Black IPA history and how to brew one without harsh roast

A short history

Dark, hoppy beers are not new, but the modern black IPA is usually traced to American craft brewing in the 1990s. Vermont brewer Greg Noonan is often credited with an early example. The style took off in the Pacific Northwest in the late 2000s, where some brewers called it Cascadian dark ale. Others preferred American black ale, since "black pale ale" makes little sense.

The BJCP now lists it as a specialty IPA. The definition is simple: an IPA in every sense except colour. Roast should be low, the hops should lead and the finish should be dry. A beer that tastes of coffee and chocolate with some hops on top is a hoppy porter or stout, not a black IPA.

Target numbers

Use these as a guide for a standard strength version:

• Original gravity around 1.060 to 1.070, finishing near 1.010 to 1.014, giving roughly 6.5 to 7% ABV.
• Bitterness 50 to 70 IBU.
• Colour very dark brown to black, roughly 25 to 40 SRM.

Higher strength versions exist, but start here. A drier, moderate strength beer shows the balance best.

The dark malt is everything

Standard roasted barley and black malt carry husk. The husk is where much of the acrid, ashy bitterness lives. Pair that with 60 IBU of hops and the two bitterness sources stack into something harsh.

The fix is dehusked roasted malt. Weyermann's CARAFA SPECIAL is made from barley with most of the husk removed before roasting, so it gives deep colour with a much smoother roast. Our guide to CARAFA SPECIAL covers the three grades. For black IPA, CARAFA SPECIAL III gives the most colour per kilogram, so you need the least of it. Dehusked dark wheat malts work in the same way. Our roasted malts guide explains the wider family.

Keep the dark malt to about 5 to 7% of the grist. You want colour, not flavour.

Adding dark malt late

Even dehusked malt adds some roast if it sits in the mash for an hour. Two techniques reduce that further:

• Add it at the end of the mash. Stir the crushed dark malt in just before you start recirculating. It gives up colour quickly but has less time to release harsh compounds.
• Cold steep it. Soak the dark malt in cold water, around 1 litre per 250 g, for 12 to 24 hours. Strain the dark liquid and add it to the kettle near the end of the boil. This gives colour with very little roast.

Both work. Adding it late is simpler and still gives a slightly richer malt backbone.

A 20 litre homebrew recipe

For about 20 litres into the fermenter at 75% brewhouse efficiency, aiming for an OG near 1.065:

• Pale ale malt: 5.10 kg (85%)
• Munich malt: 0.36 kg (6%)
• CARAFA SPECIAL III: 0.36 kg (6%), added at the end of the mash
• CARAMUNICH I: 0.18 kg (3%)

Total grain is 6.0 kg. Mash at 65 to 66 °C for a dry, fermentable wort. Bitter with a clean, high alpha hop to around 45 IBU at 60 minutes, then add a large whirlpool charge of resinous, piney or citrus hops such as Simcoe, Columbus or Chinook. Ferment with a clean American ale strain at 18 to 20 °C and dry hop with 4 to 6 g per litre once fermentation slows. Expect a final gravity near 1.012 and an ABV around 7%.

Pine and resin hops suit dark malt better than tropical ones. Mango and passion fruit can taste muddy next to even a little roast.

Water and brewing it in India

Dark malt lowers mash pH. Even 6% CARAFA SPECIAL pulls it down a little, so measure it rather than guess. Aim for a mash pH around 5.3 to 5.5. Use a sulphate leaning water profile, as you would for a West Coast IPA, to keep the finish crisp. If you brew with soft RO or packaged water, add gypsum.

Imported dehusked malt is expensive in India, so buy only what you need and store it sealed in a cool cupboard. Dark malts pick up moisture slowly, but a damp monsoon month will soften them. Fermentation temperature matters more. A black IPA fermented at 26 °C in a Mumbai summer will carry hot alcohol and fruity esters that fight the hops. Use a cooling setup or wait for winter.

Judging your result

Pour it next to a pale IPA from the same hops. If the black beer tastes like the pale one with a light dark chocolate note, you got it right. If it tastes like coffee, cut the dark malt or add it later next time. That comparison is the real test. Learning to make small, deliberate changes between batches is what separates a lucky beer from a style you can brew on demand.

Common questions

Is black IPA the same as Cascadian dark ale?

Yes. Cascadian dark ale and American black ale are other names for the same style.

Why does my black IPA taste like porter?

Too much roast. Use dehusked dark malt, keep it to 5 to 7% of the grist and add it at the end of the mash or as a cold steep.

Which hops suit a black IPA?

Piney and resinous hops such as Simcoe, Columbus and Chinook work well. Very tropical hops can clash with roast.