Experience Using Cranberries to turn Amber Ale RED

[kem411ocd]

I need to brew a RED beer for a work party, but never really enjoyed the Red Ales I've made in the past. So my plan is to brew an Amber Ale this weekend, but add 1.5lb of Cranberries to the Secondary. Anyone have any experience with this mix? I hear it'll turn out a little tart, which I'm okay with, but I really need it to be RED. Will this do the trick and taste okay?

 

[jodell]

Out of curiosity why does it need to be red??

Cranberries will probably work just fine, have you tried crane breweries beet beer? It is bright red and the beets do contribute a little flavor but not much

Food coloring is also am option

Hibiscus will turn it a pinkish red color

 

[SoCal-Doug]

If you start with an amber, you are starting with brown. Mix red with brown it will not be red like you may be looking for. If you want to color it red, start with something more pale, then add your beets, cranberries, food coloring, virgin blood, or whatever makes your red boat float.

There are a couple of yummy irish red recipes out there that turn out very red. "Raging Red" is a good example. A hardcore red color uses things like melanoidin and maybe a touch of [actual] caraaroma (I've seen places say "oh just use C120 its the same thing, but its not), and stays away from the heavily roasted stuff that gives off more of a brown hue.

 

[kem411ocd]

Out of curiosity why does it need to be red??

Hah, only because 'Red' is in the name of the company. I had heard about adding beets, but was afraid of what type of taste it would add, so that might be an option.

I am using 8oz of Melanoidin and 4oz of 80L to try and help get it in that direction, but was wanting something to really get it over the top and I really don't like the idea of adding food coloring.

If I have time, I might try to squeeze in a brew of the 'Raging Red' just in case this one doesn't turn out.

 

[kem411ocd]

If you start with an amber, you are starting with brown. Mix red with brown it will not be red like you may be looking for. If you want to color it red, start with something more pale, then add your beets, cranberries, food coloring, virgin blood, or whatever makes your red boat float.

Yeah, I've been going back and forth on this. I'm going with the amber because I want the beer flavor to overpower the cranberries a bit more than it would with a pale or blonde. I don't mind it being slightly tart, but don't want it overpowering.

 

[iijakii]

Have you looked into that Red-X malt? It makes really deep-red beers. Apparently a bit on the malty side, but you could probably mix with some pils or 2row to thin it out a bit and still keep a really red beer that you could tailor to your tastes.

I tried blending beets up and throwing it in the boil, wort was super red but the beer turned out normal. Was weird as hell, guess it all dropped out in the fermenter.