A Red Ale

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Brewsmith

Home brewing moogerfooger
Joined
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So I want to do a red ale, and I really want it to have a distinct red color, not just amber. Some friends of mine, who are alumni from a University in Southern California that I won't mention, whose colors are Cardinal and Gold are going to have a party at their house in early November for a game versus the cross town rival that is another University in California somewhere in the vicinity of Los Angeles. Anyways, I told them I'd bring a keg if they had it, so here is my first draft. I want it to be malty, a little sweet and not very hoppy, more of a classic red than an american interpretation of one.

Cardinal Red Ale

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

09-D Scottish And Irish Ale, Irish Red Ale

Min OG: 1.044 Max OG: 1.060
Min IBU: 17 Max IBU: 28
Min Clr: 9 Max Clr: 18 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 12.25
Anticipated OG: 1.059 Plato: 14.47
Anticipated SRM: 16.2
Anticipated IBU: 25.3
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 7.10 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.046 SG 11.34 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
77.6 9.50 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
8.2 1.00 lbs. Crystal 120L America 1.033 120
8.2 1.00 lbs. Munich Malt(light) America 1.033 10
4.1 0.50 lbs. Flaked Barley America 1.032 2
2.0 0.25 lbs. Special B Malt Belgian 1.030 120

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 4.75 20.4 90 min.
1.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 4.75 4.9 15 min.


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP028 Edinburgh Ale
 
I was considering adding a little black or chocolate for color. I've used plenty of crystal 60 and 75 before and it always comes out closer to an amber color.
 
So I edited the recipe a little. I swapped the crystal 120 with crystal 35 and added 2 oz of roasted barley for color. I'm also going to bump up the bittering hops a little to get about 25 IBUs and I'm going to add some more EKG at 5 min for some more aroma. Hopefully I can do this recipe this weekend.
 
Yah know, If you look on this thread, I asked for suggestions on making a red colored ale. Got absoulutely NO replies whatsoever. Searching turned up nothing either.

Thanks Brewsmith, I'll give your recipe a try. Let us know how the color turned out.
 
I started a thread a couple days ago that addressed, in part, the color question. The approach I'm taking is to use some crystal, not sure what color but probably either 20L or 40L, with 2oz black patent for the color. It's been discussed before (remember, when using the search button, a three-letter word like "red" won't have any results, just the way the search feature is set up).
 
andylegate said:
Yah know, If you look on this thread, I asked for suggestions on making a red colored ale. Got absoulutely NO replies whatsoever. Searching turned up nothing either.

Thanks Brewsmith, I'll give your recipe a try. Let us know how the color turned out.
Don't let the 0 replies get you. It happens sometimes, for tons of reasons. I've had questions about stuff and either got stupid responses or none at all. Most of the time however, everyone is nice and helpful. A nice way of getting replies is just to post again saying that no one has responded and you would really appreciate the help, and doing it in a polite way. Being a complete jerk about it won't get you very far.

Whenever I get around to brewing it, I'll post on the results.
 
i did a big heavy red ale last march. it sat 21 days in primary.

12 lbs of two row
2 lbs of 60L

2oz columbus

1.065
1.012

it was really hopped up with columbus, but the point was, the two lbs of 60L made it blood red.

it was sweet and hoppy and strong.
 
Could someone give me a good recipe for A red ale as described that uses extract and steeping? Sorry, I'm a noob.
 
I'm interested in hearing how these Red Ales turn out. I'd like to do one myself as a next beer. Thanks.
 
Ok, I changed my mind again. I really want to see what a pound of crystal 150 looks and tastes like, so I edited the recipe again, probably for the final time (I hope)

9.5 lbs. 2-row
1 lb Crystal 150
1 lb Munich
0.5 lb Flaked Barley
0.25 lb Special B

1.25 oz EK Goldings 4.75% 90 min
1 oz EKG 15 min
1 oz EKG 5 min

White Labs WLP-028 Edinburgh Ale

OG: 1.059
SRM: 18
IBU: 34
 
Brewsmith said:
Don't let the 0 replies get you. It happens sometimes, for tons of reasons. I've had questions about stuff and either got stupid responses or none at all. Most of the time however, everyone is nice and helpful. A nice way of getting replies is just to post again saying that no one has responded and you would really appreciate the help, and doing it in a polite way. Being a complete jerk about it won't get you very far.

Whenever I get around to brewing it, I'll post on the results.

Ah no, I do postings on many forums so I know not to be rude. As a good quote from another forum to some idiot that was too impatient for an answer "CHILL DUDE! This isn't our day job. Some of us work. Some of us are asleep as we're in different time zones!" :D
 
Yup. I'm in LA, but alot of these guys are from back east and when they're gettting to work and wasting time here I'm still asleep. When I get home and am on at 10pm most of them are asleep. But I do notice when you guys are on at 4 am EST. :p
 
Red Ale is a favorie in my house, I use crystal 120, .25# Chocolate, Roasted barley and Munich malt. A deep red color and lots of taste.
 
Mash is on right now. Gonna be a bit of a late night. I'll get everything put away before midnight.
 
Good luck if you keg I recommend 38 degrees and about 2.3 Vol. Roughly 12 psi for carb and 5 psi for serv.
 
Well it's done and in the primary. It's a nice burnt orange color. I'll get a better sample for color when it goes in the primary. The hops are nice and clean. I'm really liking EKGs, too bad I now have less than an ounce of whole hops left. Some stats:

5.5 gallons collected
90 min boil
1.064 OG
81% Efficiency
5.5 hours from breakout of equipment to cleanup

I think I'm really getting my system dialed in pretty good. I'm hitting near 80% efficiency regularly now so I think I'll start using something higher than 75% as the default in promash.
 
Brewsmith said:
I think I'm really getting my system dialed in pretty good. I'm hitting near 80% efficiency regularly now so I think I'll start using something higher than 75% as the default in promash.

Are you batch or fly sparging? I got the AHB clone kit of Rogue's Shakespeare Stout and only managed an OG of 1.051, when it was supposed to be 1.060. Since I'm batch sparging, I wonder if I should have added more pale malt, or maybe increased all the grains proportionally, to compensate. I don't understand how you figure efficiency.
 
I got a red Ale on deck here for sometime late next week.

Gonna try out some Caramel Pils for the first time in this batch
 
a last minute red ale, hammered together this past saturday... named 'red eye ale' in honor of my kids red eye after surgery...

5 lbs two row
4 lbs vienna
.25 lbs roast barley

1 oz northern brewer ketle hops
.5 oz fuggles 20 minutes

pitched a dry english ale yeast

mash 90 minutes at 150

1.042 og

collected six gallons in a six gallon carboy, as the 6.5 still has stout fermenting in it...


beerbeerbeer.jpg
 
I transfered the red over to secondary today and here's an update:

I used WLP 028 Edinburgh for the first time and diddn't quite know what to expect. The info says that it's attenuation is 70-75%. My OG was 1.064 and at transfer it was 1.020, higher than I expected at only 68% attenuation. The taste is good, not overtly sweet, with some nice bitterness in the back, some hop flavor and a slight hop aroma. Nice and balanced, kind of carmely.

I think the attenuation is due to the higher mash temp at 156 and the fact that I used a pound of crystal 150, which is less fermentable than lower lovibond ratings of crystal. It might drop a point or two in the secondary anyways. This baby is going in the keg, so I'm not worried about carbonation problems or explosions.

And now for what everyone wanted to know about, the color. It came out more of a burnt orange than a red, but still a nice color for the style. Originally I was a little worried that the crystal would have made it too dark, but now looking at it, an ounce of roasted barley wouldn't have hurt. Here's some pictures:
https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1230
https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1231
https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1232
 
Brewsmith said:
And now for what everyone wanted to know about, the color. It came out more of a burnt orange than a red, but still a nice color for the style. Originally I was a little worried that the crystal would have made it too dark, but now looking at it, an ounce of roasted barley wouldn't have hurt. Here's some pictures:
https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1230
https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1231
https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=1232

Maybe call it Longhorn Ale (Hook 'em, Horns!)
 
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