Black Eye PA

I ran out of stout after giving most of a keg to some friends for their housewarming party, so I needed to brew something dark to keep on tap.  I was really psyched on how this turned out last time, so I'm repeating that recipe.

RECIPE 
(click the link, I didn't feel like retyping it!)

Notes:
Brewed on August 4 in the afternoon.  A nice sunny warm day!  Gravity came in at about 1.061 (I think).  It was supposed to be a little higher, but oh well.  Close enough.  Everything went smooth, including drying the grain which will next move on to become chicken feed.  Fermenting was fast, it's probably almost ready for secondary.  I'll check it tonight or tomorrow.
Update 8/21/11: Racked to secondary and added 1oz of Centennial and 1oz of Simcoe.  Gravity was at 1.012, making this about 6.1% ABV.  While it was supposed to be a little higher, I prefer most of the brews I make to come in between 5% and 6%.

Black Beauty IPA

I've been wanting to brew up a black/cascade style IPA for a while now.  I've only had a couple different styles, but one that stood out was the Back in Black by 21st Amendment in San Francisco.  Looking at their website, I got a good idea of the recipe, but I figured I'd try to get some details so I emailed the brewery.  Luckily Nico, one of the founders and head brewers emailed me back with some more info.  So I'll list the grain in percentages instead of pounds since that's what Nico sent me.  So here's my take on a Back in Black clone recipe.  Nico, if you see this, thank you!








Recipe:
5.5 gallons

Grains:
78% 2-Row
12% Munich Light
6% Munich 45L
4% Carafa De-Husked Dark Malt

Mashed 5.3 gallons @ 163 and got 3.4 gallons
Sparged 3.7 gallons @ 182 and got 3.6 gallons

Hop Bill:
1.5oz Columbus for 60m
.5oz Columbus for 10m
1oz Centennial for 5m

Dry Hop 1oz Simcoe for 7 days in secondary
Dry Hop 1oz Centennial for 7 days in secondary

Extras:
1tsp Irish Moss for 15m

Notes:
Didn't quite hit my targets again.  I wanted to end up @ 1.070 and ended up at 1.056.  Hopefully the FG ends up lower so the ABV is closer to the target.  I'll figure it out eventually I reckon.  Easy brew day though.
Update 5/18/11: Gravity is at 1.020.  I'll give it another day or two and then rack to secondary and add the dry hops.
Update 5/21/11: Racked to secondary and added 1oz of Simcoe and 1.25oz of Centennial.  Free floating leaf hops.  Should be good.  FG: 1.014.
Update: 5/27/11: Racked to a keg.  I'll charge it and tap it tomorrow.  Update coming then on the flavor of this one.
Tasting Update: I think I got this really close to the original.  I still need to do a side by side, but this has a great flavor with that roasted aftertaste.  The hop flavor is strong, but smooth.  If you're wanting a Black IPA, then make this.  You won't regret it.
Side-By-Side Update: So I picked up a six pack of this to do a side by side comparison.  I've got to say, I really prefer the one I brewed.  But here's the rundown:

Taste: The 21A version has a very dark, smokey, and roasted flavor.  My version has those elements, although much more subdued.  This is the primary reason I prefer my version.

Hops: Almost identical.  I think I really nailed this part.

Color: Identical.

Body/Head: Better head on the 21A.  Same body/mouthfeel between the two.

The Bottom Line: If you want a real roasted, dark, smokey version then get 21A's. If you want a real smooth dark IPA, then come on over to my house before it's gone!