04/08/2015: This brewing day was first published on the 06/07/2015 but it is now updated with the tasting notes you will find at the end.
It has been a while since I made a black ale, but I’m pretty happy with the way I’m making it lately, so I decided to just repeat the same process, but with a few minor changes to keep on trying on improving the flavours.
My process is still a 30 minutes boil as last time, but I done some hops changes:
- At the 0 minute (start) I used 20g Fuggles and 10g Target (last time it was 15g and 20g respectively)
- Added 100g dextrose at the start of the boil
- Another round of hopping at fire off (30 min): 10g Fuggles and 10g Simcoe
The idea is to increase the aromas of the beer without increasing the bitterness too much.
The addition of 100g dextrose and adding less water (total of 8 l compared to 9 l last time) led to a 1051 gravity vs 1046 previously.
At the sealing time the beer already had a sweater and fruitier aroma compared to other versions, so I’m hoping to added a little more complexity to the Black Ale.
Drinking while brewing: coffee finish black ale (previously robust coffee porter)
Update 1: 32g Fuggles hops added for dry hopping after 7 days of fermentation. Gravity is 1011 at 24.5°c.
Update 2 (2 weeks after brewing): FG=1012 @ 23°c, ABV=5.22%. 35g dextrose added for priming. Total of 8.5l filling 17 bottles.
Tasting notes
Indeed black! This time the head is actually present, creamy brownish colour but disappears quickly.
Aroma and flavour are much nicer than previously: creamy and roasted scent, very smooth but still holds the Fuggles hops pungency. The Simcoe seems to have rounded the scent making it thicker somehow.
Very much a black ale in flavour – bitter yet slightly creamy with a roasted barley note, fuller body than previous versions of this beer. The hop bitterness feels lower, more around the medium. The taste ends with a spicy-green tone at the top of the tongue. 