Here's my grain bill, got any hopping suggestions?

So I've been working on this recipe for a Red Rye with a little bit of peated malt and some honey malt for a sweet/spicy/smoky malt profile, but I can't decide how I want to hop it. Anybody have some suggestions? Here's what I have so far:

Red Rye - Irish Red Ale
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Batch Size: 5.000 gal
Boil Size: 6.000 gal
Boil Time: 1.000 hr
Efficiency: 65%%
OG: 1.053
FG: 1.014
ABV: 5.0%%
Bitterness: 0.0 IBUs (Tinseth)
Color: 13 SRM (Morey)

Fermentables
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Name Type Amount Mashed Late Yield Color
Vienna Malt Grain 8.000 lb Yes No 78%% 4 L
Rye Malt Grain 3.000 lb Yes No 63%% 5 L
Peat Smoked Malt Grain 2.000 oz Yes No 74%% 3 L
Honey Malt Grain 8.000 oz Yes No 80%% 25 L
Roasted Barley Grain 2.000 oz Yes No 55%% 300 L
Caramunich Malt Grain 4.000 oz Yes No 72%% 56 L
Total grain: 12.000 lb

Misc
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Name Type Use Amount Time
Irish Moss Fining Boil 0.000 tsp 0.000 s

Yeast
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Name Type Form Amount Stage
Wyeast - Irish Ale Ale Liquid 0.528 cup Primary

Since you want to make the malt shine through, I'd recommend that you go for about 25 IBU's of medium to high-alpha hop.

M_C

That grain bill is all over the place. Vienna, Rye, Peat, Roasted Barley, Honey, etc.

If you are going for an Irish red, I'd stick to traditional hops. EKG, Fuggles, Northdown, etc.

BrewThruYou said:

That grain bill is all over the place. Vienna, Rye, Peat, Roasted Barley, Honey, etc.

If you are going for an Irish red, I'd stick to traditional hops. EKG, Fuggles, Northdown, etc.

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I didn't so much want it to be a traditional irish red, hence the "unconventional" grain bill. I was thinking Fuggles, but part of me wants to make it with American hops and some higher bitterness. I could probably remove the roasted barley and the caramunich, but I wanted to make sure it was nice and red, and I've seen those two accomplish that in other recipes. I'm also not totally sold on the honey malt, I may just nix it altogether.

Beehemel said:

I didn't so much want it to be a traditional irish red, hence the "unconventional" grain bill. I was thinking Fuggles, but part of me wants to make it with American hops and some higher bitterness. I could probably remove the roasted barley and the caramunich, but I wanted to make sure it was nice and red, and I've seen those two accomplish that in other recipes. I'm also not totally sold on the honey malt, I may just nix it altogether.

Click to expand...

If I was going with that grainbill, I'd use pretty neutral hops or at least earthy hops. I think citrusy US hops would clash terribly with a peat/smoke/rye beer.

I'd use either noble hops, just enough to counter the sweet malt, so maybe 25-30 IBUs like the Canuck said- or go with an earthy hop like fuggles or even EKG.

EKG and Willamette?

I guess I'll stick to the neutral/earthy hops as has been suggested. Thanks for the guidance!

I would keep the IBU low too. Too much bitterness will wash out the peat. 25-30 like other have suggested

All Hallertau.

I'd use magnum, which isn't citrusy, and also is high IBU. that way you get a firm bitterness with minimal flavor.

I'd shoot for around 35 IBUs, which may seem a little high, but I wouldnt want it to taste too sweet.

How about Tettnang? There have been a lot of good suggestions, but I'm surprised that hadn't been suggested yet. The spiciness of Tettnang would go right along with the rye, and fits right in with all the other suggested characteristics.

Magnum as bittering is what I thought initially too, drummerguysteve.