Imperial Red Question

I am brewing an Imperial Red Ale kit from by local brew store for some holiday parties this year. I have never actually had an Imperial Red before, but it sounded good to me. BUT, I know IPA's can be a little too bitter for the Non-true beer drinker and I'm worried about this Imperial Red being too bitter for my party guests. Are Imperial Reds normally as highly bitter as IPA's?

IF they normally are as bitter as IPA's, is there any tweaks I can make to the recipe to lower the bitterness? Like putting less of the 60 minutes hops then the kit includes and just adding them to the 30 minute hops, or something like that?

Any help will be appreciated by this noob. Thanks!

What is your hop addition schedule and is this a all grain or extract?

I have 60 minute hops, 30 minute hops and finishing hops. And it is a partial mash.

Is my logic correct that adding less 60 minute hops (and just adding them in with the 30 minute hops) would reduce the bitterness?

........not that I 100% want to reduce the bitterness. Hoping to hear from someone who has had imperial reds before and get some advice on if they are typically as bitter as IPA's.

Imperial Reds can really go either way, depending largely on if they're made in SoCal or not (as the general consensus down here is that it always needs more hops). What kind and amount does the recipe call for? Then we can suss out the IBUs and see what you need to adjust.

Cigar city tocobaga is an awesome red that tastes like a dry red IPA.
leave the hops, if they drink BMC they will appreciate the difference in quality.

Ok, so I have all high alfa Columbus Hops. And here is the schedule/amounts:

Boiling Hops (60 minutes) = about 1.5 oz
Flavor Hops (30 minutes) = about 1 oz
Finishing Hops (last 5 minutes or less) = about 2 oz

The scale I'm using to measure the amounts of hops that came in the kit is pretty old, but I think the above should be about right.

Help! So does this look like a very bitter beer? I was thinking about switching to 1 oz hops for Boiling(60 min) and 1.5 for Flavor(30 min). Any thoughts on that?

If I wasn't making it for a holiday party, I prob wouldn't mess with the recipe. But I think for my guests a smoother beer would be more appropriate (maybe I shouldn't have bought an Imperial Ale then, but I couldn't help myself )


P.S. Tried my very 1st brew last night (a cream ale)....it works! It really works!! LOVING this new hobby (quickly becoming obsession) and the crazy awesome online community here on HomreBrew talk.

"Non-true beer drinker" isn't normally going to like an Imperial anything IMO. What you are making sounds more like a hardcore beer, should be good but not for the newb beer drinker.

As far as changing hops, just move them closer to the end - although it is hard to judge without knowing all the ingredients. I'd certainly move the 30 minute hops to 15, something I always do and lessening the 60 minutes again is hard to say without details.

I'd make the recipe as is, and either brew a batch of a wheat or pale ale, or just have a case of an easy drinkin' micro for the non-beer enthusiast. Why waste a great Imperial Red on someone who doesn't like it...or risk messing up the recipe?

If you had made this before it would be different, then you would have a very good idea of what to do to lower the bitterness a tad (if needed). Since you haven't...who knows, it may be perfect as is?