Bruin's Blood IPA - Recipe Critique

[Coog_Brew]

I'm attempting to make a red IPA in time for football season to take to a tailgate (we're playing UCLA in case you haven't guessed). I'm brewing it this weekend. The local brew shop doesn't have CaraRed and suggested Special B as a better choice to bring out the color anyway. I've looked at several other recipes and mixed and matched, so please tell me if something looks off or if you think this will give me a nice red IPA. Thanks!

Recipe Type: Partial Mash
Yeast: White Labs California Ale (WLP001)
Yeast Starter: None
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5
Est. Original Gravity: 1.059
Est. Final Gravity: 1.014
IBU: 56.3
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 13 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 days at 65 degrees
Tasting Notes:

6# Pale LME
2.5# Two Row
0.75# CaraMunich
0.5# CaraPils
0.25# Special B

Mash 60 Minutes at 154

60 minute boil

1 oz. Columbus at 60 min (15.4%)
1 oz. Cascade at 15 min (5.5%)
1 oz. Cascade at 10 min (5.5%)
1 oz. Amarillo at 5 min. (7%)

WLP001

Ferment at 65 degrees for 14 days.

Dryhop in secondary with 1/2 oz. of Amarillo for 1 week.


This is one of my last partial mashes as I'm moving to all-grain next month!

 

[krebs119]

Hah, I read the title of this post and assumed you were one of the people rioting in Vancouver last month.... Wrong sport....

Not sure about the Special B, but I do love me some Cascade

 

[GlenF]

I would omit either the C120 or the Special B. A half a pound (if you added both) of 120 Lovibond may get you a much darker color than desired.

 

[phished880]

Had to check the tread when I saw the name. I was so happy it was not a Stanley cup, bruins blood.

 

[dcp27]

thats pretty hefty on crystal for an IPA. id ditch the carapils (already in the extract anyway) and cut the caramunich to no more than 0.5lb.

may want to move the 30min cascade add to dry hop or flameout too to bump up the aromatics.

 

[jlpred55]

I would use roasted barley to get the red color not Special B. The B is going to leave a lot of residual flavor, like dark fruits, plums, raisons, etc. I'd do this:

7.0 lbs Extra Light DME
.50 ;bs Caramunich 40L
1.5 oz of roasted barley steeped with the caramunich. or enough to give you a nice red color dependent upon lovibond. Some RB is 300L some if higher.

60- 1oz Columbus
15 1 oz Cascade
10- 1 oz Cascade
5- 1 oz Amarillo
Flame out- Amarillo and Columbus 1 oz each.

FYI- Carared does not make a beer red. That is a bunch of horse crap that is slung around forums like crack rock.....don't fall for that man!

Good luck. I've got about 3 kegs worth of tailgate beer so far do this season...you can never have too much!

 

[Coog_Brew]

Thanks for the replies. I kind of want to try the Special B as I've never used it and hear it can give an interesting depth to an IPA. I won't mind the dark fruit flavor. I just don't want it to overwhelm. Good call on ditching the Crystal though. I think it would just end up being too dark. I think if I add the roasted barley it may get too dark with the Special B, though.

I included the CaraPils to help with head retention. Do you think half a pound would help with that?

Thanks for the suggestions on the hop schedule. I've made the adjustments to the original recipe.

As for the CaraRed, that's what I get for believing the Interweb.