experience. But it sounds like an interesting experiment. If it were me, I'd probably back off the bittering hops a little and up the finishing hops.

Also, for an IPA this small, I'd mash high, to boost the perception of maltiness and body.

thats exactly my line of thought
its gonna be my first all grain attempt (done lots of partial mash) so thanks for the tip

 

[Cascadegan]

http://www.brewingtv.com/recipe/2011/1/11/little-bear-session-cda.html

I brewed it, but changed out the athanum for an even ratio of Amarillo and simcoe. Awesome recipe. My .02 cents says black ipas grain bills should be simple and slightly roasty, but not stout like. This beer is all that and at 4 ish percent abv and 40ish ibus, it's awesome.

someone with experience!
thats interesting, the beer didnt seem too thin or anything?

 

[davel57]

I recently brewed a similar beer (not entirely on purpose) so I'll give you my two cents:

1) Personally I like stronger beers.
2) I'd never again use Cascade hops with a dark beer. At least for me the flavors didn't work very well together.

 

[bh10]

IMO, thats way to much victory and C20, Id keep both under 10% more around 7-8% of the bill. And with those roasted malts you're making more of a hoppy porter/ stout. Id use carafa special or de-bittered black.

 

[scottland]

I recently brewed a mini-IPA. It was a 1.052 pale ale that I bittered to about 45-50ibu and hopped like an IPA. Turned out great. Most people would never guess it's a 1.052 beer if you tasted it. It tastes like a nice dry IPA.

I'm considering entering it in a local contest as both an IPA and a pale ale to see what happens.

I say go for it.

 

[dcp27]

id drop some of the specialty malts, as is you're less than 50% base malt which is never a good idea. I'm with BH10, cut those dark malts for some carafa otherwise the hops will have too much roast to compete with.

 

[AmandaK]

IMO, thats way to much victory and C20, Id keep both under 10% more around 7-8% of the bill. And with those roasted malts you're making more of a hoppy porter/ stout. Id use carafa special or de-bittered black.

I'll third this. With that much specialty grains, you'll never have enough fermentables to get down to a reasonable gravity.

Something along the lines of a CDA I'm brewing soon:
12 lb 2-row
0.5 lb Carapils
1 lb Carafa III
0.5 lb Special Roast

That should be around an 8%er, so to split that down a bit...
6 lb 2-row
.25 lb Carapils
.5 lb Carafa III
0.25 lb Special Roast

Mash around 154. Hop as needed.

 

[duckmanco]

someone with experience!
thats interesting, the beer didnt seem too thin or anything?

Depends on your definition of thin I suppose. To me, all IPA's black or otherwise should finish mostly dry. That beer finished out around 1.010-1.012 or so, which to me is perfect for that dry finish to let the hops plow through, and for that roast character of the carafa to come through. It's a low gravity beer, so keep all this in mind.

Brew it up and pick any sort of finishing hops you like, can't go wrong IMO, and you can drink tons of this stuff.