Batch 95
Before a recent Stockton Thunder game, I had the opportunity to enjoy a couple of Steve Altimari’s Black IPAs at Valley Brewing, in Stockton. It was a big ‘ole IPA, bursting with a wonderful grapefruit finish from massive amounts of Amarillo hops, and dark as night. Two of them made me really happy and set the tone for the evening:)
I contacted Steve on FaceBook and he was incredibly forthcoming about the hop bill, and how he darkened up the IPA, without adding the roastiness and astringency from dark grains. The secret is to use Weyermann’s Sinamar, a proprietary extract of their roasted malt, Carafa, add some Magnum hops for bittering, and bunches or Simcoes and Amarillos for flavor and aroma. What follows is a wide sweep at his recipe (I’m way too lazy to do the math from Steve’s info:) – with lots of late hops to add the grapefruit explosion.
I’m only five batches away from my centennial batch!
Back in Black IPA
14-C Imperial IPA
Brewers: Mark Ranes, Steve Hillestad
Brewer Focus: Maggie Curley
Date: 12/23/09
Size: 10.08 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 385.8 kcal per 16.0 fl oz
Original Gravity: 1.086 (1.070 – 1.090)
Terminal Gravity: 1.022 (1.010 – 1.020)
Alcohol: 8.56% (7.5% – 10.0%)
Bitterness: 100.0 (60.0 – 120.0)
Ingredients:
15.0 lb Pale Malt(2-row)
15.0 lb Maris Otter Pale
1.0 lb Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt
1.0 lb Carastan
1.0 lb Carafa TYPE III- in the Sparge
2.0 oz Magnum (14.5%) – added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
2.0 oz Amarillo Gold (10.0%) – added during boil, boiled 15.0 min
2.0 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 15.0 min
4.0 oz (or more) Sinamar – added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
2 Servomyces Yeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
2 ea Whirlfloc – added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
3.0 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 1.0 min
3.0 oz Amarillo Gold (10.0%) – added during boil, boiled 1.0 min
2000 mL White Labs WLP001 California Ale
8.0 oz Amarillo Gold (10.0%) – added dry to secondary fermenter
We’ll be brewing this up at Steve and Maggie’s place, on the Buford 3-10. Additionally, we’ll be fermenting in Steve’s kegmentor (or is that a fermeggle:), so we get 10 gallons of the same wort fermenting in one vessel. We’ll dry hop with 8 ounces of new crop Amarillo pellet hops that are en-route from Hops Direct.
Black IPAs may simply be a trend, but I’m looking forward to this ale!

Mash Destruction IPA Tap Handle
I recently listened to the March 16, 2009, podcast of The Brewing Network’s, The Jamil Show – Can you Brew It: Green Flash West Coast IPA. This is an IPA I really like, with a strong malt backbone, aggressive bitterness and full of intense hop flavor. I took the show’s recipe for a six gallon batch and extended it out for ten gallons, trying to maintain the IBU levels, the ABV and color rating. It will take tons of hops, all of which I have on-hand. It calls for a malt I’ve never used before, Carastan, so it’s a bit of an adventure, also. The Carastan appears to be very dark for its 30/37 Lovibond rating – much darker than Crystal 40. I’m just a bit wary of it, but the brewer at Green Flash uses it in their recipe, so I’ll definitely give it a shot.
I’ll be brewing this hop beast on Saturday. Originally, I had planned on brewing tomorrow, and the starter is ready to go, but tomorrow is the first day of my Spring Break and I just want to veg out. I have some keg and carboy cleaning that needs to get done, too. Saturday morning I’ll be lighting the burners about 9:00 a.m.
Here’s the recipe:
Mash Destruction IPA
14-B American IPA
Date: 4/11/09
Size: 10.32 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 79.0%
Calories: 309.1 kcal per 16.0 fl oz
Original Gravity: 1.070 (1.056 – 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.015 (1.010 – 1.018)
Color: 8.45 (6.0 – 15.0)
Alcohol: 7.26% (5.5% – 7.5%)
Bitterness: 95.4 (40.0 – 70.0)
Ingredients:
26.5 lb American 2-row
1.0 lb Carapils Malt
2.0 lb Carastan
1.25 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 90.0 min
0.5 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
0.5 oz Columbus (15.0%) – added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
0.5 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 30.0 min
0.5 oz Columbus (15.0%) – added during boil, boiled 30.0 min
0.5 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 15.0 min
0.5 oz Columbus (15.0%) – added during boil, boiled 15.0 min
1.0 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
2.0 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
2.0 oz Cascade (5.5%) – added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
1.0 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 1.0 min
1.0 oz Columbus (15.0%) – added during boil, boiled 1.0 min
0.5 oz Amarillo (8.5%) – added dry to primary fermenter
0.5 oz Centennial (10.0%) – added dry to primary fermenter
0.5 oz Columbus (15.0%) – added dry to primary fermenter
0.5 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added dry to primary fermenter
0.5 oz Cascade (5.5%) – added dry to primary fermenter
2000 mL Starter White Labs WLP001 California Ale
Notes
Mash in at 150 degrees.
Seven day primary fermentation at 72 degrees. Mash out at 168 degrees.
Dry hop with mix of five hop blend at 64 degrees for seven days.
I recently blogged about my ongoing single hop ale experiment, and it’s time for another round. On Veterans Day, I’ll be taking my base single hop recipe, and subbing in Simcoe hops. Basically, this means keeping the hopping schedule, individual hop charge IBU percentages and overall brew IBUs identical to the original ale – changing the hop variety only. So far, I’ve done this with Centennial and Columbus hops, and now it’s time to see what Simcoe hops bring to the table. After recently tasting Weyerbacher Simcoe Double IPA (thanks, Maggie:), I’m expecting a big, piney, resinous, full flavored IPA. I have used Simcoes in a variety of ales in the past, and thankfully I have some on-hand for the brew. I plan on having all three of these single hop IPAs on tap, side-by-side, so that people can experience the differences each hop offers. They should all be ready for the various holiday season events. Here’s the recipe:
Simcoe IPA
14-B American IPA
Author: Mark Ranes
Date: 11/11/08
Size: 10.08 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 317.28 kcal per 16.0 fl oz
Original Gravity: 1.071 (1.056 – 1.075)
Terminal Gravity: 1.018 (1.010 – 1.018)
Color: 7.27 (6.0 – 15.0)
Alcohol: 7.03% (5.5% – 7.5%)
Bitterness: 61.6 (40.0 – 60.0)
Ingredients:
20.0 lb Pale Malt(2-row)
4.0 lb Vienna Malt
10.0 oz Crystal Malt 10°L
6.0 oz Crystal Malt 40°L
1.0 lb Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt
.5 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
1.0 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 45.0 min
.7 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 20.0 min
1.0 lb Corn Sugar
2.0 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
2 ea Whirlfloc – added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
1.0 tsp Yeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
1.5 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added during boil, boiled 0.0 min
2000 mL White Labs WLP001 California Ale
4.0 oz Simcoe (13.0%) – added dry to primary fermenter




