Irish Red Ale Raging Red Irish Red Ale

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I just happened to be drinking this as I was perusing the forums. I brewed it about 2 months ago and forgot to pop in here and leave a note. I 86ed the honey and added a half-pound of honey malt.
Really a great beer. Slightly malty, but mostly balanced. Finished just a tad dry. I've been getting lots of compliments from friends.
I'm a fairly new brewer and still in the "brew all the styles" phase, but I'll be brewing this again soon. Next time I may try it with the honey.
I really like this beer and I've brewed this many times. It's actually my most recent beer I brewed. But this last time I changed it up a bit, and unfortunately it didn't turn out good at all. I may even dump it and brew it again exactly as written by the OP. Brewed to the original recipe it's fabulous.
 
I really like this beer and I've brewed this many times. It's actually my most recent beer I brewed. But this last time I changed it up a bit, and unfortunately it didn't turn out good at all. I may even dump it and brew it again exactly as written by the OP. Brewed to the original recipe it's fabulous.

Cmon man! You have to spill the beer. What did you try that was a epic no go? My hop slam was a no go, and I fessed up.
Eric
 
Cmon man! You have to spill the beer. What did you try that was a epic no go? My hop slam was a no go, and I fessed up.
Eric

"May" dump it. May not.
Oh, I have absolutely no issues fessing up. ;)

I've brewed the actual recipe several times and always enjoyed it. I wanted to tweak it a bit to see if I could add some toasty/bready/biscuit flavor to it, even though doing so would negate the style. It just didn't work out.

Changes:
- Subbed base grain Maris Otter for the 2-Row
- Added 6oz (2.7%) of Biscuit Malt
- Fermented with Lutra Kveik instead of WLP001

I hit my brew day numbers. Fermented at room temperature, ~68° F for 6 days, warmed to 70° over the last couple days. Reached expected FG, (gravity checked day 5, unchanged day 6), so I kegged it. Cooled to 38° and fined with gelatin.

It's now been kegged for 3 1/2 weeks and I'll keep periodically checking it over the next month or two but I don't have high hopes for this one. It just has a weird taste.
 
I really like this beer and I've brewed this many times. It's actually my most recent beer I brewed. But this last time I changed it up a bit, and unfortunately it didn't turn out good at all. I may even dump it and brew it again exactly as written by the OP. Brewed to the original recipe it's fabulous.
I was sure to keep the modifications small. I nixed the honey because I happen to have a bunch of big beers right now and I wanted something leaning toward "sessionable". I was also looking for something a bit more malt-forward. I may just stick with the original next time to get a good baseline for comparison. You know, for science.

"May" dump it. May not.
Oh, I have absolutely no issues fessing up. ;)

I've brewed the actual recipe several times and always enjoyed it. I wanted to tweak it a bit to see if I could add some toasty/bready/biscuit flavor to it, even though doing so would negate the style. It just didn't work out.

Changes:
- Subbed base grain Maris Otter for the 2-Row
- Added 6oz (2.7%) of Biscuit Malt
- Fermented with Lutra Kveik instead of WLP001

I hit my brew day numbers. Fermented at room temperature, ~68° F for 6 days, warmed to 70° over the last couple days. Reached expected FG, (gravity checked day 5, unchanged day 6), so I kegged it. Cooled to 38° and fined with gelatin.

It's now been kegged for 3 1/2 weeks and I'll keep periodically checking it over the next month or two but I don't have high hopes for this one. It just has a weird taste.


Do you think the kveik was the main culprit? Sounds to me like the malt changes would have been good. I ask becasue I made a pseudo-lager with the Lutra yeast and, while I've been drinking it, I was less than impressed with it. Actually, that holds true for most beers I've had that used kveik.
 
I was sure to keep the modifications small. I nixed the honey because I happen to have a bunch of big beers right now and I wanted something leaning toward "sessionable". I was also looking for something a bit more malt-forward. I may just stick with the original next time to get a good baseline for comparison. You know, for science.




Do you think the kveik was the main culprit? Sounds to me like the malt changes would have been good. I ask becasue I made a pseudo-lager with the Lutra yeast and, while I've been drinking it, I was less than impressed with it. Actually, that holds true for most beers I've had that used kveik.
I’m leaning towards the Lutra as the main culprit, which I might have been able to prove had I stuck to the original recipe. The only other time I’ve used Lutra was in a Schwarzbier with less than stellar results. In that case I think the fermentation was so powerful that it blew out all the flavors.

I have had success the two times I brewed neipas fermented with Kveik Voss. Both turned out delicious.
 
Kegged it today. Finished at 5.9%. Two more weeks will tell the tale. Pitching on the old yeast cake from the previous batch worked fine.
Eric
 
So I'm at day 7 in fermentor and my FG has been 1.010 for 24 hrs at 69F. I don't see why I'd keep it in the fermentor for another week. But I don't want to rush it so what is your opinion on.

1. Dropping yeast cone and leaving in primary for another week. I'm worried about sitting on yeast that long.

2. Also what is your opinion on adding about 10psi of CO2 to fermentor while it waits to get a head start on carbonation in the keg?
 
How long to ferment? That is a loaded question around here, lol. Common thinking is that fermentation may be finished after 7 days or less, but that clearing and other things are going on as time goes on. 2weeks and done seems to be the mantra.
Eric
 
How long to ferment? That is a loaded question around here, lol. Common thinking is that fermentation may be finished after 7 days or less, but that clearing and other things are going on as time goes on. 2weeks and done seems to be the mantra.
Eric
Any benefit to closing blowoff and pressurizing to 10psi while in fermentor?
 
So the update on the recipe variation is a mixed bag. The ginger in the raw honey really came through in a positive way. Pitching on a yeast cake from a hoppy ale gave it a off flavor on the finish. I will repeat the variation using new yeast and see if it cleans up the back end.
Eric
 
I’m leaning towards the Lutra as the main culprit, which I might have been able to prove had I stuck to the original recipe. The only other time I’ve used Lutra was in a Schwarzbier with less than stellar results. In that case I think the fermentation was so powerful that it blew out all the flavors.

And to update mine....it's now drinkable. Tastes more like a cross between a red ale and a lager. Nothing like an Irish Red Ale, and nothing at all like what I was going for, but I can at least drink it and somewhat enjoy it. Some experiments work out better than others I guess.
 
How long to ferment? That is a loaded question around here, lol. Common thinking is that fermentation may be finished after 7 days or less, but that clearing and other things are going on as time goes on. 2weeks and done seems to be the mantra.
Eric

My latest batch done fermenting at 8 days, probably has been for at least a few days. I'll probably cold crash and keg some time this week.
 
Hi,
I'm going to brew this recipe next week. How can I replace the crystal hop? I can't find it anywhere. In your opinion, what is the best choice for a dry yeast?
Thanks
 
Hi,
I'm going to brew this recipe next week. How can I replace the crystal hop? I can't find it anywhere. In your opinion, what is the best choice for a dry yeast?
Thanks
I've only used the hops called for in the original recipe, so I can't recommend anything else. But I have brewed it 2 or 3 times with US-05 and it tasted great.
 
Hi,
I brewed 43 litres yesterday. The exact recipe is
9 kg pale ale
1 kg caraaroma
0.5 kg carapils
0.5 kg melanoidin

65gr mittelfruh (60min)
65gr cascade (30min)

1kg honey

2* S-05.

OG 1062.
The wort is in the fermenter and I'm waiting for the results.
 
I got this beer brewed up today. My gravity in the fermenter came in at 1.057 was shooting for 1.058. I ended up with slightly more liquid after the boil so that's probably it. Using Safale US-05 for my yeast looking forward to trying this one!
 
Love this beer
 

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Hi,
I brewed 43 litres yesterday. The exact recipe is
9 kg pale ale
1 kg caraaroma
0.5 kg carapils
0.5 kg melanoidin

65gr mittelfruh (60min)
65gr cascade (30min)

1kg honey

2* S-05.

OG 1062.
The wort is in the fermenter and I'm waiting for the results.
After 3 months of brewing, the beer is great. You can feel all the flavors. It has a full body too. The honey gives an amazing feeling. Its color is dark red but I think it is not a problem. I'm sure that I will brew it again.
 
And to update mine....it's now drinkable. Tastes more like a cross between a red ale and a lager. Nothing like an Irish Red Ale, and nothing at all like what I was going for, but I can at least drink it and somewhat enjoy it. Some experiments work out better than others I guess.
One last update. Originally brewed on January 18th. Poured a couple pints over the weekend of the 4th. Happy to report that all off flavors are now gone, the beer is quite clear, and tastes really close to the original Irish Red Ale recipe, despite my attempts to sabotage it. There’s still about half a keg left and I anticipate really enjoying what’s left.
 
Update: Took a case of this up to the lake for a family get together. It went quick and got many compliments from the cousins and uncles it didn't last very long. This is a great beer and I'll be brewing this one many times I'm sure.

Now one of my cousins wants to drop by and see my brewing equipment and get some pointers.

Here's a picture I posted in the "what are you drinking now" thread but figured I'd post it here too.

Oh and my nephew caught his first fish fishing with me! A 14.5" inch rainbow on a fly.

PXL_20210709_020930703.jpg
 
Had a nice pour and thought I should take a picture. I added a pound of local honey. Good tasting and 6.9% abv.

Bottled 15 for my Sister and kegged the rest. Definitely going to brew this one again!
 

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I entered this in the 2011 Peach State Brew Off taking 1st place. Thhis has a DEEEEEP red color and is big on the malt flavor. Enjoy

Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 5.72 gal
Estimated OG: 1.059 SG
Estimated Color: 15.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

Amount Item
8.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
1.00 lb Caraaroma (130.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Carafoam (2.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM)
1.00 oz Crystal [3.50 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop)
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (30 min)
1.00 lb Honey (1.0 SRM) (add at flame out)
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)

I do plan on rebrewing this in a few months so it's ready for St Paddys day. Last time I tried this I let my sanitation techniques slip and got an infection. This time I'll be running with a fresh pitch of wlp001. For the honey does it make a difference if it's raw honey from a bee keeper or just the el cheapo uber filtered honey from the supermarket? Last time I went with the cheap stuff.
 
I do plan on rebrewing this in a few months so it's ready for St Paddys day. Last time I tried this I let my sanitation techniques slip and got an infection. This time I'll be running with a fresh pitch of wlp001. For the honey does it make a difference if it's raw honey from a bee keeper or just the el cheapo uber filtered honey from the supermarket? Last time I went with the cheap stuff.
Either should do just fine in my opinion. I used wildflower honey I had gotten from Northern Brewer a while back.
 
I made this last weekend, and I failed at the red color. This is Day 5 of fermentation and I think it needs more time (not at FG yet, currently at 1.012, will start taking measurements every 3 days). I realize the color comes from the ingredients and I couldn't get what was prescribed, but I wouldn't have thought I'd be so far off. This is what I had at the LHBS:
Cara-Red (instead of Caraaroma)
Carapils (instead of carafoam)

But the samples I've tried from taking gravity measurements is really good.


Thoughts for color?
Cheers
 

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I made this last weekend, and I failed at the red color. This is Day 5 of fermentation and I think it needs more time (not at FG yet, currently at 1.012, will start taking measurements every 3 days). I realize the color comes from the ingredients and I couldn't get what was prescribed, but I wouldn't have thought I'd be so far off. This is what I had at the LHBS:
Cara-Red (instead of Caraaroma)
Carapils (instead of carafoam)

But the samples I've tried from taking gravity measurements is really good.


Thoughts for color?
Cheers
Definitely not an Irish "Red" but it may still end up being a great beer. Keep us posted.
 
I made this last weekend, and I failed at the red color. This is Day 5 of fermentation and I think it needs more time (not at FG yet, currently at 1.012, will start taking measurements every 3 days). I realize the color comes from the ingredients and I couldn't get what was prescribed, but I wouldn't have thought I'd be so far off. This is what I had at the LHBS:
Cara-Red (instead of Caraaroma)
Carapils (instead of carafoam)

But the samples I've tried from taking gravity measurements is really good.


Thoughts for color?
Cheers
So how did this turn out? Still a decent beer?
 
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