If you have brewed a few batches already and want to try Black IPA, this is a straightforward, all-grain route to it. The backbone is Pale malt, with Apollo 19.5% doing most of the work in the boil.
Recipe at a Glance
Recipe at a Glance
| Style | Black IPA |
| Batch Size | 5 gallons (19L) |
| Boil Time | 60-90 minutes |
| Original Gravity | 1.056-1.070 |
| Final Gravity | 1.010-1.014 |
| ABV | 5.8-7.5% |
| IBU | 50-70 |
| SRM | 6-14 (gold to copper) |
| Difficulty | Intermediate (all-grain) |
Brew Day, Step by Step
|
1
|
Mash · ~60 min Mash the grain bill, led by Pale malt, at a steady temperature to build the fermentable sugars this style needs. Sparge slowly so you do not lose efficiency. |
|
2
|
Boil · ~60-90 min Bring the wort to a boil and work through the hop schedule, starting with Apollo 19.5%. This is also where you will add any fining agent for a clearer finished beer. |
|
3
|
Ferment · 18C (64F) Pitch Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale once the wort has cooled to fermentation temperature and hold it steady. Primary fermentation is the most active week, do not rush it. |
|
4
|
Condition · 6 weeks at 12C (54F) Rack to secondary (or leave in primary if your recipe calls for it) and let the beer round out at a cool, steady temperature. This step does more for the final flavor than people expect. |
|
5
|
Package · 1 day, then wait Bottle or keg once gravity has held steady for a few days in a row. Give it time to carbonate and, for bigger styles, additional time to mellow before your first taste. |
That’s the shape of brew day and the weeks after it. For the exact grain bill, hop schedule, and full step-by-step instructions with amounts, use the recipe card below.
What You Will Need
Sourcing your own ingredients locally is always fine, but if you want to skip a homebrew store trip, here is what’s in stock in our shop right now:
- Base and specialty grain: Grains & Adjuncts (e.g. Briess BJ-5U8M-8RRM Chocolate Malt 1 lb., Brown)
- Bittering and aroma hops: Brewing Hops (e.g. Magnum Hop Pellets 1 oz)
- Yeast: Brewing Yeast (e.g. Safbrew T-58 (3 Count 11.5 g Packs))
- Secondary fermenter for conditioning: Fermenters & Carboys (e.g. FASTFERMENT Floor Stand for FastFerment 7.9 Gallon Conical Fermenter)
- Priming sugar for bottling: Priming Sugar (e.g. Mr Beer Homebrewing Carbonation Drops)
- General kit and tools: Homebrew Equipment (e.g. Monster Brew Home Brewing Supplies Home Brew Ohio Complete Beer Equi)
- Pour it right when it’s ready: a tulip glass shows off the color and holds the aroma better than a straight pint glass
Serve It Right
|
A Black IPA is best served in a tulip or shaker pint, it fits the body and carbonation of this style better than a straight pint glass. Here is one from our shop: |
Ingredients & Gear for This Batch
Grain / Adjuncts |
Hops |
Yeast |
Fermenter Zazolyne 5Pack Fermentation Airlock,Twin Bubble Fermenting Improved |
Priming Sugar |
Equipment |
Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions
Black IPA
Equipment
- 1 Large brew kettle
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Mash tun
- 1 Strainer or colander
- 1 Fermentation vessel
- 1 Airlock
- 1 Bottles or keg for conditioning
Ingredients
For the Mash – Liquor 13.5 Litres (23 3/4 Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 65°C (149°F)
- 12 lb Pale malt Quantity 5.5 kg
- 6 oz Carafa special III Quantity 170 g
- 8 oz Chocolate malt Quantity 225 g
For the Boil – 27 Litres (47 1/2 Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 10 mins
- 1 oz (Hops) Apollo 19.5% When to add – At start of boil
- 1 oz (Hops) Citra 13.8% When to add – For last 10 mins of boil
- 1 1/2 oz (Hops) Amarillo 5% When to add – At turn off
- 1 1/2 oz (Hops) Citra 13.8% When to add – At turn off
- 1 tsp Protofloc Other – When to add – For last 15 mins of boil
To Ferment – 18°C (64°F)- Conditioning 6 weeks at 12°C (54°F)
- 1 Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale Yeast
- 1 1/2 oz (Hops) Citra 13.8% When to add – Dry hop after 4 days
Instructions
- Heat 13.5 liters of water to 65°C (149°F) in a large brew kettle.
- Add the pale malt, carafa special III, and chocolate malt to the mash tun and stir until the grains are evenly distributed.
- Pour the heated water over the grains and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to rest for 1 hour at the same temperature.
- After 1 hour, strain the wort into the brew kettle, separating the grains from the liquid.
- Add the Apollo hops and bring the mixture to a boil for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- With 10 minutes remaining in the boil, add the Citra hops.
- At the very end of the boil, turn off the heat and add the Amarillo and Citra hops, along with the Protofloc.
- Cool the wort as quickly as possible to 18°C (64°F) and transfer it to a fermentation vessel.
- Add the Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale Yeast to the fermenter and ferment for 4 days.
- After 4 days, add the dry hop Citra hops to the fermenter and allow it to ferment for another 2 weeks.
- Transfer the beer to bottles or a keg and condition for 6 weeks at 12°C (54°F).
- The beer is now ready to drink and should have an estimated ABV of 5.1%, a bitterness rating of 60 IBU, and a color rating of 56 EBC.
Get the fermentation temperature right on Black IPA and most of the rest of the process takes care of itself.
What Makes Black IPA the Style It Is
Black IPA sits in a well-established style family, and the version most homebrewers land on today reflects decades of small adjustments by brewers chasing balance rather than novelty.
Expect a beer that leans on pale malt and apollo 19.5% once it is finished conditioning. Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale is the yeast strain behind that profile, so keep an eye on your fermentation temperature.
Style Characteristics at a Glance
- ABV: 5.8-7.5%
- Bitterness: 50-70 IBU
- Color: 6-14 (gold to copper)
- Serving temp: 45-50F (7-10C)
- Glassware: a tulip or shaker pint
- Food pairings: spicy food, grilled meats, sharp cheeses
Common Questions
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes, the grain bill and hop schedule scale linearly with batch size. Just make sure your equipment, mash tun and boil kettle both, can actually handle the volume you are scaling to.
What is the biggest mistake homebrewers make with this style?
Rushing the schedule. Pulling a beer off yeast too early or skipping conditioning time is the most common way to shortchange a recipe like this one.
Can I substitute a different yeast strain?
You can, but expect the flavor profile to shift. Stick close to the same yeast family (English ale, American ale, Belgian, lager, etc.) if you want a result close to what this recipe is aiming for.
Keep Exploring
Once you have this one down, here are a few more homebrew recipes worth trying next:
Browse the full homebrew recipe collection for more styles, or if you are just getting into the hobby, start with one of our homebrewing starter kits for new brewers.
This recipe is for adults of legal drinking age. Please brew and drink responsibly, and always sanitize your equipment thoroughly to avoid infection.
