Belgian Style Evil Twin red IPA

Inspired by what is now being Dubbed "The Red Wedding"
I'm basically wanting to make a big bold Red American Red IPA, or Indian Red Ale (IRA).
So I'm looking at doing this
OG 1.062-ish
5.0kg Pale Malt
0.6kg Munich
0.25kg Special B
0.2kg Caramunich II
0.15kg Aromatic
20grams Chocolate Malt

YEAST: WLP530

Hop schedule:
7g columbus @ 60 (0.25oz)
14g Columbus @ 20 (0.5oz)
28g Cascade @ 10 &1(1oz)
28g Centennial @ 10 (1oz)
28g Cascade @ 1(1oz)
28g Centennial @ 1(1oz)
Dryhop:
28g Cascade @ 1(1oz)
28g Centennial @ 1(1oz)

By the way I'm trying to make it belgian style, if you didn't notice in the title.
Completely different and interesting, a massacre so to speak. lol.

I'd cut the Special B to 100-150 g (it's strong juju), bring up the CaraMunich to 200-250 g (so you can taste it over the Special B), and drop the chocolate (you didn't have much anyway).

Looks interesting. Post how it turns out.

sptaylor70 said:

I'd cut the Special B to 100-150 g (it's strong juju), bring up the CaraMunich to 200-250 g (so you can taste it over the Special B), and drop the chocolate (you didn't have much anyway).

Looks interesting. Post how it turns out.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't a large quantity of special B Make it more belgian? how strong is strong btw.

Definitely interested to see what people think. Its not the norm.

"Strong" as in "dominated by the flavor of raisins to a degree that would make the SunMaid blush and make Guinness Extra Stout look weak and flabby."

Okay, maybe not that much. But as your current grain bill stands, the Special B will hide your CaraMunich and chocolate. In yours, at 2-3% of the grain, it will, I think, provide a pleasant, dark, roasted flavor that will complement the other roasted flavors. More than that, and like biscuit malt or black patent, it will begin to take over the beer in an unpleasant way.

There are scads of recipes for Belgian beers, from dubbels to strong dark ales, that have no Special B in them. Most of the Belgian character in your beer, if not all of it, will come from the yeast. One way to examine the flavors that your yeast can give you is to make a side-by-side comparison of something very simple, with different yeasts. If you were to make a SMaSH with, say, 13 lbs. of belgian two-row pale and 1.25 oz. of Sticklebract, first wort hopped, fermented with a Belgian yeast it will develop the complex, layered flavors of a strong golden Belgian ale. Pitch an American ale yeast, and it will be something like an elegant double blonde ale. Worlds apart, despite their obvious similarity.

Interesting, theres a commercial beer I've tried an it has 5% SpecialB Coupled with a couple of other crystals, Very tasty, Not Overpowering at all.
i understand that the yeast will contribute a large character to the beer. I just didn't realise that the Special B Wpould offer so much?
It's a wee way aay yet, but it should make for an interesting beer.
Chocolate is Mainly for colour, to get it darker and more in that Red IPA territory.

crusader1612 said:

Interesting, theres a commercial beer I've tried an it has 5% SpecialB Coupled with a couple of other crystals, Very tasty, Not Overpowering at all.
i understand that the yeast will contribute a large character to the beer. I just didn't realise that the Special B Wpould offer so much?
It's a wee way aay yet, but it should make for an interesting beer.
Chocolate is Mainly for colour, to get it darker and more in that Red IPA territory.

Click to expand...

Anyone else fancy chiming in?

Bump

crusader1612 said:

Inspired by what is now being Dubbed "The Red Wedding"
I'm basically wanting to make a big bold Red American Red IPA, or Indian Red Ale (IRA).
So I'm looking at doing this
OG 1.062-ish
5.0kg Pale Malt
0.6kg Munich
0.25kg Special B
0.2kg Caramunich II
0.15kg Aromatic
20grams Chocolate Malt

YEAST: WLP530

Hop schedule:
7g columbus @ 60 (0.25oz)
14g Columbus @ 20 (0.5oz)
28g Cascade @ 10 &1(1oz)
28g Centennial @ 10 (1oz)
28g Cascade @ 1(1oz)
28g Centennial @ 1(1oz)
Dryhop:
28g Cascade @ 1(1oz)
28g Centennial @ 1(1oz)

Click to expand...

I just tried something very close to that. It's in the fermenter now.
I have high hopes. Good luck!

justkev52 said:

I just tried something very close to that. It's in the fermenter now.
I have high hopes. Good luck!

Click to expand...

What yeast are you fermenting with?
Can you post results when you get them?

Sounds like a winner?! Thanks.