Acid Ocean Reprocessor - Black IPA - Recipe critique

[Luovahulluus]

I'm creating my first black IPA, but I'm not sure this is the way to go. I've only brewed 8 batches, of which 5 all grain. Still learning all this, so all comments are welcome.

Recipe: Acid Ocean Reprocessor
Brewer: Luovahulluus
Asst Brewer:
Style: American IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30,0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 16,20 l
Post Boil Volume: 15,60 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 15,00 l
Bottling Volume: 14,00 l
Estimated OG: 1,075 SG
Estimated Color: 54,1 EBC
Estimated IBU: 55,1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 66,00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 66,0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2,85 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (5,9 EBC) Grain 1 50,4 %
2,00 kg Munich Malt (17,7 EBC) Grain 2 35,4 %
0,50 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 150 EBC (150,0 EB Grain 3 8,8 %
0,30 kg Pale Chocolate 200L (400,0 EBC) Grain 4 5,3 %
20,00 g Waimea [14,50 %] - First Wort 65,0 min Hop 5 46,1 IBUs
15,00 g Cascade [5,50 %] - Boil 15,0 min Hop 6 5,8 IBUs
15,00 g Cascade [5,50 %] - Boil 7,0 min Hop 7 3,1 IBUs
30,00 g Cascade [5,50 %] - Boil 0,0 min Hop 8 0,0 IBUs
1,0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 9 -
40,00 g Cascade [5,50 %] - Dry Hop 7,0 Days Hop 10 0,0 IBUs


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 5,65 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 14,74 l of water at 74,2 C 66,5 C 60 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, 8,12l) of 75,6 C water


I've never used Cascade, first wort additions, or added any hops at flame out. I don't have a chiller at the moment, so it'll take about 6 hours to reach the desired temp for pitching the yeast (assuming about 0oC at the balcony).
Should I leave all the hop bags in until I'm ready to pitch, or only the 0min additions?
Do you think Cascade is a good hop for this grain bill?
What do you think about hop schedule or the grain bill?

 

[Fat Bastard]

Acid Ocean Reprocessor sounds like a Melvins album title.

With that SG, I'd go for a higher IBU. aim for around 75 IBU to match the 1.075 for a good starting point, but with your 0 degree balcony chill and FWH addition it's hard to guess what the actual bitterness will be. If you plug your recipe into brewmate and check the no-chill box, it should get you close enough for a first brew, then adjust to taste on subsequent brews.

I personally haven't FWH-ed, but my IPAs tend to use lots of small bittering additions early on, increasing in size later in the boil and getting a big dose in the whirlpool. and another big dose in the fermenter for 5 days. The last 23 litre batch copped 200g of Amarillo for 5 days.

 

[benno1973]

Personally I think the grain bill looks fine. Kinda like an alpha pale ale I'd imagine. 55IBUs would be ok, but as FB said, you could go higher and it would be fine. Cascade isn't my fave bittering hop, but each to their own and you need to try it to work out whether it's for you. No glaring omissions as far as I can see. Let us know how it goes, looks like a nice beer to me!

 

[Luovahulluus]

Personally I think the grain bill looks fine. Kinda like an alpha pale ale I'd imagine. 55IBUs would be ok, but as FB said, you could go higher and it would be fine. Cascade isn't my fave bittering hop, but each to their own and you need to try it to work out whether it's for you. No glaring omissions as far as I can see. Let us know how it goes, looks like a nice beer to me!

Thanks for the comments, both of you! Most of the bittering will be from Waimea, and because of the slow chill, I'm sure I'll have more than 55 IBUs. Now I'm considering moving the first (15g@15min) Cascade addition to dryhop, and putting a little more Waimea to keep the IBUs up. I didn't know people dryhopped at almost 9g of hops/liter.

 

[fletcher]

Thanks for the comments, both of you! Most of the bittering will be from Waimea, and because of the slow chill, I'm sure I'll have more than 55 IBUs. Now I'm considering moving the first (15g@15min) Cascade addition to dryhop, and putting a little more Waimea to keep the IBUs up. I didn't know people dryhopped at almost 9g of hops/liter.

recipe looks good to me mate. i agree on increasing the IBUs but with IPAs i go the other way and add about 70% of the IBU at bittering, then a big hit of flavour 20-25% at about 20-10 mins, then the rest at flameout. my personal tastes perhaps but i like to have a solid bittering to balance the flavour additions. if i were you i'd combine the cascade additions at 15 and 7 and just add them all at 15. particularly if you're dry hopping big. even consider adding some more waimea then too to get that combination of the two.

i've discovered that even 2g/L dry hopping isn't enough for me! it lost its aroma hit in a few weeks in the bottle so i reckon go big! i'll be doing about 5g/L for my next

 

[DeGarre]

Just call it American India Porter and it'll be to the style mate.

 

[Dan Pratt]

Hi,

Having recently finished a Black IPA Im keen to help you out with a few things.

Read this thread for starters http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/75132-friday-13th-black-ipa/

My first thought of the recipe is that it will be brown at best, not black. Consider using 3% Carafa S 3 or some roasted malt or Chocolate Wheat to get your colour to 100EBC - jet black. Yes they will impart a very slight roast note but if you increase the hops to 65 - 75 ibu that will balance nicely, it would still be nice at 55 ibu. To reduce that roast note you can add the black malts after the sacc rest ( at 72c upwards )

The hops - I would run with the Wiamea to 40Ibu and then the cascade for flavour @ 15, 10, 5min additions = 25ibu from those additions. Use the whirlpool and dryhop additions together for a 70g dry hop = 4.7g/L and the aroma will be solid. Id suggest not to add them until after fermenation has finished, let them dry hop for 3-5days and if possible during cold conditioning before packaging.

Speaking of fermentation - get an additional packet of US05 and pitch big, at 1075 you will need a bigger army to rip through her.

Hope some of this will be of use, so good luck and be sure to post some pictures of the brew and the final product when ready.

B)