Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Crush grains to a coarse flour consistency if not already crushed. Heat strike water to 165°F (74°C) to achieve a target mash temperature of 152°F (67°C) when grains are added (allow for mash tun thermal loss).

Crush and Heat

Add the crushed grain bill (Maris Otter, Munich, Crystal 60L, flaked oats, roasted barley, Carafa Special II) to the mash tun. Stir thoroughly to eliminate dry pockets and ensure even temperature. Stabilize mash at 152°F (67°C) and hold for 60 minutes.

Optional mash rest: If you want a slightly drier profile, raise to 158°F (70°C) for a 10–15 minute mashout before vorlaufing. If doing single infusion, hold 60 minutes total at 152°F and then mash out at 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes.

Vorlauf (recirculate) until wort runs clear, then collect wort into your boil kettle. Sparge with ~3.5 gallons of 170–175°F (77–80°C) water to collect approximately 6.5–6.75 gallons pre-boil (adjust for system loss) to achieve a post-boil volume of about 5.5 gallons for 5 gallons bottled/kegged beer.

Bring wort to a rolling boil. Start 60-minute boil timer once boil begins.

Add 1.0 oz Centennial at 60 minutes (bittering). Add 0.5 oz Simcoe at 45 minutes (early hop flavor/bittering). Add Irish Moss or Whirlfloc with 15 minutes remaining (1 tsp) and yeast nutrient at 10 minutes if using.

With 10 minutes remaining, add 1.0 oz Simcoe (flavor/aroma). At flameout (end of boil), turn off heat and add 1.0 oz Mosaic and 0.5 oz Centennial for whirlpool/steep — allow to steep for 15–30 minutes at ~170–180°F (77–82°C) for aroma extraction.

After the whirlpool/hop steep, chill wort quickly to ~68°F (20°C) using an immersion chiller, counterflow, or plate chiller. Transfer chilled wort into a sanitized fermenter, leaving behind as much trub as possible.

Top up with pre-boiled and cooled water if necessary to reach 5.25 gallons in the fermenter (accounting for trub loss) to achieve the target original gravity (~1.068–1.072 which will finish near 7.4% ABV depending on attenuation). Aerate by shaking, splashing, or using an oxygen kit to reach 8–10 ppm dissolved oxygen prior to pitching yeast.

Pitch the yeast (one packet or starter) into the aerated wort at 66–68°F (19–20°C). Maintain fermentation temperature at 66–68°F for primary fermentation.

Primary fermentation will be vigorous for 3–5 days. After the most active fermentation subsides (about 3–5 days), raise temperature by 3–4°F (1–2°C) for a diacetyl rest for 24–48 hours if desired.

On day 5–7 (or when active fermentation slows and specific gravity is ~1.020–1.010), add dry hops: 1.0 oz Simcoe + 1.0 oz Mosaic. Leave dry hops in contact for 3–5 days at fermentation temperature.

After dry hopping, allow beer to clear for 2–4 days in the fermenter (cold crash to ~35–40°F / 2–4°C will help clarity). Rack to a keg or prepare for bottling.

If bottling, dissolve 4 oz (113 g) priming dextrose in 1 cup boiling water, cool, and gently mix with the beer before bottling to achieve approx. 2.3 volumes CO2 (adjust amount for your temperature and desired carbonation). Bottle and cap, then condition at 68–72°F for 2 weeks, then cold condition for a week before drinking.

If kegging, carbonate to ~2.3 volumes CO2 by force carbonation (30 psi for 24–48 hours at 38°F, or set regulator accordingly).

Target final gravity should be around 1.014–1.016 depending on yeast attenuation, giving approximately 7.2–7.6% ABV. Measured IBUs with listed hops and additions should be near 55–65 IBU (target 60 IBU). If finished beer tastes too roasty or astringent, reduce the roasted barley or Carafa by 0.05–0.1 lb next iteration. If you want more black color with less roast flavor, use more dehusked black malt (Carafa Special II) instead of raw roasted barley.

Maris Otter Pale Malt (2-row) - base malt

Munich Malt (10L)

Caramel/Crystal 60L

Flaked Oats

Roasted Barley

Carafa Special II (dehusked black malt)

Centennial (10% AA) - bittering

Simcoe (13% AA) - bittering/early flavor

Simcoe (13% AA) - flavor/aroma

Mosaic (12% AA) - late flavor/aroma

Centennial (10% AA) - late aroma/whirlpool

Simcoe (dry hop)

Mosaic (dry hop)

Ale yeast - American West Coast / English IPA strain (e.g., Wyeast 1056, Safale US-05)

Yeast nutrient (optional)

Irish Moss or Whirlfloc (optional, kettle fining)

Priming sugar (for bottling) - dextrose

Strike water

Sparge water (approximately)

Water salts (optional: gypsum / calcium chloride)

Black Array Black IPA

Make Black Array Black IPA Recipe in just 14m. 7.4% ABV/60 IBU Gravity Brewing Company

Black Array Black IPA

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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