What can I add to this IPA in order to turn it into a CDA?

[dfc]

I have a decent IPA kit I've made, but I want to modify it into a CDA. What recommendations do you guys have? Here is the recipe:

8.5lbs Light DME
1.5lbs Crystal Malt 120L
1oz Columbus (60 min)
.5oz Columbus (15 min)
1oz Columbus (dry hop)

Any and all info will be appreciated and thanks in advance.

BTW, I will not get into a debate over Cascadian Dark Ale vs. Black IPA, so please don't even try.

 

[Walker]

If you are wanting to follow the style guide, then you want it to look dark, but taste exactly like it does already. No roasted flavor, just dark color.

Maybe just a touch of black patent for color without flavor?

 

[RenoDean]

carafa III or carafa special. It's dehusked and they say it will add color without a lot of roasted flavors.

 

[RenoDean]

Oh yeah i forgot it's a black IPA

 

[BenS]

I would grind up black patent or carafa in a coffee bean grinder and add it to the last 5 min of the mash. That way you're minimizing the flavors and getting the most color you can. I've done it and it works well with around 6 oz of 500L malts in a 5.5 gal batch.

 

[Homercidal]

Am I the only person here who thinks it's retarded to color a beer black but not change the flavor?? What's the point of that?

Plus, I thought the style guidelines called for small amount of roasted flavor.

 

[Walker]

Nope. I think it's kind of stupid, too. I put enough chocolate in the one I made so that I could taste it.

I have not read the "official" guidelines... just the BYO article that was written last year. I remember that article saying that you shouldn't be able to tell a CDA from an IPA if you were blindfolded. So... that sounds to me like "color but not flavor".

 

[AnOldUR]

:cross:

 

[Walker]

or this

 

[AnOldUR]

The classic philosophical riddle :

If you drink a Black IPA in a dark room did you really drink a Black IPA?

 

[jbrookeiv]

I used 20lbs of 6 row and 1 lb of chocolate malt for 7 gallons, and it's perfect IMO. I used about 8oz of hops, and it is slightly roasty but still hoppy.

 

[Homercidal]

Interesting to decide what to do. The style has only been adopted by the Brewers Association as far as I could determine. Some places basically say it's an IPA but blackened and with a low amount of roast flavor. Another article champions the CDA moniker, claiming that it's not really like an IPA at all.

http://bellinghamsbestbeer.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/cda-vs-black-ipa/

Hard to say that's not really like an IPA when even even the biggest difference is that it's very dark, and has a "bit" of roasted flavor. Sounds very much like everything else is an IPA.

So I'd say you could add a bit of Dark Malt, or debittered malt even, and come close, as long as you brewed the rest of it to IPA standards.

Here is the ingredients list according to the proposed style guidelines of the Heart of the Valley Homebrewers club:

Ingredients: Pale or pilsner malt, some mid-range caramel malt in a supporting role, Carfa type
malts, both regular and debittered, small amounts of chocolate malt, roast barley, and black patent
malts can also be used. Northwest American hop varieties, or hops with similar characteristics (eg
New Zealand), for flavor and aroma additions. Heavy dry-hopping is common.
IBUs 60-90+
Color: 40+ SRM
OG: 1.060-1.075 (15-18 P)
FG: 1.008-1.016 (2-4 P)
Abv 6.0-7.75%

 

[Walker]

I am a rebel on the naming debate.

I call the damn thing "India Porter".

 

[beerkrump]

Wear these...

 

[November]

I had a friend who claimed he could not drink any dark beer. So, I mixed a couple of ounces of black patent in cold water, let it soak for a day and then strained it in a french press. I added this at the end of the boil to a Classic American Pilsner. I ended up with a dark CAP. I couldn't taste much of a difference and he was forced to admit that I had won. You could use this with an IPA to darken it. Personally, I think its kind of silly to make an IPA dark without much flavor contribution, though I have made a roasty IPA or very hoppy stout that I certainly enjoyed.

 

[dfc]

I have had CDAs that had some added roasted flavor. This is what I'm going for and not just an IPA that is dark. Adding a slight bit of chocolate malt will accomplish this?

 

[dfc]

BTW, thanks for the info, guys. I definitely appreciate it.

 

[twelfthman01]

Personally, I'd split the difference in dark malt between chocolate and debittered black or Carafa. Using chocolate alone will still be tasty though - just don't overdo it.

 

[dfc]

Sounds like a plan. Thank you.

 

[PVH]

I am a rebel on the naming debate.

I call the damn thing "India Porter".

Funny how a deviation from one style tends to end up looking just as much like a deviation from some other style. You can get to a cda or a black ipa by adding roasted malts to a hoppy pale ale, or you could start with a porter, up the hops, and go easy on the roasted malts. "Hey, is that a bohemian pils you're drinking, or is it your a straw-colored, debittered dry stout fermented with lager yeast?"

 

[Pivzavod]

I think its more of East Coast vs West Coast thing. Its still an IPA, just with different color. Saisons are mostly very light in color but there are varieties that are dark. Light or dark, they are still Saisons. Light or dark lager is still a lager. I dont see why people have to make such a big deal about naming conventions.

How about we call it Roasted IPA if roasted malts are used? I think IPA should remain in the name so that not to confuse anyone with new terms. Spalterian Pilsener anyone?

 

[ArcaneXor]

Carafa III Special (not regular Carafa), debittered black malt, Blackprinz or Midnight Wheat for color and flavor, and Sinamar or black malt extract powder for additional color if needed.

I haven't brewed a Hoppy Black Ale yet, but when I do, I'll go with the Carafa III Special and Blackprinz.

 

[remilard]

The BA guideline describes a beer with some roastiness.

If you want to do something stupid like make something that is dark but tastes like an IPA with your eyes closed (like BYO) put some sinamar in the bottle so at least you aren't doing something stupid with the whole 5 gallons.

Lots of Carafa Special and some pale chocolate, if you ask me.

 

[Homercidal]

I dont see why people have to make such a big deal about naming conventions.

How about we call it Roasted IPA if roasted malts are used? Spalterian Pilsener anyone?

Some in the PNW are adamant that they get their due. Perhaps they have a right to assume so. Until a name is chosen I'll just use whatever happens to come to mind for me. Only the BA has defined the style so far, so it could be brewed for a competition.

Maybe a stout with tons of hops could be called an IMPERIAL CDA. Or maybe a Double India Black Ale...

 

[chicagobrew]

I go with India Black Ale. I don't owe those from the PNW anything. Besides, there's pretty good evidence that Greg Noonan brewed the first version out east.