Irish Red Ale Irish Red (1st place HBT comp)

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Well, I couldn't resist. I kegged it Sunday night and took a sample last night. Grain to glass in 20 days and it was amazingly smooth and delicious. The beer still needs a couple of more days to fully carb up but it was good enough to enjoy. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
 
Brewed this back in January, it's been working its way through my pipeline, including a 2-week lagering period. Finally tapped it tonight, it's frickin' amazing! The colour is perfect, the flavour is awesome. Just a hint of the roasted malt, perfectly balanced, it's amazing. Thanks for the recipe, I'll definitely be brewing this one again.
 
Perfect. Just perfect. Brewed this late December, and am just now cracking open bottles for st paddys day weekend. Amazingly smooth, the roasty flavors work spectacularly well in this recipe!
 
Back in November, I brewed the Donovan's Irish Sunset Irish Red Ale, and it made the top 10 in a local homebrewing competition. In January, I brewed this recipe, and in my opinion, this recipe is much closer to the style. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely be brewing it again. I'm so happy I have this on tap for St. Paddy's Day weekend. :)
 
Thanks for the recipe! It's pouring from the kegerator now, and it's delicious! Darkest Irish Red that I've ever brewed...but tastes very, very good.
 
Forgot pic....

This is held in front of a shop light!

ForumRunner_20130318_140416.jpg
 
Not sure what I did incorrect, but just changed this from and Irish Red to a Brown Ale. Should still be tasty.
 
Color-wise it doesn't come out as Red. Most that have posted state this. With a good light behind it you will see some red. Taste is all Red though.
 
Mine came out on the numbers but way too dark for an Irish Red. However, it is an outstanding beer.
 
I'm going to brew this soon and will stick to the original recipe...but how would you go about lightening it up and making it more red? Could you do that without drastically changing the flavor of the beer?
 
I'm going to brew this soon and will stick to the original recipe...but how would you go about lightening it up and making it more red? Could you do that without drastically changing the flavor of the beer?

Irish reds are supposed to get their color from the roasted barley. I am going to drop the caramel and up the roasted barley to get the color right.

I will also lager this, not sure what yeast I will use.
 
Irish reds are supposed to get their color from the roasted barley. I am going to drop the caramel and up the roasted barley to get the color right.

I'm very interested in how this turns out. I do like this beer but it's too dark for a red. I've thought about tweaking to lighten up this brew to permit the red to shine through. Just not certain what effect this may have on it's taste.
 
I'm very interested in how this turns out. I do like this beer but it's too dark for a red. I've thought about tweaking to lighten up this brew to permit the red to shine through. Just not certain what effect this may have on it's taste.

It will be less caramel taste, I am going to lager it so I won't know for 3 or 4 months.
 
I don't get the "colour" comments. I brewed this recipe exactly as listed, and the colour is spot-on for a Red Ale. Real reds aren't supposed to be bright (like a blonde with a little red dye #9) - they're supposed to be darker. But if you hold them up to a light, the beautiful crimson hue is unmistakeable. Macrobrew reds are typically much too light. Authentic reds are ... well, exactly like this recipe.
 
I don't get the "colour" comments. I brewed this recipe exactly as listed, and the colour is spot-on for a Red Ale. Real reds aren't supposed to be bright (like a blonde with a little red dye #9) - they're supposed to be darker. But if you hold them up to a light, the beautiful crimson hue is unmistakeable. Macrobrew reds are typically much too light. Authentic reds are ... well, exactly like this recipe.

I am not an Irish Red expert by any means, but the two that I've brewed looked like this. These were very similar in color and taste to Smithwick's and the other commercial versions of Irish Red's that are available here. Do they get any more authentic than Smithwick's?? Serious question!

And honestly, to me, Smithwick's and the others I've tried just aren't very bold and flavorful. That is what lead me to this recipe. But maybe that is just the style.

What are the true authentic Irish Red's that are the deeper red color like this recipe?

Thanks!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/photo/irish-red-60350.html
 
"I don't get the "colour" comments. I brewed this recipe exactly as listed, and the colour is spot-on for a Red Ale. Real reds aren't supposed to be bright (like a blonde with a little red dye #9) - they're supposed to be darker. But if you hold them up to a light, the beautiful crimson hue is unmistakeable. Macrobrew reds are typically much too light. Authentic reds are ... well, exactly like this recipe."


Well,

I hear what you're saying but in this neck of the woods, reds show color without holding them up to a light. I suspect the Queen may perfer them a tad darker... :)

Seriously this is a minor thing caus' this is one fine beer...
 
I don't get the "colour" comments. I brewed this recipe exactly as listed, and the colour is spot-on for a Red Ale. Real reds aren't supposed to be bright (like a blonde with a little red dye #9) - they're supposed to be darker. But if you hold them up to a light, the beautiful crimson hue is unmistakeable. Macrobrew reds are typically much too light. Authentic reds are ... well, exactly like this recipe.

Agreed.

BCJP category 9D: Appearance said:
Amber to deep reddish copper color (most examples have a deep reddish hue).

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style09.php#1d
 
Irish reds are supposed to get their color from the roasted barley. I am going to drop the caramel and up the roasted barley to get the color right.

I will also lager this, not sure what yeast I will use.

I've made this as a lager and as a lager the roasted barley is too prominent. I used WLP833 German Bock Lager yeast and mashed at 156F.
 
Irish reds are supposed to get their color from the roasted barley. I am going to drop the caramel and up the roasted barley to get the color right.

I will also lager this, not sure what yeast I will use.

My comment here is just totaly wrong, not sure I read what I read, but I am going to make this as is.

I want to lager it, should I drop the roasted barley a small amount?
 
Mine fermented for 2 weeks @ 48F, 1 week at room temp(63F), 4 weeks @ 29F in a bourbon barrel(too long), 12 weeks in a keg. Most of it lasted 1 year in bottles (took that long to mellow the oak) and I have a few left that are a little over 2 years old that I enjoy on special occasions.
 
since this will be my first 10 gal batch, I have a couple questions.
has anyone ever split this into two 5 gal batches and use a lager yeast and an ale yeast and compare the two?

I have some harvested lager yeast and an ale yeast to try out. I will have to ferment both at the same temps in my fridge, which is controllable...
 
I split a 6 gallon batch this past January and used ale yeast in one and lager yeast in the other. I used White Labs Irish Ale Yeast and Saflager Yeast.

I'll definitely be lagering at least one 6 gallon batch this winter. It makes a nice crisp beer. Every one who tried it liked it.
 
i split a 6 gallon batch this past january and used ale yeast in one and lager yeast in the other. I used white labs irish ale yeast and saflager yeast.

I'll definitely be lagering at least one 6 gallon batch this winter. It makes a nice crisp beer. Every one who tried it liked it.

yup. Post #187.
 
Did anyone use priming sugar as well as pitching new yeast when bottling, or was the yeast sufficient to carbonate?

I have never had a problem with carbonation when bottling, just adding the appropriate amount of priming sugar. Unless you are killing or filtering your beer, you shouldn't need to add any yeast.
 
I have never had a problem with carbonation when bottling, just adding the appropriate amount of priming sugar. Unless you are killing or filtering your beer, you shouldn't need to add any yeast.

I have never pitched new yeast at bottling, but this recipe calls for the yeast.

When you condition with the primary yeast, the yeast that are left to carbonate the beer are the least flocculant cells (and there aren't many of them) meaning your beer will take awhile to carb and will be difficult to clear. When you pitch fresh yeast you have more flocculant cells and more of them, so the beer carbs quickly and clears quickly. Most commercial breweries that bottle condition beers add yeast at bottling time for this reason.

I'm wondering if I should also add priming sugar or if the new yeast is sufficient.
 
My batch for this Fall has finally conditioned, and once again, "Saccharomyces'" recipe comes through. I've tried several Irish Ale recipes, and this, to me, is the winner by a significant margin.
 
Just looking around for ideas for an irish/scottish red to brew soon-ish, something popped into my mind reading this thread:

Since this recipe seems to like being brewed with lager yeasts and/or cold, how about using WLP036 or Wyeast 1007 and fermenting this like an alt (e.g. 55-60 deg F primary, ~4 weeks @ <40f in secondary, etc)? Just an idea...
 
I have never lagered but am thinking about giving it a try. Would saglager s23 I believe be ok. And will one package be enough to do it. Only have one package of yeast

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Home Brew mobile app
 
Lol. Should have read more posts. Ok saflager is ok. But is it ok to just use one pakage?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Home Brew mobile app
 
Um, I don't think anyone is actually brewing it with lager yeast, I think the recommendation was simply to "lager" it (i.e., store it at cold temperatures) for several weeks before drinking it. It's still brewed with an ale yeast.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I read this thread and brewed this beer, and I'm not about to go back through 20 pages of posts to see if anyone mentioned using a lager yeast.

That said, no, I don't expect one packet of lager yeast would ever be enough for a 5 gallon batch of any beer with an O.G. over 1.020 (no typo). Lagers require twice as much yeast as ales.
 
Um, I don't think anyone is actually brewing it with lager yeast, I think the recommendation was simply to "lager" it (i.e., store it at cold temperatures) for several weeks before drinking it. It's still brewed with an ale yeast.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I read this thread and brewed this beer, and I'm not about to go back through 20 pages of posts to see if anyone mentioned using a lager yeast.

Well, reading the OP would've been enough :).

Saccharomyces said:
If you can lager, even better, use a clean lager yeast (eg. WLP840, WLP833).

I don't recall if anybody has reported the results of using lager yeast with this recipe, though. I think brewing it in a hybrid style, either with say, Scottish Ale yeast (1728, etc), or like an Alt (1007), depending on how much attenuation you want, would be pretty neat with this style.
 
I have a couple options but am looking for input on the yeast I should use. I could go with London esb. London ale 3, us05. or I can lager with saflager or Mexican lager. I would love to know for the ones that have brewed which yeast they preferred.
 
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