Irish Red question

I played around with Beersmith and came up with this steep/extract recipe for an Irish Red:

96.00 oz Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 80.00 %
16.00 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 13.33 %
4.00 oz Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 3.33 %
4.00 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 3.33 %
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 17.7 IBU
0.50 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (20 min) Hops 4.8 IBU
1 Pkgs Irish Ale (White Labs #WLP004)

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.054 SG (1.044-1.060 SG)
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.015 SG (1.010-1.014 SG)
Estimated Color: 15.3 SRM (9.0-18.0 SRM)
Bitterness: 22.5 IBU Alpha Acid Units: 7.3 AAU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 5.10 %

Would I better served knocking down the Roasted Barley to 2 oz? I wouldn't mind a slight coffee taste, but my main reason for using it is color. I keep reading that a little goes a long way. What exactly is a little?

One of these days I will have done enough batches to know the answer myself. Until then I appreciate the thoughts of those with more experience than I.

Drop the crystal 20, and I suggest using some munich LME if you can get it to replace some of the light extract. I think 4oz is good on the RB.

That's a lot of crystal 20! I'd use 1/2lb Crystal 40, which is around the same L rating as light British crystal, 1/4lb Crystal 120 and enough Roasted Barley for color, 1/4lb or so.

Saccharomyces said:

Drop the crystal 20, and I suggest using some munich LME if you can get it to replace some of the light extract. I think 4oz is good on the RB.

Click to expand...

Ooh la la, I had not heard of Munich LME so I did a quick google search. Thanks for that suggestion. Now if I can only find some.

ETA:

I read "drop" to mean drop completely. I see from the second response that it meant drop the amount. Thanks.

Holy cow!

100% Munich LME ranges from $36-$45 for 8.8 lbs. It looks like AHS has 40% Munich for ~$10/3lbs. Decisions, decisions......

I really need to go AG.

Needsanamebrewery said:

Holy cow!

100% Munich LME ranges from $36-$45 for 8.8 lbs. It looks like AHS has 40% Munich for ~$10/3lbs. Decisions, decisions......

I really need to go AG.

Click to expand...

I have used the munich LME from Austin Homebrew, that is what I was thinking of.

I would drop the crystal completely out, since you are using RB for color. For an Irish Red you don't want the flavor contribution of the crystal malt, with the crystal it will taste more like a scottish 80/ which is a good beer but won't be close to Smithwicks.

Definitely lower the roasted barley amount. 4 oz will provide: A., too much color; and B., flavor. I don't like roasted-barley character in this style. In fact, I recommend you substitute Carafa III for the roasted barley. Carafa is a dehusked black malt which imparts loads of color but very little flavor indeed. I'd still stick to about 2 oz in 5 gallons.

Other than that, I think your original grist is fine.C aramel malt flavor/aroma is in fact required in this style, according to my opinion and both the BJCP and AHA. In fact, about the only change I'd make is to cut the 20L to a half-pound and add a quarter-pound of Special B or 120L crystal; gives a more complex caramel-malt profile.

I basically think of Irish Red as a malty American Amber Ale with UK hops. That means I leave the grist pretty much alone and sub English hops varieties and avoid aggressive late and dry-hops. [shrug] YMMV.

Cheers,

Bob