Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale Clone

[Gabe]

Does anyone know what Lagunitas( Petaluma, CA) puts in their Imperial Red Ale or have a clone recipe for this tasty brew. I just had a pint and would love to have 5 gal. of this on tap. Any info appr. Extract or mash-Extract either one.

 

[Llarian]

I was about to post a thread asking this version question, but I guess it never got answered.

Anybody have a clone, or a recipe that's an approximation?

(All-grain preferred in my case. )

-Dylan

 

[abt]

This is all just a guess, but I would try Chinook and Columbus for bittering, and maybe Cascade and Amarillo for later additions. You can't really put too much in. 1.072 and 84 IBU's? That's pretty big.
Biscuit, 80°L, maybe a touch of 120°L, an ounce of roasted if you like, then many pounds of 2-row. A little Munich is not out of place.
Something like this:
11.75# 2-row
1# Munich II
12oz Biscuit
12oz 80°L
4oz 120°L
1oz US roasted (~300°L)
Mash at 152°F softish water
1oz ea Columbus/Chinook for 60
1oz ea Cascade/Amarillo for 10
1oz ea Cascade/Amarillo for 15m steep
US-56/1056/WLP001/WLP051 or your choice

 

[Llarian]

Hmmm. That looks like its worth a shot. I think I'd go with the WLP051 for this one.

I'll give it a shot once I clear my brew planning backlog. =)

-D

 

[Wamphyriification]

Just brewed a double batch that is kinda close to this. We will see how it turns out.

10#2-row
2# Golden Promise
1# C-40
1#C-60

1oz Chinook 60 min
.25oz Amarillo and Simcoe 40 min
.25oz Amarillo and Simcoe 30 min
.25oz Amarillo and Simcoe 20 min
.25oz Amarillo and Simcoe 10 min
1oz Williamette Flameout

 

[Haputanlas]

Just brewed a double batch that is kinda close to this. We will see how it turns out.

10#2-row
2# Golden Promise
1# C-40
1#C-60

1oz Chinook 60 min
.25oz Amarillo and Simcoe 40 min
.25oz Amarillo and Simcoe 30 min
.25oz Amarillo and Simcoe 20 min
.25oz Amarillo and Simcoe 10 min
1oz Williamette Flameout

How did this turn out?

 

[Wamphyriification]

Awesome, but not a Lagunitas Imp Red clone. Not even close.

 

[headfullahops]

The Jamil Show "Can You Brew It" interviewed the head brewer at Lagunitas and he said they mash in at 160˚F. Are you trying to clone the Lucky 13?

 

[Haputanlas]

No, they actually have a beer called "Lagunitas Imperial Red". I like it better than lucky 13

 

[Wamphyriification]

Yeah the Imperial Red is impressive. I am not sure how they get that sweet candy taste in some of their beers.

 

[Haputanlas]

I just tried calling Lagunitas' brewing office to see if they could help at all. Apparently they don't give anything out at all (Unless you are Jamil or John).

That's unfortunate, Stone has always given me every recipe for their beers on request (Old Guardian, Ruination, Sublimely Self Righteous, Russian Imperial Stout). The only beer that they protect is Arrogant Bastard.

 

[Haputanlas]

Yeah the Imperial Red is impressive. I am not sure how they get that sweet candy taste in some of their beers.

Very curious about that myself. I know that they sometimes use Brown Sugar, but they cannot use that much in this recipe. I'm also assuming that a little bit of Crystal 120?

 

[Wamphyriification]

Had a Pliny the Elder this weekend. WOW!

 

[Haputanlas]

Had a Pliny the Elder this weekend. WOW!

That's some pretty awesome stuff

 

[TheJosephizer]

As soon as I can get my hands on some I will give it a shot. My homebrew club is doing "clone contest" and I would love to get this one. Maybe a 90 min boil will get that sweet caramel finish.. More to follow.

 

[Haputanlas]

As soon as I can get my hands on some I will give it a shot. My homebrew club is doing "clone contest" and I would love to get this one. Maybe a 90 min boil will get that sweet caramel finish.. More to follow.

I don't think that is going to happen. According to the tour guide at Lagunitas, the imperial red will no longer be made. Apparently didn't sell well. It's a shame

 

[TheJosephizer]

Well I guess I'll have to go from memory, that is really sad to hear though.

 

[CerveTech]

Wow. If this is the follow up to Lagunitas Sucks, then bring it on. Amazing ale and from what I see they brought it back, its been around for two weeks now in So.Fla

 

[TheJosephizer]

Sooo so glad it's back. Had about four slicers so far. Actually going to try my hand at replicating this beer for the first time, now that I have some to sample first. Any input will be much appreciated. If I recall, the hops remind me of northern brewer, and there is a maltiness similar to special B malt. Going for a 90 min boil too. Not much roasted flavor so maybe a touch of chocolate for color.

 

[KraphtBier]

Taking a shot at something similar to Imperial Red today. Using up some leftover stuff so it won't be a clone but hopefully I get fairly close. I'm going to use colombus, cascade, and amarillo for hops.

 

[Old_E]

Best beer I've had in quite a while. I never try to clone anything but I wish i could find a recipe for this. Awesome stuff.

 

[ChickenArise]

I think that I definitely taste Munich in there.

 

[Haputanlas]

Thank god they brought it back.

I also just learned that it was the brewery's very first beer. Pretty cool

 

[LoloMT7]

bump This stuff is awesome looking to do my first Clone... Recipe? all grain brewer

 

[FrozenRugby]

I was able to get one 12oz bottle up here in Alaska, that wasn't nearly enough. I really like this beer.

Was anyone able to get close to cloning this whether it was extract, PM, or All Grain? I'm on a mission

 

[dillrepair]

I don't think that is going to happen. According to the tour guide at Lagunitas, the imperial red will no longer be made. Apparently didn't sell well. It's a shame

they must still be making it, bought one today in NW wisconsin. drinking it as i type pondering my own recipes for similar styles and flavors.

you guys think there's rye in there?

this tastes very much like my ultimate favorite beer i've ever brewed.. which was a lot of rye and a fair amount of candi sugar mashed at high end of the spectrum. hops... lots of cascade... lots at the end in series.

and to edit a bit more here i am relatively confident the comment above about strike temp that someone heard on the tour or somewhere is the key here. i went back and looked at my old notes from my original recipe and that is the one common similarity. my grains were totally different... rye and pilsen malt was used, but the gravity was high and i mashed at high temp. love lagunitas. i think almost anyone could be successful with a brewpub if they made beers like this regularly.

what kind of water chemistry do you think they use?

is 1056 good enough or is there something better?

 

[Haputanlas]

Yeah, it's been on sale as a seasonal for the last couple years. The tour guide was not informed!!

 

[dillrepair]

Yeah I think I bought all of it from the grocery store here. Wish I could get more.