Just had a weird idea and thought I'd post up and see if anyone had tried (hopefully succeeded) in making a black amber ale. A quick google search shows that a few breweries have produced a black amber, Big Rock, for example. My initial thought is I'd just make a solid amber ale and add 12-13 oz of black patent or chocolate malt to the mash.

Thoughts?

They call them porters with chocolate, and stouts with black patent or roasted barley.

Not sure how you get "black" amber ale.  Its not like an IPA, which, even though it has pale in the name is really defined more by hops (which is how black/red IPA even makes a little sense).

What are you really going for? A beer that tastes like an amber, is clear, but darker?



I'm thinking the darker roast you use, the less you'll change the OG and mouthfeel.  What type of finings do you use now?  You may need to bump it up if you want to clarify your beer.



I've been looking at Schwarzbier recipes...most use 8oz-1lb of dark grains.  


 

And I always wonder this, I hear folks "I put in some black patent for color"--why?  Why would you do anything for "color"?  That should just be what it "is"--the FLAVOR is what you are trying to modify.

Now if you say, I want a very slight roast bite to dry it out, so I will but in a little carafa or black patent, that is different (see Schwarzbier like you said or smaller amounts in Vienna lager and Munich Dunkel).

Blackprinz malt is a new one that is a nice smooth roast for that kind of thing (500L and huskless for no astringency)

I just finished listening to this one...Some dudes SUPER get into color.  I don't particularly care unless something is way off.  



http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/post468/

I'm right there with you guys that "coloring" a beer is kind of silly. This is for a metal concert some friends and I are going to and a lot of the people who will be there aren't into really heavy beers so we thought it would be cool to have a beer that looks like a stout but tastes like an amber.

ETA: As far as finings go, I have gelatin, irish moss, and whirfloc. I believe that irish moss and whirfloc are effectively the same thing. I generally just use whirfloc.

The reason I asked about finings was because I presumed you wanted it clear like an amber ale or black lager.
If you want it to be opaque like most/all stouts then I'd just use a whirlfloc.   Hell, I've heard of people throwing in a bit of all purpose flour into their boil for a guaranteed haze.  That could give you the opacity you're looking for.  
So, you want it to look like a stout, but taste and have the body of an amber.  Well, I'd do a pretty low mash (IE 148) so your yeast can clean up and give it a light body.  I presume you're going to be using some crystal grains, so those should give it enough unfermentable sugars to provide a good amount of maltiness.  
So...how bout some black food dye?


 

I mean... I guess I could use food dye but that seems so lame  

I gotcha on what you want the color for now, special event-makes more sense.  This may be what you seek:  Sinamar

I think you will get a little roastiness (not just like food coloring) but not much.  Certainly nothing bad for that style beer (I wouldn't think, but I've never used it).

I don't think you want stouts "cloudy" either way-you may not be able to see thru the black though

I still gelatin fine my stouts, yeast in suspension is not a flavor enhancer.

Hmm...good point.  Maybe I should start doing that.   It really is so, so easy.  I used WLP002 English Ale for the stout currently fermenting, it's such a high flocculating beer that it may not even make a difference.  





Also, good catch on the malt dye/additive/whatever.  I didn't know that that was a thing/option.  





 

That looks really neat and may be exactly what i'm looking for!

Honestly you probably won't need to with 002, it drops like a rock.

Sinamar is like extract of de-husked carafa malt or something like that.