Gato Negro

by Dawn Coluccio and Kate Saik
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.054  FG = 1.013
IBU = 21  ABV = 5.2%

Ingredients
6.0 lbs. (2.7 kg) dark liquid malt extract
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) domestic special pale malt
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) medium crystal malt
0.50 lb. (0.23 kg) roasted barley
0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) chocolate malt
0.50 lb. (0.23 kg) oatmeal
1.75 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 whole vanilla beans
5 AAU UK Kent Golding hops (45 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g of 5% alpha acids)
8.5 AAU UK Northdown hops (5 min.) (1 oz./28 g of 8.5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) yeast

Step by Step
Heat 1.0 gallon (3.8 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C). Add grain bag and steep for 30 minutes. Sparge grains at 168 °F (76 °C) bringing volume up to 2.0 gallons (7.6 L). Return to boil. Turn off heat and add malt extract. Boil for 60 minutes adding hops as indicated. Turn off heat. Split and scrape vanilla beans and add. Add cocoa powder. Stir thoroughly. Bring the total volume up to 5 gallons (19 L). Cool to 70 °F (21 °C) and pitch yeast. Ferment at 60–75 °F (16–24 °C). Rack to secondary when gravity is 1.016 or lower. Ferment until action has ceased and beer has clarified. Prime, bottle and age at room temperature for at least two weeks before chilling.