Cascadian Dark Ales

Whats your thoughts on CDAs?  I have only made 1 back in 2010 and have vague memories of it and havent had one since. Thinking of using blackprinz malt being it has a low roast character and making it more towards a pale ale ABV. Even contemplated a cascadian dark lager like maybe a swartz but americanized but dont want to ruin a good thing:) of course i would use NW hops like Columbus, cascade, cent, chinooks. Do ya think roast and NW hops clash?

No, I don’t think they clash.  I made one last Summer using a standard IPA grain bill with the addition of Blackprinz.  Flavor/Aroma hops were Centennial, Amarillo, Citra.  I did a 100% Brett fermentation though.

It was OK.  Nothing wrong with it, it was just too subdued in the flavor/aroma area for my tastes.  If I do it again, (Brett or not) I will pump up the hops.

I have only brewed one once and it didn’t turn out great. I think the malt bill was probably close but I didn’t use enough hops. It was a while ago before I understood how much hops a good IPA really needs. I rarely brew IPAs of any sort now because I am too cheap.

I think blackprinz, midnight wheat, or dehusked carafa would be the way to go for more color and less roast.

Wookey Jack, which is one of the few that I have had and really liked, uses the following ingredients according to their website:
malts
Pale Malt, Malted Rye, Dash of Cara-Rye, Midnight Wheat from Briess, De-Bittered Black Malt (Weyermann - Germany/Patagonia malting - Chile), Dash of Wookey dust
hops
German Magnum (bittering), Citra & Amarillo (flavor/aroma and double dry-hopped)

I am shooting over to a brewery after work that got gold at 2014 GABF in American-Style Black Ale for their Black IPA. I will try to remember to ask them out of curiosity.

jusyt had Great Lakes Bridge War Black IPA…awesome. id love to try and replicate that.

Are we talking about black IPAs here?

Sshhh.  Don’t say Black IPA!  There are certain word-oriented OCD types that cannot reconcile Pale with Black.

Just kidding of course.  Yes that is the context.

I converted my house IPA by adding some de-bittered black and a bit of midnight wheat and its a favorite around here. The wheat lends a bit of body to the mouth feel and there is no conflict with the west coast hops, its really quite tasty!

I love a good Black IPA (go figure).  The best ones to me are very slightly roasty, fairly dry and drinkable, and have a nice big hop flavor and plenty of dry hop aroma.  Hoppier, lighter bodied and less roasty than American stout, but enough roast to not be just ‘dyed black IPA’.  Haven’t brewed one in awhile, need to fix that.

I think your on the right track in being careful about the roast character. I think the only thing that would clash with the hops is too much bitterness from the roast. I would avoid the standard black barley malts.

+1 - Use something like Midnight Wheat or Carafa Special for most of your color, then splash in just enough Chocolate malt to hit the roast level you’re looking for.

On Wednesday I brewed an imperial IPA to serve at Mashfest* Feb. 22, 2015 that I might blacken. I’m going to see how it tastes once fermentation is done and I’ve dry hopped. I’ve got some midnight wheat malt to make my own darkening extract. Last year I did some experimenting with different grains and techniques for “Schwartzing” pale color beers and think midnight wheat is really good for color and little roast.

  • a home brew Beerfest put on by Bader Brewing in Vancouver, WA that supports local charities.

+2 for Midnight Wheat for color - it’s the very minimum of roast with nice deep color. I use it for color in Black IPA and 2-3 oz chocolate for a little roast - love it.

I prefer the term robust porter.

I prefer the term “schaeudenfreude”. Nothing to do with this thread, but I really, really like that word. Leave it to the Germans!

Love it! Pretty much describes my old boss, who by the way was recently demoted and I had to spend a week training him on how to do the job… but thats way way off topic.

Yeah, just looked it up. Great word !  I’ve had a boss or two over the years that got what they earned, too. Made me feel all ‘schaeudenfreude’ all over.    :wink:

It just talways ickles me that the Germans have one word for taking joy in others well deserved pain. I think the literal translation is something like “sorrow joy”

It is funny. For the record, I generally do not have that feeling toward others, but occasionally somebody works overtime to earn it.  :smiley:

I wouldn’t have thought you did. But it certainly would have made me happy if others thought that of you, thusly bringing about your demise… Mwaa  :wink:

Well played.