How to Brew Dark IPA

Our Dark IPA recipe uses a Dark Dry Malt Extract (DME) base, which provides the deep color and fermentable sugars needed for this style. Unlike traditional dark beers, a Dark IPA relies on debittered dark malts, such as Blackprinz or Midnight Wheat, to achieve dark color without the harsh, burnt flavors often associated with stouts or porters. These malts create a smooth mouthfeel and light roast character that lets the hops shine.

Unlike juicy or fruity hop profiles found in hazy IPAs, Dark IPAs embrace piney, resinous, and citrus-forward hops to complement their deep color and toasty malt backbone. The goal is to create a beer that tastes like an IPA despite its dark hue. Some of the best hop varieties for brewing Dark IPA include: 

• Chinook – Bold pine and resin character 
• Centennial – Citrus-forward with floral and earthy notes 
• Simcoe – Complex mix of pine, berry, and citrus 
• Citra – Bright bursts of orange, grapefruit, and tropical fruit

Our Dark IPA making kit includes SafAle US-05 dry ale yeast, which is widely used for American ales and IPAs. This clean-fermenting yeast helps maintain the crisp, refreshing IPA character while enhancing hop aromatics. It also promotes a foamy head, adding to the overall drinking experience.

Want to take your Dark IPA brewing process to the next level? Consider these optional ingredients: 

• Brewer’s Crystals – Boosts ABV without thinning out the beer’s body. 
• Calcium Sulfate (Gypsum) – Enhances hop perception and balances water chemistry for better fermentation. 
• Edible Glitter – A fun twist! Silver "luster dust" can create a shimmering galaxy effect in a Dark IPA.

A stock pot is essential for boiling your wort (unfermented beer). It should be large enough to hold at least 1 gallon of liquid, with extra room to prevent boil-overs. Avoid pots that are too large, as they can lead to excessive evaporation.

You’ll need a thermometer to closely monitor and maintain temperatures on brew day. Our IPA making kit includes a glass lab thermometer, but a digital food-safe thermometer works well, too!

Key temperatures you’ll need to reach and hold include:

• Mash temperature: 155ºF (for steeping grains) 

Yeast pitching temperature: Below 75ºF (for optimal fermentation)

A funnel helps you transfer the wort from your brew pot into the fermenter without spills or mess. Our Dark IPA making kit includes a 4” funnel to make this process smooth and efficient.

Fermentation is where the magic happens! A 1-gallon glass carboy serves as the fermenter, allowing yeast to convert sugars into alcohol while retaining hop aromas. A rubber stopper ensures a tight seal, preventing contamination. This essential equipment is included in our Dark IPA making kit.

A racking cane is a rigid plastic tube that is used to siphon the fermented beer off sediment, preventing oxidation and maintaining beer clarity. Our Dark IPA making kit includes all the necessary siphoning tools for a seamless bottling process.

After fermentation, you'll need to carbonate your beer in bottles. For a 1-gallon batch, you'll need approximately: 

• Ten 12oz pry-off beer bottles & Crown Caps
• Eight 16oz pry-off beer bottles & Crown Caps
• Four 32oz pry off bottles  & Crown Caps
• Choose between flip-top bottles or pry-off beer bottles with caps and a capper tool.

When working with IPAs and highly hopped beers, it’s important to keep hop debris separated from your beer. Any hop sediment from brew day that gets into your fermenter may eventually be transferred into bottles, which can lead to unpleasant grassy hop off flavors in your glass.

Step 1: Sanitize Everything

Proper sanitation is essential to avoid contamination. Any bacteria or wild yeast can ruin your beer. 

• Mix half of the included sanitizer packet with 1 gallon of water in a bucket or pitcher. 
• Submerge all equipment that will touch the beer after boiling (fermenter, funnel, airlock, tubing, thermometer). 
• Let everything soak for at least 60 seconds—no need to rinse. Air-dry on clean paper towels.

Step 2: Heating the Water & Steeping the Grains

• Pour as close to 1 gallon of water as possible into your brew pot, leaving space to prevent boil-overs. 
• Heat the water on high heat until it reaches 155°F (68°C). 
• Place the specialty grains (BlackPrinz & Midnight Wheat) into the grain steeping bag, tie it off, and steep in the water for 20 minutes. 
• Remove the grain bag and discard—do NOT squeeze it, as this can release tannins and create unwanted bitterness.

Step 3: Boiling & Adding Malt Extract 

• Increase the heat and bring the wort (unfermented beer) to a boil. 
• Once the first bubbles appear, remove the pot from heat and slowly stir in the dry malt extract to prevent clumping. 
• Return the pot to medium-high heat and set a 60-minute timer. 

Step 4: Adding Hops 

Hops contribute bitterness, aroma, and flavor to your home Dark IPA brewing process. Your Dark IPA Kit includes a blend of hops to create the perfect balance of piney, resinous, and citrusy notes. 

• At the start of the 60-minute boil, add Bittering Hops. 
• At 10 minutes left, add Flavor Hops. 
• At 2 minutes left, add Aroma Hops. 

💡 Pro Tip: Watch for boil-overs! If your wort foams up, turn off the heat and stir to prevent spills. 

Step 5: Cooling the Wort 

After boiling, the wort must be cooled to a yeast-friendly temperature before fermentation begins. 

• Create an ice bath in your sink using ice and cold water. 
• Place the pot in the ice bath and cover it with a lid to avoid contamination. 
• Stir the surrounding ice water occasionally to speed up cooling. 
• Use a sanitized thermometer to check that the wort is below 75°F (23°C). 

Step 6: Transferring to the Fermenter & Pitching Yeast 

• Using a sanitized funnel, transfer the cooled wort into the sanitized fermenter, leaving any thick sediment (trub) behind. 
• If needed, add cool water to reach the "one-gallon" fill line. 
• Cut open the yeast packet and pitch the yeast (sprinkle the entire contents into the fermenter). 
• Aerate the wort by sealing the fermenter and shaking it vigorously for one minute—this helps the yeast thrive.

Step 7: Setting Up the Blow-Off Tube & Monitoring Fermentation

• Insert a sanitized blow-off tube into the fermenter’s rubber stopper. 
• Place the other end in a half-full glass of water—this prevents foam overflow. 
• Store the fermenter in a dark, temperature-stable location (ideally 60-75°F). 
• Within 24-48 hours, bubbling should begin as fermentation starts.

Step 8: Swapping the Blow-Off Tube for an Airlock

• After 4-5 days, once bubbling slows down, swap the blow-off tube for an airlock filled with water. 
• Fermentation will continue for about 10-14 days.

Step 9: Adding Dry Hops for Maximum Aroma & Flavor

• After 10 days of fermentation, add the dry hops directly into the fermenter. 
• No need to stir or mix—the hops will infuse flavor & aroma naturally.

Step 10: Preparing Bottling Equipment & Priming Sugar

• Sanitize bottles, caps, siphon tubing, and the bottling wand. 
• In a small stockpot, heat 1.5 cups of water with 2 Tablespoons of sugar. 
• Stir until dissolved and boil for 5 minutes. 
• Allow the sugar water (priming sugar) to completely cool before use. 

Step 11: Siphoning Beer into Bottles 

• Place the fermenter on a high surface and the pot of priming sugar on the floor. 
• Siphon the beer into the pot, carefully leaving sediment behind. 
• Gently stir the beer to evenly mix in the priming sugar. 
• Using sanitized tubing, siphon the beer into bottles, filling just to the neck. 
• Cap the bottles securely.

Step 12: Carbonation & Aging

• Store bottles in a dark, temperature-controlled area (68-75°F) for two weeks to allow carbonation to develop. 
• After 14 days, refrigerate and enjoy your homebrewed Dark IPA! 

💡 Pro Tip: If your beer is under-carbonated, let it sit at room temperature for an additional 3-5 days before chilling.

✅ How to Avoid It: Always use a siphon when transferring beer to minimize splashing and oxygen exposure. When adding dry hops, work quickly to limit the beer’s contact with oxygen. Store bottled Dark IPA in a cool, dark place to preserve freshness and hop aroma. 

✅ How to Avoid It: Use a nylon hop straining bag or fine-mesh strainer to filter out hops before transferring wort into the fermenter. If dry hopping, use a sanitized nylon hop bag to contain hop matter while still extracting bold aroma and flavor. Reducing hop debris in bottles helps prevent harsh bitterness and maintains the clean hop-forward flavor of a Dark IPA. 

✅ How to Avoid It: Stick with dehusked or debittered dark malts like BlackPrinz and Midnight Wheat, which provide dark color without excessive roasted bitterness. Avoid using heavy caramel, chocolate, or roasted barley malts, as these can overpower the hop-forward profile of a Dark IPA.

• Maintain a steady fermentation range of 65–70°F (18–21°C) for a clean yeast profile. 
• Avoid temperature swings, as they can lead to unwanted esters or phenols that may clash with the beer’s roasted malt backbone. 
• If your brewing space fluctuates in temperature, consider using a fermentation chamber or a simple water bath to regulate conditions.

• Oxidation is one of the biggest risks when brewing highly hopped beers like Dark IPA. If oxygen sneaks into your beer post-fermentation, it can cause the deep black color to fade to murky brown and introduce stale, cardboard-like off-flavors that dull the hop aroma.
• Avoid splashing when transferring wort or bottling. 
• Always use a siphon or racking cane to minimize air exposure. 
• When dry hopping, add hops quickly and reseal your fermenter immediately to limit oxygen contact. 
• Store bottles in a cool, dark place to preserve hop aroma and freshness.

• Use a hop bag or mesh strainer to contain hop matter during the boil. 
• When transferring to the fermenter, leave behind as much hop sediment as possible to prevent clogging. 
• For dry hopping, use a sanitized hop sack to extract hop aroma while preventing hop particles from ending up in the final beer.

• Sanitize all brewing equipment—fermenters, airlocks, siphons, bottles, and tubing. 
• Use a no-rinse sanitizer (like the one included in Craft a Brew’s Dark IPA Kit) for quick and efficient sanitization. 
• Rinse out your siphon and tubing immediately after use to prevent residue buildup and bacterial growth.

Many first-time Dark IPA brewers worry that the dark malts will make the beer taste like a stout or porter rather than an IPA. The key to avoiding this is using the right dark malts—ones that provide color without overwhelming roastiness. 

• Use debittered or dehusked dark malts like BlackPrinz or Midnight Wheat, which add color without excessive coffee or burnt flavors. 
• Avoid roasted barley or chocolate malt, which are common in stouts and porters but too intense for a Dark IPA. 
• Make sure your hop selection leans toward piney, resinous, and citrusy varieties, like Chinook, Centennial, or Simcoe, to keep the beer hop-forward.

Hop timing is crucial for getting the right balance of bitterness, flavor, and aroma in a Dark IPA. Here’s some of the Best Hop Timing for a Dark IPA: 

• Bittering Hops: Add at the beginning of the 60-minute boil for classic IPA bitterness. 
• Flavor Hops: Add 10 minutes before the end of the boil to enhance piney, citrusy, and dank notes. 
• Aroma Hops: Add in the last 2 minutes of the boil or during a hop stand at 180°F for maximum aroma. 
• Dry Hops: Add after fermentation slows (Day 5–7) to bring out bold, resinous hop character without excessive bitterness.

A good head of foam helps trap aromas and enhances mouthfeel, but some homebrewers struggle to achieve a thick, lasting head on their Dark IPA. 

• Ensure proper carbonation—if the beer is under-carbonated, the head won’t form properly. 
• Avoid using too many oils or fatty ingredients (such as certain fruit additions) that can reduce foam stability. 
• Serve your beer in clean glassware—any leftover soap residue or oils can break down foam quickly.