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Bisco_Ben · 10-12-2012, 04:31 PM

So I want to put together another recipe from scratch in beersmith and this time I am wanting to try my hand at an Imperial Red ale. Something along the lines of Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale. I want there to be a nice big clean red malt background perfectly balanced by a nice dose of american hops. This is a recipe that I put together off the top of my head and have no idea if I would even wind up with a beer that is red. Any helpful critique/insight would be greatly appreciated as I would really like to get this style nailed down and have pretty much no idea what I am doing here.

Imerial Red

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
14 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 77.8 %
1 lbs Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 2 5.6 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.6 %
8.0 oz Amber Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.8 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.8 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.8 %
8.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 7 2.8 %
1.00 oz Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8 33.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 9 15.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 10 7.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 11 11.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 12 6.3 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 14 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 15 -
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 16 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 17 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.077
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 8.5 %
Bitterness: 74.7 IBUs
Est Color: 10.3 SRM

snoworshine · 10-12-2012, 04:42 PM

Amber and Melanoidin are both crystal/caramel type malts and both are about the same lovibond (coloring). i would use caramel 60 instead of both of those for about 8% of the grain. you will also need to add a touch of something dark to give the red colors. You can use chocolate or black malt (black patent) but be VERY cafeful with the amount. Use just enough to bump the SRM up, anything more it will taste like raisins. I use 4oz for a 12gal batch.

Bisco_Ben · 10-12-2012, 04:47 PM

I have been straying away from crystal malts lately due to their sometimes overpowering sweetness. Would it be advisable to drop the crystal and up the meloidin, munich or amber then? Just looking for a nice big almost bready malt flavor as opposed to an overly sweet one.

snoworshine · 10-12-2012, 04:56 PM

The amber and melanoidin are both caramel malts similar to the caramel/crystal malts that are commonly used in american beers. im not sure of the exact differences (maybe a different base grain? pils malt vs domestic 2row?) but both will give you caramel sweetness to the recipe.

as long as you keep the percentage down on the crystal 60 and add a kilned malt to balance it (munich would work, or vienna/biscuit/victory--depending on how much "roastiness" you want) then ther balance should work nicely.

inhousebrew · 10-12-2012, 04:59 PM

That will definitely get you a nice malt backbone for you beer. However, you do want to up the color rating. For my red I shoot for 14-16.

johngaltsmotor · 10-12-2012, 05:10 PM

You can also tweak mash temp to avoid the residual sweetness - I've got a Double Red IPA that I just tapped and 155F was just a bit too warm. It's good, but the bitter hop shine through with that extra sweetness.

I had 1oz Chocolate and 1oz debittered black in 17lb of grain with 8oz Crystal 80 and it's just a touch dark (brown instead of red). You're Crystal 60 be an improvement over mine. Other option might be adding some Cara-Red if your HBS carries it to get the distinct color.

Bisco_Ben · 10-12-2012, 05:18 PM

Ok, so this is what I have come up with after your suggestions. Will plan to mash at 152 to get a nice balance between dry and malty without being too sweet. Also added 3 oz chocolate malt to darken it up. How does that amount sound? What do you guys think now?

Ingredients

13 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 75.6 %
1 lbs Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 2 5.8 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.8 %
8.0 oz Amber Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.9 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.9 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.9 %
3.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 7 1.1 %
8.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 8 2.9 %
1.00 oz Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 9 34.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 10 16.1 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 11 7.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 12 11.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 13 6.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 14 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 15 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 16 -
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 17 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 19 0.0 IBUs

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.073 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.9 %
Bitterness: 76.8 IBUs
Est Color: 14.0 SRM

snoworshine · 10-12-2012, 05:19 PM

carared has a lovibond of 20, the same as caramel 20. so be careful because you can overdo the sweetness with that the same.

if you want a bready/malty beer you might want a small amount lf low lovibond caramel (c20 or carared) and use victory for the bready component.

Bisco_Ben · 10-12-2012, 05:31 PM

what would be a good malt to substitute victory for in order to get a slight bready feel? also, wouldnt swapping the c-60 for c-20 drop my srm too much?

snoworshine · 10-12-2012, 05:45 PM

The revised recipe has total caramel percent of 11.6%, which will definitely give you a sweet beer (regardless of mash temp). the 11.6% comes from 5.8 mela, 2.9 amber and 2.9 c60. i would recommend not exceeding 8% of caramel. personally, i would only use a single caramel malt to keep it simple (c40 or c60) for 5% or so.

also, the only bready component you are going to get in this is from the munich which is light flavor at best. if you want bready use victory or biscuit. you could replace the munich with those or keep it, either way.