Black saison not quite black... Can I re steep carafa?

[Mickcr250]

So I brewed up a black saison last night using some carafa t3 that I had cold steeped for around 16 hours. I added the cold steeped liquor in the last ten minutes of the boil but after cubing it up I don't think its quite dark enough. I still have the carafa sitting in my strainer and was wondering if I could just add another litre of water to it and let it steep overnight then boil, cool and add to my fermenter when I pitch the cube?

 

[manticle]

Yes.

 

[Adr_0]

Cool.

 

[Florian]

Just smell your carafa beforehand and make sure it still smells roasty bitter rather than like rotten spent grain. You don't want any traces of those aromas in your beer.

 

[manticle]

I misread. My answer is still yes (provided it smells ok) but if you have any fresh, use that or get some new stuff, crack, steep, boil, add.

Reading from a phone and missed that you were wanting to use the same grains again.

 

[Adr_0]

Hmm, maybe don't re-steep the same grains. The beer will also be darker in a 2"+ beer glass vs a 1" hydrometer tube with a chunk of glass in the middle of it.

 

[Dan Pratt]

Just as some advice, this beer isn't black enough and try again next time you make a black saison.

I've tried several tricks after steeping carafa for colour only and not getting it black enough that I learned which way is best......add at mash out.

It imparts all the colour and id say <40% of the flavour, but you still get enough without it being dominant like in your stouts and porters. Now this may be different for a style like saison.

 

[Mickcr250]

It still smells good but I'm a little worried now.... Might just let it run as is and see how it goes. Was really hoping for black though

 

[Tex083]

Add in some DARK candy sugar! will darken up and boost the ABV. Im planning a black saison shortly and will be adding dark candy sugar.

 

[mje1980]

I've added a whole bottle to a beire de garde and it's still only deep ruby in colour though

 

[drtomc]

+1 to dark candi. I make back to back saisons - a light one (pils malt with a bit of wheat, and a bit of

sugar), then a dark one (same malt, but dark candi instead of the sugar) on top of the yeast cake or with harvested yeast. A perfect summer occupation for my fermenter.

 

[Lecterfan]

Call it something different and enjoy it for what it is. Make the change for the next recipe. Enjoy each mouthful.