Critique my Red Ale

[aeviaanah]

This is my first red ale. We plan on using Nottingham in one fermenter and Bry-97 in the other. I want something similar to evil dead red but will be happy if it is not. I know its bit heavy on caramels but i really want maltiness to shine.

All ingredients are purchased already. Will be brewing Sunday. What do you think?

Hunt for the Red Hoptober

American Amber Ale (10 B)

Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 12.00 gal
Boil Size: 12.43 gal
Boil Top off 2 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Vol: 11.18 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 11.00 gal

Date: 29 Jan 2015
Brewer: Steve Verver
Equipment: Stainless Keg
Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 74.4 %


19 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 73.1 %
2 lbs Carared (Weyermann) (24.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.7 %
2 lbs Munich (Dingemans) (5.5 SRM) Grain 4 7.7 %
1 lbs 5.0 oz Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM) Grain 5 5.0 %
1 lbs Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 6 3.8 %
8.0 oz Caramel Malt - 120L (Briess) (120.0 SRM) (120.0 SRM) Grain 7 1.9 %
3.0 oz Light Roasted Barley (Briess) (300.0 SRM) Grain 8 0.7 %

2.00 oz Centennial [8.40 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 9 25.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Fuggle [5.10 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 10 3.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Goldings, US [4.40 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 60.0 min Hop 11 3.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Willamette [4.70 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 60.0 min Hop 12 3.3 IBUs
2.00 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 15 0.0 IBUs

1.0 pkg Nottingham [23.66 ml] Yeast 13 -
1.0 pkg Bry-97 (Lallemand #-) [23.66 ml] Yeast 14 -


Est Original Gravity: 1.056 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.4 %
Bitterness: 35.4 IBUs
Est Color: 13.3 SRM

 

[Gold_Robber]

I dont put roasted barley in my reds unless you make a traditional IRISH red. American amber's, in my opinion, dont need it - but if you do you might want to use a clean coffee grinder, and make it a fine powder..then right before the sparge you could add it to the mash.

Also, thats a lot of crystal malt. If you have C-60, I'd use that with the c-120, but if not, I would lose the carared and up the c-40. You dont want it to be very sweet. But hey, this is just my opinion. I learned best by making great batches and horrible ones.

The worst red I made had 15% crystal malts and melanoidin...too much crystal....and I found out I dont like melanoidin. Just remember one thing - simple is better. And I wouldnt add victory to it, but thats what you want to do so....

Oh, you said American Amber but you are using english hops...oh well... Good luck what ever you do!

And have fun.

my opinion recipe:
Maris - 77.6%
Munich - 11%
c-40 - 6.8%
c-120 - 2.9%
victory - 0.9%
roasted barley - 0.7% (powdered and added just before sparging. For colour only)

 

[aeviaanah]

Thankyou for the detailed reply.

I'll go ahead and lower the crystal malts. I'd like to use the cara red and get rid of one of the c-60 or 120. Would this be a fair replacement?

I tend to develop my recipes to get rid of extra malt in the freezer. This is where the victory came from. I didn't think it would affect the overall recipe to much but will give alcohol boost.

I realize the hops are English but centennial fwh and Amarillo dry hop should help bring out the American flavor.