Red Ale Recipe Critique - first attempt at a red

Well all week long I had been planning an irish red and after my visit to LHBS many thing went awry. First of all, they were out of any kind of standard base malt, so I had to go with a pilsen base. Secondly they were out of wyeast 1084, so there goes my standard irish red brew plans. So I am going to use wyeast 1275 (thames valley) and hop it liberally with some whole cone liberty hops in an attempt to make an interesting, sessionable red ale. I am hoping for a nice spicy, fruity nose from the yeast and hops with an intersting malt background and a fairly dry to medium finish. Please give me any advice, i hate having to compromise my recipes, but I am somewhat excited about this one.....it could be tasty.



Type: All Grain
Date: 9/23/2011
Batch Size: 12.00 gal
Boil Size: 13.74
Boil Time: 90 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
20.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 82.03 %
2.00 lb Medium Crystal Simpson (55.0 SRM) Grain 8.20 %
2.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 8.20 %
0.38 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 1.56 %
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (90 min) Hops 21.7 IBU
4.00 oz Liberty [4.30 %] (5 min) Hops 5.0 IBU


Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.056 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.42 %
Bitterness: 26.7 IBU
Est Color: 13.0 SRM
Mash at 153 for 60 minutes
Yeast = Wyeast 1275 Thames Valley Ale

I think that it looks good.

Nothing to recommend. Should be good.

Looks good to me. Sounds yummy!

Bob

I hope it's good, Pitched yeast at 1:00 pm yesterday, and have a very healthy fermentation going this morning. Hit 1.053 OG and mash temp of 153 so this should be a nice, balanced treat when it's finished. At least I hope so.


I wonder if a 1 oz liberty dry hop is in order?

Ooo. That sounds awesome.

1275 is going to rock your world in that beer. It's a marvelous yeast that is often overlooked in favour of the more iconic ones (Fuller, Ringwood, etc.).

You have not indicated fermentation temperatures but I would ferment it on the low side. It won't have any problem attenuate with that grist/mash temp and it'll let the pils/munich maltyness come through nicely.

jfr1111 said:

1275 is going to rock your world in that beer. It's a marvelous yeast that is often overlooked in favour of the more iconic ones (Fuller, Ringwood, etc.).

You have not indicated fermentation temperatures but I would ferment it on the low side. It won't have any problem attenuate with that grist/mash temp and it'll let the pils/munich maltyness come through nicely.

Click to expand...

Fermenation is rolling along at 64 degrees right now. I was very suprised at how controlled the fermenation is. I had blowoff tubes rigged (as usual), and I just got a nice, constant, subdued, fermentation going on. A nice fruity smell from the bubbles though. The beer is bright red, at this low of a fermenatation temp, I am hoping I get something similar to an irish red, except with some finishing hop character.

We are nine days into the ferment and the yeast has all but dropped out of suspension and the gravity has stabilized at 1.013, which should be about perfect. My sample tasted outstanding and very balanced.

Awesome. Way to go!

Bob said:

Awesome. Way to go!

Click to expand...

I can already tell that this beer is going to be a problem once I get it into kegs. My sample had just a little yeast fruitiness, not much, but a little. Then it had the spicy hop chararacter and just a little residual sweetness and caramel flavor. This will be the perfect beer for an ice cold 32 oz mug among friends. Glad I have 10 gallons.

I am surely going to wash 5-10 samples of this yeast for future batches. I am thinking a bitter or an esb comin up.

Drinking this beer right now, it is a perfectly clear bronze/red color and is very subtle and smooth and delicious ice cold. 1275 was way cleaner in the low to mid sixties then I was expecting. If I didn't know better I would swear this is an amber lager.

This beer is so quaffable that I have decided to make it my house ale, with a few modifications for next time

sub two pounds of the base malt for another two pounds of munich and increase the mash temp to 155. For my tastes it could use more maltiness and body, but that is strictly my tastes. It is a great brew as is...dangerously smooth and drinkable. I am going to pitch cold (60) and let the yeast rise to the low seventies to encourage more fruity esthers. The hops are right on....