Maggot Brain - Bottle
6.0%

Maggot Brain

Black IPA

Homebrew Series

A tribute to Funkadelic's "Maggot Brain", this black IPA walks the line between rich malty dark beers and their hoppy lighter colored counterparts. It might not be as mind-melting as Eddie Hazel's guitar solo, but its refreshing aroma and wistful appearance make it a great transition beer for the changing seasons.

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  • Last brewedApril 15, 2023
  • Alcohol6.0%
  • MaltsPilsner, Vienna, CaraAroma, Black, Flaked Oats
  • HopsAmarillo, Cascade, Comet, Simcoe
  • YeastLallemand American West Coast BRY-97
Maggot Brain - Label Design

Intended as a transition from the hot summer season to the colourful yet somewhat chillier autumn, the entire idea behind this beer was to blend toasty maltiness with fresh hoppiness, without going overboard on either. Since dark roasted grains can easily become dominant in flavor, the key was finding that ideal ratio for my grain bill and then letting the hop additions do the rest. With the first version of this beer the dark malts were much too dominant in taste and the hops were barely noticeable, so I had to iterate on it a few times to get the recipe just right. After some trial and error I was finally able to get this beer to where I wanted in terms of mouthfeel, flavor and aroma alike, with a good ratio of American hops paired with a malt bill that makes this a very well ballanced beer.

Maggot Brain - Pencil DrawingMaggot Brain - Ink IllustrationMaggot Brain - Digital Print

The Artwork

Autumn colours have always brought out the beauty of decay in such an intense and sometimes surreal way. Influenced by the changing seasons, I went with this as the theme for my label and choose the ram skull as a symbol of how even the strongest of us will not withstand the test of time. Devoured by maggots, it now just rests on dying hops bines, reminiscent of this beer's hoppy aroma.

Maggot Brain - Artwork
Maggot Brain - Outdoor View
Rifugio Tuckett in Madonna di Campiglio • 2,272m
Brenta Dolomites, Italy

Availability

This is a homebrewed beer that is not available for sale or distribution of any kind. It was brewed at home in small quantities to be shared only with family and friends simply out of passion for the craft and as a tribute to the music that inspired it.

Merchandise

If you dig the label artwork and would like to get your hands on some merch that features it, then check out the Hopsylvania web shop and snoop around for something you might like. All orders and manufacturing handled by Spreadshirt.

Gear up!
Maggot Brain - T-Shirt

Other Beers

Check out some of the other things I brewed that might be similar to this one, or alternatively just explore the full range regardless of their style.

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