Back in the saddle......Dark Side IPA

[adm]

I haven't brewed anything for about a month or so, so it's definitely time ot get back in the saddle, and seeing as today is a Bank Holiday, what better to that get a brew on.

A quick rummage around and I think it's going to be a Black IPA - an oxymorom I know....but so what.

Anyway, this is the plan so far:

Dark Side IPA





Grain
UK Pale Ale Malt 5.000 kg 72.5 %
UK Munich Malt 1.000 kg 14.5 %
UK Extra Dark Crystal 0.250 kg 3.6 %
German Carafa Special III 0.250 kg 3.6 %
UK Wheat Malt 0.150 kg 2.2 %
UK Imperial Malt 0.250g 3.6%
[EDIT: in typical fashion, I changed the grain bill a bit... as above]

Hops
US Amarillo (8.2% AA) 25 g 20.8 IBU Loose Pellet Hops First Wort Hopped
NZ Nelson Sauvin (11.4% AA) 15 g 15.8 IBU Loose Whole Hops First Wort Hopped
US Amarillo 35 g 13.5 IBU Loose Pellet Hops 15 Min From End
NZ Nelson Sauvin 20 g 9.8 IBU Loose Whole Hops 15 Min From End
US Amarillo 35 g 0.0 IBU Loose Pellet Hops At turn off
NZ Nelson Sauvin 20 g 0.0 IBU Loose Whole Hops At turn off

Yeast will be US05.

The water's on heating up now, I'm going to take this easy and potter around doing my other Bank Holiday bits and pieces as well....

[WishboneBrewery]

How Black is Black? The Hopping sounds good

[mysterio]

Love the label and the recipe!

[Andy]

How did it go ?

[adm]

Love the label and the recipe!

The label is a rip from the web......seeing as tomorrow is International Star Wars Day I thought it was appropriate......although, I kind fo screwed up - it really should have been an IMPERIAL IPA to be properly fitting

Funny enough - I was in town on Saturday and found the exact T-Shirt with that picture on, and this was before I'd thought of the beer. So I'm actually wearing it as I'm brewing today!

[mysterio]

I need that t-shirt, where did you get it?

[adm]

How did it go ?

Almost done...... I used my IC to cool today, for a retro twist. No pump or plate chiller......it's just sitting to settle for 30 mins before I run it off. But it smells AWESOME. Nellies and Amarillo.....makes for an aromatic brewday.

Pretty much everything that could go wrong did go wrong....right from the start! I First of all, I managed to spray a couple of litres of 70C water from the HLT all around the room, and over my head.... spilt a jug of grain on the floor, etc, etc....

Then I ended up with a stuck mash on the final batch sparge, so ended up running off by gravity. I really must make the false bottom for my mash tun. I have the sheet of perforated steel, just need to get on with it.

I'm going to go and run it off in a minute or two...fingers crossed that doesn't get stuck....

[adm]

I need that t-shirt, where did you get it?

I found it completely serendipitously in TK Maxx in Guildford for a tenner while I was dragging my feet around following my wife.... However, it's one I'd been yearning after for a while.....I almost bought it online a couple of times...but at the full price of £25 it was a bit too spendy for a T-shirt.

You can get one here for £14.

I also got this one at the same time.

And I've had this one for a while

[kevthebootboy]

Sorry to hear about the brew day blues, what kind of flavour do you get from the imperial malt? I've got a kilo in the cellar but I'm not too sure what to do with it. . . .

[mysterio]

Sweet! And now the big question... Empire Strikes Back or Jedi??

[adm]

Sorry to hear about the brew day blues, what kind of flavour do you get from the imperial malt? I've got a kilo in the cellar but I'm not too sure what to do with it. . . .

Dunno mate! I thought I'd bung it in though..... Simpsons say: "Enhances depth of colour, flavour and aroma." Which sounds OK to me.

I did eat a bit and it was very....malty In a good way.

Basically on this one, I've used the Munich and the Imperial Malt to kind of boost the maltiness of the beer and balance out the hops. At 60 IBU, it's not particularly hoppy, but I wanted a big full body to go against the Nelsons.

[leedsbrew]

Sweet looking brew adm



not my picture, but I've got this T shirt! It was in NEXT and I just had to have it!!!!!!

[adm]

How did it go ?

Almost done...... I used my IC to cool today, for a retro twist. No pump or plate chiller......it's just sitting to settle for 30 mins before I run it off. But it smells AWESOME. Nellies and Amarillo.....makes for an aromatic brewday.

Pretty much everything that could go wrong did go wrong....right from the start! I First of all, I managed to spray a couple of litres of 70C water from the HLT all around the room, and over my head.... spilt a jug of grain on the floor, etc, etc....

Then I ended up with a stuck mash on the final batch sparge, so ended up running off by gravity. I really must make the false bottom for my mash tun. I have the sheet of perforated steel, just need to get on with it.

I'm going to go and run it off in a minute or two...fingers crossed that doesn't get stuck....

Well......of course, it did stick. But I got 21L at 1067 before it did, so I just said "Sod it" and left it at that. I've got me a full corny's worth, so that's just fine with me. It was nice just to be brewing, and I ended up with what will become beer, so it's all good

Here's the pics:


Today's grain bill. I only used half of the carafa III.


Mashed in


First wort hops and gypsum


Obligatory RIMS shot. I left this to run at 65C for about three hours in the end


First runnings


Mash tun was full for the second go round....


Some hops....


Good old IC....looks a bit lost in this pot.


Feel the power of the Dark Side....


Ready to run off


And finally.....21L collected. I still had another 3 or 4 in the kettle, but I couldn't be arsed fighting with it. The pump would have just sucked it straight out.


Here's the wort. Looks about 1064 here, but temperature corrected should be 1066-1067.

So that's a corny full of a black IPA. Shouldn't be very roasty at all as most of the colour comes from the nice mild Carafa III. 60 IBU, and should end up about 7.3% or so. I'll be interested to see how this comes out. The sample jar tasted great and it was bursting with tropical fruit flavours.

[adm]

Sweet looking brew adm


not my picture, but I've got this T shirt! It was in NEXT and I just had to have it!!!!!!

Nice.

I've got a similar one....but it's just got a picture of an AT-AT on it - but wearing one of those big plastic cone shaped collars that dogs have to wear when they get an ear infection and won't stop scratching it....

(Oh. And some cool Lego Star Wars shirts too. I don't have a Star Wars fixation or anything, but there are some cool T-shirts out there.....)

[adm]

Sweet! And now the big question... Empire Strikes Back or Jedi??

Definitely "Empire". I hate Ewoks.

Although I'm more of a New Hope fan TBH....

But I'm Empire through and through......give me a TIE Advanced X1 over and X-Wing any day and I'd stop Luke's stupid whining real quick.