AG biab #2 citra black IPA

[GHW]

I know 'black IPAs' drive some people mad but I love the idea and I'm doing one on Friday.

I'm going to adapt Greg Hughes recipe, which uses Apollo, Citra and Amarillo, and only use the citra. Also I'm doing an 11.5L brew.

I'd like to run my recipe past you master Brewers before taking the plunge though.

Grain bill (60 min mash at 65c)
MO 2kg
Carafa special III 85g
Choc malt 110g

(This is a bit lower on MO than the original but I think should still give me nearly 5% abv if I get good attenuation)

Hop additions (60m boil)
15g citra @ 60m
15g citra @ 10m
45g citra @ FO
THen will probably dry hop with 5-10g near end of fermentation.

SA-05 yeast, 6g plus a bit of nutrient for va va voom

Note: I want this super hoppy.

So, questions:
- I've got some caramalt, would adding a bit of that be overkill?

- are the hop additions about right? I want a reasonably bitter brew, but balanced by a lot of hop aroma.

I used the Brewers friend Ibu calculator but wasn't sure if I did it right, it added no Ibu for flame out additions? It came to about 55ibu but as that's the first time I've used it ive got nothing to compare to, taste wise.

Ta peeps, love you all

 

[clibit]

I make it 78 IBUs. AA 14.4%. 60 IBUs from the 60 min addition. The flame out hops might add some IBUs, if left in above 80C for a while. I would probably aim for 55-60 IBUs and tailor the 60 min hops, leave the other additions alone.

You could add some caramalt. OK either way.

 

[GHW]

Ta, clibit. Th pack says 13.5aa which is what I plugged in. I suspect the flame out hops will add bitterness as they'll steep for a while as it cools in the bath (don't have a chiller yet). Will drop the 60 min hops and see what happens.

Just downloaded Brewers friend so can now check these things out. It's v easy to use.

 

[clibit]

I make it 60 IBUs with 13.5%. I entered something wrong before sorry!

 

[Hops_and_Dreams]

I've just got a copy of Greg Hughes' book and that recipe caught my eye too. I'd be interested to hear how you get on, although I'll be doing the extract version. I've got some citra and amarillo in the freezer and thought it would be a different take in an IPA. I should add that I've never tried black IPA, so it would probably be wise to before I make 20 odd litres! Any commercial suggestions?

 

[DoctorMick]

I've just got a copy of Greg Hughes' book and that recipe caught my eye too. I'd be interested to hear how you get on, although I'll be doing the extract version. I've got some citra and amarillo in the freezer and thought it would be a different take in an IPA. I should add that I've never tried black IPA, so it would probably be wise to before I make 20 odd litres! Any commercial suggestions?

The tesco black IPA is lovely. They don't really taste much different from a normal IPA.

 

[GHW]

No I don't think it will taste radically different, I've read somewhere that the carafa which will give it most of the colour is the brewing equivalent of food colouring!

Oh forgot to mention in OP, Big ups to clibit; not just moderator, but grain donator. For sending me the carafa and choc and saving me buying a load I won't get round to using!

 

[Toffee]

Black IPAs can taste very different from normal IPAs. My fave - Beavertown Black Betty.

 

[Toffee]

oh and (Wild) Raven by Thornbridge is amazing too

 

[GHW]

I will resist jokes about beavertown

will report back in due course on taste.

Think I will ad a bit of the caramalt, for no other reason than I have it.

 

[Hops_and_Dreams]

Ahh, in that case I'll go ahead with it anyway!

Get Er Brewed seem to do these in 250g sizes, whereas my LHBS only do 500g, might get some yeast and hops to make shipping worthwhile.

Another one to add to the 'planned' list!

 

[Hops_and_Dreams]

Black IPAs can taste very different from normal IPAs. My fave - Beavertown Black Betty.

oh and (Wild) Raven by Thornbridge is amazing too

I will have a look out for these. My local Sainsbury's has a **** beer selection, but Waitrose seems to be better, though I don't go in there very often as I never seem to leave with much change!

 

[Toffee]

Waitrose sell thornbridge. Beavertown I don't think are in any supermarkets. But track their beers down in good beer shops, or online. They are amazing. Oh and in cans, not bottles. Amazon stock them I think.

 

[Hops_and_Dreams]

Cheers toffee, I'll get a couple of bottles of Thornbridge for 'research purposes'.

 

[clibit]

Agree, Beavertown are very good. Partizan too.

 

[Toffee]

Black IPAs, I was forgetting about Otley Oxymoron. That tastes NOTHING like a regular IPA. It's more like a hoppy porter. Well worth a taste too.

If you are going to Waitrose to pick up the Raven, pick up a Thornbridge Jaipur too if you have not had that.

 

[GHW]

Right folks, got this done this morning, no photos as you all know what brewing looks like!

Anyway, all went according to plan other than my underestimating how much lower the gravity would be after not halving the MO from 5.5k to 2.25k (I only had 2k). Either that or my mash wasn't very efficient though it was an hour at 66c.

Either way my starting Gravity was 1040, a little on the low side, but if I get 80% attenutation (I did last time) it should reach 1008, which is 4.2%, fine for me.

It's as black as the night and smells great. Rehydrated the yeast after taking it out of the freezer, and a bit of nutrient to get it going.

Happy days.

Now I was going to stop brewing for summer but clearing my shed I realised I still have about 60 bottles empty so think I'll do an extract weissbier too!

 

[clibit]

Could raise the OG with some DME, perhaps?

 

[dad_of_jon]

I will resist jokes about beavertown

will report back in due course on taste.

Think I will ad a bit of the caramalt, for no other reason than I have it.

brewdog libertine as is my fave.

 

[GHW]

Could raise the OG with some DME, perhaps?

Don't have any!

It's all in the fv now though hasn't kicked off yet. I stored a half used pack of SA-05 in the freezer, then took it out, let it warm up, and then put it in some 25c water.

Will the freezer have killed it?