Hops for an Irish Red

[Bobby_M]

I would normally just use EKG and be done with it but I wanted to get some feedback. The EKG pellets are 2007 harvest and starting to show age. I also have some US Fuggle and Willamette from 2008 that are still in original barrier bags.

So, old EKG or fresh Fuggle or Fresh Willamette. They are all considered somewhat interchangeable from texts but has anyone used them in an Irish Red?

 

[Beerrific]

Don't know about the Fuggle vs. Willamette, but I would use one of those over the old EKG. Throw the EKG in a paper bag and put them somewhere warm, let them age for a plambic.

 

[oceanselv]

Fuggles would be my choice.

 

[Yooper]

I've used willamette. I really liked it. I will use it again.

I'm not a fuggles fan, though. I think fuggles have a taste that makes me think "dirt", so I'm probaby very biased!

 

[Bobby_M]

I agree with you there Yoop. I've had an all Fuggle IPA once and thought, hmm, potted plant. I'm sure an ounce and a half for bittering wouldn't have that extreme of an effect though. I think I'm going to go with the Willamette only because I have a lot of it and don't know what else to do with it.

 

[Austinhomebrew]

Bittering hop: 1 oz. Fuggle or Willamette
Flavor hop: 1/2 oz Fuggle or Willamette and 1/2 oz Cacade
Aroma hop: 1/2 oz Fuggle or Willamette and 1/2 oz Cacade

People really love this hop schedule for a red. It is one of my best selling kits by far with a lot of compliments.

My grain bill is 1/2 pound of Caramunich (40L crystal will do) and the most important ingredient 1/2 pound of 120L crystal.

I really hope you aren't using roasted barley or chocolate to color the batch. Chocolate or Roasted Barley will give you some color but it leave an astringency that ruins the flavor in my opinion.

Forrest

 

[mmb]

I like Forrest's schedule except for the Cascade. Would be out of place in a traditional Irish Red if you are brewing to BJCP style for a comp... but it sounds tasty for a drinking beer.

I'd use the EKG and Willamette in a blend. I know Willamette is basically US Fuggles but I like it much better than Fuggles for some reason. *shrug*

 

[LakeErieBrew]

Fuggles taste like feet. I'd probably try to use up the EKG.

 

[Austinhomebrew]

I wasn't going by style guidelines. I was going for flavor. That is what you make beer for, right. Or has that changed?

Forrest

 

[mmb]

I wasn't going by style guidelines. I was going for flavor. That is what you make beer for, right. Or has that changed?

Forrest

*shrug* When brewing to a traditional style I like to follow somewhat traditional ingredient choices. If that's foolish, so be it.

American Red/Amber... sure, Cascade hops. Bobby asked for hops on an Irish Red. Cascades, not so much...

 

[Bobby_M]

It sounds like Forrest's recipe would simulate Goose Island Honker Ale pretty well. I was actually planning on using the recipe from BCS which calls for 6oz each of 40L, 120L and 300L Roasted Barley. I only have Simpson's 600L so it was either going to be 4oz of that or 4oz of de-bittered black. I really like the roasted flavor of say Erie Rail-bender Ale so it didn't sound like a bad idea.

 

[bighandsray]

In looking at Papazians clone for the real Killians Irish red, he uses Mt Hood and Santiam. Also no roasted or chocolate malts. He does use .5lb home toasted pale malt plus munich and c-10. When I first started drinking beer I remember loving Killians. Then Coors got their hands on it and it stunk. I have not tried the recipe but I was considering using crystal hops throughout.

 

[chemnitz]

The one Irish red that I've made used Fuggles, and I liked it. I don't imagine that it matters too much, since this is not a beer with much hop character.

 

[BBBF]

Alright, I'm hoping to turn a snow day tomorrow into a brew day. I have everything I need for an Irish Red, except for hops. The hops I have on hand are cluster, cascade and nugget (I've already ruled out using pacific jem, simco and amarillo). Can I make this work?

 

[chemnitz]

I would recommend using nugget for an Irish red. Nugget is traditionally used in other Irish beers (namely, stouts), and it is the most neutral of the list. Use only a bittering hop addition, and aim for 15-25 IBUs.