Carafa Special 3 (dehusked)

[JonBrew]

Hi all.

I've not used this specialty malt before but I'm looking to brew either a black IPA or a black lager and this seems to be the way to go if you're looking to avoid the strong/harsh roast flavour/aromas from likes of Chocolate and Roasted Barley.

I've been doing some reading and most of the info out there suggests max usage for Carafa 3 should be 5% or, ideally, a bit lower. My grain bill is looking like just pale or pils malt, some munich, and carafa - no crystal malts etc.

With usage below 5% I'm not going to get the colour dark enough for the style I'm brewing - I'd need to increase it to about 10%.

My questions is, does anyone know why it's suggested to keep usage for this grain below 5%? As it's de-husked I'm thinking any harshness should be very very minimal even with (slightly) increased usage (?).

To remedy, I'm thinking of using just under 10% carafe but only mashing half of that and the rest add as a cold steep at the end of the boil. Would this combat the seemingly ill effects of using to much in the grist?

Cheers

 

[Simonh82]

I'd be staggered if 5% carafa III doesn't get you a black beer. I made a plum porter with 4% carafa II and this was as black as Guinness. I did also have 2% some Special B in the grist but Carafa II is quite a bit lighter than Carafa III.

 

[IainM]

I think you can push it up a bit if it is the only speciality malt in the grist. I've done a couple of black IPAs with 500g of dehusked roasted grain in (Blackprinz and Midnight Wheat), both of which turned out pitch black with a subtle roasty flavour and no harsh bitterness.

 

[MrRook]

I have an article on brewing black versions of pale color beers that is supposed to be in the next issue of Brew Your Own. I cover six different grains and several different techniques.

 

[serum]

Carafa 3 is pretty dark. I used 100g of Carafa 1 with 6kg of pale malt and it's a very deep brown. Way darker than beersmith said it should be (in case that's what you're using) That's only just over 1%. I don't think you'd need anywhere near 10%.

Brewers Caramel is another way of darkening a beer.

 

[braziliain]

I've just brewed a black IPA with 5% Carafa III and it is as black as night. I put a very tiny amount of chocolate in there too though. Based on the GH recipe.

 

[foxbat]

Carafa 3 is pretty dark. I used 100g of Carafa 1 with 6kg of pale malt and it's a very deep brown. Way darker than beersmith said it should be (in case that's what you're using) That's only just over 1%. I don't think you'd need anywhere near 10%.

I find that with Beersmith too. Either my malts are are a darker EBC than printed on the packet or the colour calculations are off. I recently used about 3% midnight wheat and 1% chocolate malt and the ale is as black as night when the colour preview was more of a very dark brown.

 

[chthon]

Yes, but isn't the colour calculation actually what you would see when taking 1 cubic cm of beer or wort and shine with light of some definite wavelength through it?

My imperial stout as seen in the FV looked black, but seen in a measure glass of 100 ml, which is much thinner, actually looked dark brown.

 

[braziliain]

Here's a pic of my DIPA as mentioned above.

 

[BeerCat]

Drinking a Swartzbier that is 6% cold steeped roast barley and its black at first glance. I go up to 10% in a BIPA. Generally use 50% cold steeped RB and the rest Caraffa3. Does not taste particularly roasty to me to be honest .

 

[JonBrew]

Thanks for all the replies.

I ended up stumping for 10% Carafa 3 bit I only put half of that and did the other half as a cold steep which got added to the end of the boil.

The beer is now fermented and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it's as black as ink which is what I was shooting for. I've had a sample from the fermenter and it's not that roasty at all. Very little on the nose and similar taste. Will be interesting to see if it comes through more once it's bottled and carbonated etc.