Best way to get a real red?

I'm toying with coming up from my usual black (at minimum very dark brown) beers for a batch.

I'd like to make something red.

Not an orangey-red

Not a brownish-red

Not pink.

Not any color you'd have to have the beer named red in order to interpret as red.

Ruby-claret-cherry red sort of red. You look at it, you think red.

Possible/not? Grains to get there, percentages or amounts for a 5 gallon /20 Liter or so batch?

A little roasted goes a long way in getting that red color...

Mirilis said:

A little roasted goes a long way in getting that red color...

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While that works well Cara-red does even better

beet juice?

Food coloring?

Blood?

Melanoidin malt can help with a red color.

Honestly, have you ever seen a red beer? OP you are describing something that really isn't possible. It is always going to be orangish-red or brown-ish red.

But all of the above mentioned malts will get you close.

Use some brewing software and see what you can come up with.

Beer, not colored water. No food coloring, no beet juice, no grape juice - barley - wheat, rye, oats also OK.

I've seen some good red at the edge of dark LME running into hot water, so I'm pretty sure it can be done with the right concentration of chocolate or other kilned/roasted malts, just looking for a starting point or links to pictures and recipes of prior success (if there are any out there) before I start in with the experimenting phase.

OK, that's one vote (while I was typing the above) for not possible. Perhaps it isn't.

Carafa II.

.12# of roasted barley...in 5 gal. Nice color!

Hit Jester over the head?

red indian corn :fro:

Fingers said:

Hit Jester over the head?

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hehehe!!!!

Fingers said:

Hit Jester over the head?

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I'd rather spank Red's bottom...

+1 to a bit of roasted barley. That's been my method for years, and it's always worked well. Done properly, all you get is color. Theoretically, Carafa II or III should perform the same function with even less chance of flavor contribution; I say "theoretically" because I've never used it in that fashion.

Something to remember is that Melanoidin, CaraRed and certain crystal/caramel malts will provide a red color very well. Unlike a roasted grain, however, they will of necessity impact flavor as well, for more of those must be used to impact color than roasted grains. A palmful of roasted barley in five gallons will impact color; the others won't.

Bob

clayton_ross said:

red indian corn :fro:

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I've never seen corn any colour other than yellow!

I too seek this color. It would be great for Christmas. I found a discussion on an Aussie forum talking about this. Apparently the consensus was 2-oz. roasted barley for darker beers and cara-red was good for light color beers(wheat). Overall the group felt a little roasted was the way to go. You won't get bright red for certain, only a reddish hue.
I plan on trying this color for Xmas. I am going the the brewstore tonight and brew this weekend. I am going w/ 2-ozs. roasted and maybe a little cara-red. Post up a pic when you brew. Charlie

Here's a photo of Jamil's Red Rocket Clone that I brewed on Sunday:



It has a combination of Pale Chocolate, Crystal 120, and a heavy dose of Photoshop.

Loweface said:

I've never seen corn any colour other than yellow!

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Welcome to the new world

Bobby_M said:

beet juice?

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Tried this in a few forms...
In a starter that got a very mild, short boil, it was an amazing fuchsia pink...
In a wort that got a long boil, the pigment broke down and it was just a funky brown color.

I was just listening to an archive episode of The Session, from early in 2006, and Doc was talking about
the fact that he had just ordered some indian red rice, to add to a batch, to see if it would add some color...
he had not brewed with it yet, so I don't know how that came out.

Dude said:

Honestly, have you ever seen a red beer?

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I dunno. I had a Leffe Ruby when I was in France this summer and that was one RED beer.... Course, it also tasted like raspberry soda, but...

StunnedMonkey said:

Here's a photo of Jamil's Red Rocket Clone that I brewed on Sunday:

It has a combination of Pale Chocolate, Crystal 120, and a heavy dose of Photoshop.

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My lbs doesn't sell photoshop:cross: I'll look for it online

niquejim said:

While that works well Cara-red does even better

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Cara-red works for me too...

Also Yooper's Dead guy CLone is really red, and if you leave it in primary for a month it gets ruby jewel-like (I got kudos on the color/clarity by one of the judges in one of the comps I entered it in.)

It has this grain combo in it.

13oz Belgiun Cara-Munich
13oz German Munich
7oz US Crystal 40 deg L

Dude said:

Honestly, have you ever seen a red beer?

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It's with the "Blue Food"

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l04dn8Msm-Y]YouTube - George Carlin - Where's the Blue Food?[/ame]

rabidgerbil said:

Tried this in a few forms...
In a starter that got a very mild, short boil, it was an amazing fuchsia pink...
In a wort that got a long boil, the pigment broke down and it was just a funky brown color.

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Try adding it after the boil as a sugar...after juicing just simmer for 10 minutes to kill any wild yeasties and add directly to your fermenter. What happened when you added it for the long boil is that the pigments actually fall out with the hotbreak. I make beet reduction all the time at work, and when making a thick syrup out of it you get nice clumps...

Fingers said:

Hit Jester over the head?

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Also, great reply. Although I might resort to getting him real drunk instead of violence...

11.1% Vienna (6L)
11.1% Victory (28L)
11.1% Biscuit (25L)
11.1% Caramel 80L (79L)
55.6% base malt

This is my grain bill for my California common, and it's an amazing dark red colour, almost blood-like! I'll post a photo soon.

StunnedMonkey said:

Here's a photo of Jamil's Red Rocket Clone that I brewed on Sunday:

and a heavy dose of Photoshop.

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LMAO!!! I saw that pic and was like NO F'ING WAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:rockin:

TerapinChef said:

Also, great reply. Although I might resort to getting him real drunk...

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Interesting approach. Most would want to get the girl drunk, but I'm sure Jester is a fine example of manhood. Just don't hit Red too hard, if you don't mind, and there's nothing wrong with that.

i'm surprised no one mentioned hibiscus...i've been talking about trying this for about a year now...i think there's something wrong with me. i have trouble putting spices in my beers...

Hibiscus tea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I used 2 oz black patent, 1/4 pound crystal 120, and 1 pound crystal 20 to get my reddest beer

Melanoidin works okay, but CaraHell or CaraRed are way better

I made a dry-hopped red of an amazing color with 2 oz black patent, 1 pound crystal 20, 1/4 pound crystal 120, and i also added some sugar i caramelized myself- just boil sugar 3:1 with water until it starts to darken- it should eventually turn a dark, mahogany red color that is beautiful- i added that to my boil

Carafa II Special is great at adding color without any flavor or mouthfeel; roasted barley does a good job too