Recipe Critique

[redd1982]

Hey all. I am working on a recipe and could use some help. I know this is not a typical red ale, but I think this will turn out like a red ale with a more roasty flavor. How does this recipe look? Any suggestions to make it better?

BIAB Method, 90 min boil.

Ingredients:
12 lbs pale malt
4 oz Munich Malt 10L
2 oz Roasted Barley
8 oz 6 row
4.2 oz Dark Crystal 80L
3.9 oz caraPils
1 lb Light brown sugar

Hops:
.5 oz Citra @ 30 min
.5 oz Citra @ 15 min
1 oz Citra @ 5 min
2 oz Citra @ 0 min

Yeast:
WLP English Ale

Thanks for the help in advance.


GINGER'S BREWING
Chicago, Il

 

[redd1982]

Hey all. I am working on a recipe and could use some help. I know this is not a typical red, but I think this will turn out like a red ale with a more roasty flavor. How does this recipe look? Any suggestions to make it better?

BIAB Method, 90 min boil.

Ingredients:
12 lbs pale malt
4 oz Munich Malt 10L
2 oz Roasted Barley
8 oz 6 row
4.2 oz Dark Crystal 80L
3.9 oz caraPils
1 lb Light brown sugar

Hops:
.5 oz Citra @ 30 min
.5 oz Citra @ 15 min
1 oz Citra @ 5 min
2 oz Citra @ 0 min

Yeast:
WLP English Ale

Thanks for the help in advance.



GINGER'S BREWING
Chicago, Il

 

[Yooper]

Some of the grains have me wondering- "why?" Why 4 oz of Munich malt? That's such a little amount, it doesn't add anything so why add it at all? 4 ounces of carapils, is ok, but again, why bother? The six-row, too. If you have that stuff on hand and want to throw it in to use it up, that's fine but it brings nothing to the beer. 4 oz of dark crystal is also pretty insignificant, and will not give much flavor at all, and nothing like a "red" or "amber" ale in flavor.

I dislike fermented brown sugar, but if you like it it's fine in a beer. Since it tends to give a drier finish and thinner body to the beer, I'd probably be inclined to use body building ingredients (more crystal, and darker crystal) with flavor. There isn't much in that beer to give flavor and body, and I'd revamp the recipe if it was my beer.

 

[redd1982]

Thanks Yooper, and you are 100% correct. I am pretty much making this beer to use up the grains I have in stock. Which is why you see the small quantities. I have never tried to make a beer like this. I would normally use plenty of crystal malts to get my amber/red color.

I will be removing the brown sugar. Thought it may add something to the beer. You are not the first person to tell me I am crazy.


GINGER'S BREWING
Chicago, Il

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Yooper, and you are 100% correct. I am pretty much making this beer to use up the grains I have in stock. Which is why you see the small quantities. I have never tried to make a beer like this. I would normally use plenty of crystal malts to get my amber/red color.

I will be removing the brown sugar. Thought it may add something to the beer. You are not the first person to tell me I am crazy.


GINGER'S BREWING
Chicago, Il

Oh, heck, I've done a "clean out the grainbin" beer every so often, so I understand using up things. No worries, but I didn't know if you were doing that or actually formulating a recipe from the ground up.

I'd probably add some crystal malt, and a mix of it, like .5 pound of 40L and .5 pound of 80L, or .75 pound of 60L and .25 pound of 120L, etc, to make it a real red. The roasted barley is fine for some read color, and I'd leave that.

I'm not a citra fan, but if you are those times look good to me, assuming IBUs of 45-50 or so in the finished beer.

 

[redd1982]

Yooper, just to give you an update. The beer, surprisingly, smells and tastes fantastic. I kegged it today. It's got 2 more weeks in the keg, but so far, so good. Instead of Citra I changed the hops (additions copied below) and added a lb of chocolate malt. It really has turned out good...considering it was a concoction brew.

3 oz. williamette 60 min
1 oz. mt. Hood 20 min
.5 oz williamette 10 min


GINGER'S BREWING
Chicago, Il