Red Ale Recipe Modification

KeeferMan · 12-09-2008, 09:21 PM

For my second batch I am going to brew up a Red Ale.

I have some hops left over and I was going to see if I could make them work with the recipe. If anything, I might want it to be a little less hoppy than the beers typically brewed by the company that gave me the recipe.

Here is the recipe:

Red Ale
6# pale malt extract
2#amber malt extract
1# 80L Crystal
1/2 # 120L crystal
1 1/2 oz Cenntenial (9.8%) 60 min
1 oz Cascade (6.2%) 1 min
Ferment with W.L. English Ale Yeast

I have on hand:
1 oz. Cascade (so we're good there)
1 oz. Centennial
1 oz. Gallena

Should I just omit the missing 1/2 oz. of Centennial or add a little bit of Gallena? How much? And if I add some Gallena at what part of the boil?

Thank you!

**McGarnigle** · 12-09-2008, 10:07 PM

I'd add the Galena for bittering; boil for 60. What's the AA of your Galena? If it's around 10%, add 1/2 ounce. If it's higher add a touch less (not sure if you have to be exact here). The Galena will have less character than Centennial, but I don't think it will fight against it.

**HBHoss** · 12-09-2008, 11:39 PM

If you go with the Cascade 1oz. for a 60 min boil then 1oz of Centennial for the last 10 min of the boil you'll drop your bitterness almost in half.
The original recipe has a bitterness of about 42. With what I suggested it gives you a bitterness of about 25. If you go with the Galena for 15 min you get a bitterness of around 33. It's up to you as to how close to the original you want.

ifishsum · 12-10-2008, 12:20 AM

If the AA% of your Galena is close to that of your Centennial, I'd use that to make up the missing 1/2 ounce in your 60 minute addition, or maybe 1/4 ounce if you want to ease up a little on the bitterness. If they're much higher than the Centennials reduce them a little more than that. It just depends on how much of the hops bitterness you want to leave out.

KeeferMan · 12-10-2008, 01:01 AM

Thanks everyone.

Not being as familiar with IBUs (but appreciating the insight) is a bitterness of 42 on the high side for an American Red Ale?

If it is I might back it off and add the Galena at the last 15 minutes to get it at the 33. In that scenario am I using the full ounce, and does that have the Centennial going in at 10 minutes or the last minute like the recipe says?

Brewsmith · 12-10-2008, 01:09 AM

If you're going with that much crystal, don't use the amber extract. Use all light extract. Also, I'd back off on the total crystal a little and use a little chocolate malt to bring up the color and add a hint of roasty character. Maybe...

8 lbs Pale Malt extract

0.75 lbs Crystal 60
0.25 lbs Crystal 120
0.25 lbs Chocolate or Pale Cocolate if you can get it.

KeeferMan · 12-10-2008, 05:20 AM

Thanks you guys. Unfortunately I didn't read what I had on hand properly (it came with the brew kit as a gift). Thought it was Pale Malt Extract but it's Muntons Amber. I have 6# of the stuff, as well as the hops already mentioned. Any ideas? Doesn't have to be a red ale...

Brewsmith · 12-10-2008, 09:58 AM

I wouldn't add any crystal to it then. The Amber already has it in the extract. If you want to make it bigger add some light extract and maybe some of the darker roasted grains, maybe just 2 oz or so.

or...

Make a Stout with it

6 lbs Amber Extract
0.5 lb Roasted Barley
0.5 lb Chocolate Malt

0.5 oz Galena 60 min
0.5 oz Centennial 10 min
0.5 oz Cascade 0 min

KeeferMan · 12-11-2008, 11:26 PM

I like your idea.

What about an American Porter?

How does this look (recommendations appreciated):

6# Amber DME
1# Pale DME
1/2# Chocolate Malt
1/2# Black Malt

1 oz. Galena 60 min.
1/2 oz. Cascade 60 min.
1 oz. Centennial 2 min.

Thank you!

Brewsmith · 12-11-2008, 11:40 PM

Looks good. You wouldn't want that many hops in the 60 minute addition. What's the AA% on the galena?