All-Grain - Conan's Irish Red - Page 2

kanzimonson · 10-19-2010, 09:28 PM

Well this batch has entered the drinkable stage and I'm pretty happy with it.

Appearance is a little cloudy due to chill haze - I've added some gelatin to the keg in hopes of clearing this up. Like the original recipe, it's so red that it's almost brown. Head retention is pretty low, but I do have it at a lower carbonation level just because of personal preference.

Aromas are of cherry candy and bread crust. There's a little bit of a citrusy metallic thing going on, but I think this is just a "young" flavor, as it has been aging out since kegging.

Flavors continue with the cherry candy, with a little bit of grape soda. I mean that in a good way - it's hard to describe the lush berry flavor when it's all blended together. Sweetness is strong upfront, making an approachable beer, but it fades to a little sharp crispness in the aftertaste. I think I might bump the roast or the bitterness up in the next beer because I think it would give more of that "that last sip was great so I should have another" sensation.

Mouthfeel is medium - not too heavy that it feels overbearing, but thick enough that you feel like you're drinking something substantial.

Great beer. I think in the future I'd also like to try this beer as an American Amber but bumping the gravity up 10 points and doing some heavy hopping... mmm that sounds good.

yamaballz · 10-20-2010, 04:53 PM

Mine is totally ready to bottle. Im gonna take your advice and assume the yeast count is still active despite adding about 2 shots worth o the 40% Jameson Irish whiskey. Like you, I used the 1968 ESB. The flavor was pretty spot on when i sampled, lets hope it conditions well to keep that flavor.

How are you getting those berry and cherry flavors? Perhaps your second alteration of the grain-bill or additional hops make stark taste differences from the original recipe.

Just a note, im using well water for this batch so it will in no way be like yours, but we shall see if the flavors take to the water like im hoping. Brew On!

kanzimonson · 10-20-2010, 06:06 PM

You could do the math on it, but I don't think two shots of whiskey would up the ABV to the point that you'd be worried about yeast death. And even more so because your gravity was a little low.

I think the berry and cherries are entirely from the crystal malts. I suspect I'm using a little more than is appropriate for the style, but I've always liked a dash more sweetness than others. The first version of this beer had these flavors as well, though they were a little more subdued. If you're not getting them, I point again to your lower OG.

My water is incredibly low in mineral content. I just now got into adjusting my water (after this batch). I guess I can't really offer any advice on the water.