Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: WLP001
Yeast Starter: Yes (or pitch 2 vials)
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5
Original Gravity: 1.057
Final Gravity: 1.012
IBU: 80
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 31 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 3 weeks @ 68*
Tasting Notes: Delicious! Duh.

This is a recipe that I've been working on all year. I'm currently fermenting my 4th batch, and I think I've got it down. In my opinion, Black IPAs should have enough dark malt flavor to justify their color (not using only Carafa III), more than just a hint, not overpowering but not completely absent either. I use 6oz chocolate malt to achieve this, but use however much to fit your tastes (a little less would be good, but I probably wouldn't add any more).

The cascade/willamette combo gives a nice, citrusy nose, and the centennial/cascade combo is a tasty, spicy combo for smooth bittering. My calculators always put this in the 75-80 IBU range but the centennial hops providing the main bittering don't seem to smack you the way a lot of high-IBU IPAs do. This gives you a whole lot of hop flavor, but without the puckering. I use all lose whole hops.

The chocolate malt comes through moderately but doesn't dominate.

I shoot for 5.5gal in the fermenter cuz the dry hops are going to soak up a good chunk of of the batch. I also use a potato masher to squeeze out as much hop juice as possible when pouring into the fermenter.

For extract, replace the 2-row with 6lbs LDME and steep the rest.

Mash: 60 min @ 152 (assuming 70% efficiency)

10lbs 2-row
12oz victory
12oz crystal 60L
6oz carafa III
6oz chocolate

Boil:

1oz centennial (7.8% AA) 60 min
1oz centennial 30 min
1oz centennial 20 min
1oz cascade (7% AA) 15 min
1oz cascade flameout
1oz willamette (4.5% AA)flameout
1oz cascade dry hop (7 days)
1oz willamette dry hop (7 days)

Please let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!