West Coast Red Ale

[Yooper]

I'm brewing today, and Bob wanted something red and rich, but hoppy as well.

I'm making a 10 gallon batch of this:

14 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) 71.6 %
2 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Baird's) (3.0 SRM) 10.2 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) 7.7 %
1 lbs Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) 5.1 %
8.0 oz Caramel Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) 2.6 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) 2.6 %
1.0 oz Midnight Wheat (550.0 SRM) 0.3 %

0.75 oz Magnum [11.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min 16.3 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo [10.10 %] - Boil 15.0 min 9.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo [10.10 %] - Boil 10.0 min 6.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo [10.10 %] - Boil 5.0 min 3.8 IBUs
2.00 oz Amarillo [10.10 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20.0 min

OG 1.048
IBUs 47


I'm thinking of deleting the magnum, and upping the 15 minute amarillo addition- to have it hop bursted, but I'm thinking that with the boatload of crystal I have in there, I may want to have a nice firm background bitterness and I'm not sure that amarillo can do that the way I'm picturing it. Any thoughts?

 

[masscarriers]

I'm also in the process of designing a recipe with lots of crystal malt, and decided to keep the 60min addition after all. I'm thinking that after tasting it when racking to secondary if I find it too mellow on the hop side, I can always dry hop it right there while maintaining the initial bitterness bite.

Just my two cents though, but I really like keeping most of my bittering additions and play with aroma if I'm not impressed.

 

[JustLooking]

I'm thinking of deleting the magnum, and upping the 15 minute amarillo addition- to have it hop bursted

Delete the Magnum and FWH with an ounce of Amarillo?

 

[hs1149]

What yeast ya' using?

Are you shoveling the snow before of after the brew session?

 

[Yooper]

What yeast ya' using?

Are you shoveling the snow before of after the brew session?

No, shoveling is over for now! I just looked out, and it is snowing again, though.

A bit north of us, our friends in Negaunee got 36 inches over the last two days, and last night Negaunee was mentioned in the national news. At the end of last winter, our area was named "The Coldest Place on Earth". While I love the UP spring through fall, this is getting very old.

I'm using Omega's West Coast Ale I: http://www.omegayeast.com/?portfolio=west-coast-ale

I used that in my last IPA, and thought it was similar to WLP001, but perhaps a bit more flocculant and very clean so I think it will be really good in this. In my IPA, I got 84% attenuation with it. Of course, that was recipe related as well, but I was pleased with it.

 

[BreezyBrew]

I replied on my phone, but it didn't seem to save my reply. Anyway,

Yooper, do you always do editions at 15, 10, and 5 minutes? Does that give you the most robust hop character?

I think the beer looks good! Definitely something I would brew. It seems similar to Brew Dogs, 5 AM Saint. I don't know how close the recipe is though. What a great beer.

 

[Yooper]

Yooper, do you always do editions at 15, 10, and 5 minutes? Does that give you the most robust hop character?

Not always- but most of the time, along with a larger whirlpool addition. To do the whirlpool addition, I turned off the flame and cooled to 180, added the whirlpool hops, then recirculated for 20 minutes and then cooled the rest of the way. I love those results. I may or may not dryhop this. It's for Bob, so it's more of a red ale than an IPA, so the hopping is more restrained but he loves amarillo hops so I wanted that to be forward with the crystal malt that he loves.

 

[BreezyBrew]

Not always- but most of the time, along with a larger whirlpool addition. To do the whirlpool addition, I turned off the flame and cooled to 180, added the whirlpool hops, then recirculated for 20 minutes and then cooled the rest of the way. I love those results. I may or may not dryhop this. It's for Bob, so it's more of a red ale than an IPA, so the hopping is more restrained but he loves amarillo hops so I wanted that to be forward with the crystal malt that he loves.

Gotcha. I have been whirlpooling all my hoppy beers for probably the last 15 batches or so, it's been working great! I do mine at 20 or 30 min and 180 degrees, depending. I have been playing around with the aroma hop editions, but haven't decided on what I like best yet. Stone seems to do a bittering and whirlpool... while I love their beers, I think they need more hop character mid palate. If that's a thing? I'm always trying to build in layers of hoppy goodness

I love amarillo too. I just dryhopped an India Brown recipe with 4 oz of amarillo in the keg. Can't wait to taste it!

 

[Melana]

Thank you. On my list now!

 

[Yooper]

It's at 1.010 now, but not yet clear. I think that Omega strain is very much like Wyeast's 1056 (the 'chico strain') and just doesn't flocculate very well.

It does have a nice red color, and it has a nice caramel flavor and maltiness. I am debating on dryhopping, to bring the amarillo hops aroma more to the forefront. I just haven't decided yet.

 

[Melana]

John has a saying... there's nothing wrong with hoppy.

 

[mchrispen]

Funny - I just brewed a hoppy red ale yesterday.

Same concern about the crystal malts... but what the heck. Mine came out a brown color - so next time need to switch it up quite a bit. I used a slightly different hops schedule -- I FWH with the amarillo, bittered with a little magnum, and late hopped with a ton of cascade. Smells great in the fermenter at least. Hit 1.062 OG, expect it to finish around 1.018 - 1.020 using Ediburgh yeast.

 

[BrewerE]

Hey Yoop,

have a look at this one that I did:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/recipe-critique-thoughts-dry-hop-464983/

Was shooting for more of a red-colored IPA than a hoppy red.

People who have tried it say it is a little hoppy but balanced (even though it came in at about 9% abv)

Would take any other comments from you on it as well.
I think I ended up dry-hopping with Simcoe and Columbus.

I have thought about tweaking it a little to lower the abv a bit and adding a little more caramel flavor, then sticking some Jack Daniels Oak smoking chips in it....