# Why Red IPA?



## pcqypcqy (21/9/17)

Someone asked me this question at work, and I really didn't have an answer.

On reflection, I said it's a sensory thing and colour is a part of it, just for shits and giggles. 

Also the red malt gives a different malt profile to balance against allowing different hops to do well in an IPA.... Maybe?

Interested to hear what people think


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## Andy_27 (21/9/17)

I think you're right. Because you can really.


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## manticle (21/9/17)

Because people think they're creative when they're really unimaginative.


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## Leyther (21/9/17)

Obviously the malt gives it colour but I also think it gives a different flavour too, I usually love them, they tend to be a bit richer and sweeter than a standard IPA IMO, Modus Operandi Former Tenant has to be one of the best examples going around.


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## manticle (21/9/17)

Can anyone suggest a style of beer that has as many supposed substyles as IPA?

Tripel?
Alt?
Bock?
Wit?
Bitter?
Wee heavy?
Pilsner?
Hefeweizen?

IPA
AIPA
RIPA
BIPA
IIPA
IIIPA
UKIPA
WIPA
WCIPA
NEIPA

Worse than extreme metal. I made an ipa but the sun was yellow and my cat took a shit on the carpet so I called it yelllow catshit IPA. It's a new style I invented, characterised by hops. Ja.


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## mstrelan (21/9/17)

You forgot Session IPA


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## mtb (21/9/17)

I was going to jump in and suggest that many of these wanky variants shouldn't (and don't) really get their own substyle - because they're not recognised in the BJCP Guidelines as being separate - but then I looked up said guidelines and it turns out they are. Feck.

21A. American IPA
21B. Specialty IPA
Specialty IPA: Belgian IPA
Specialty IPA: Black IPA
Specialty IPA: Brown IPA
Specialty IPA: Red IPA
Specialty IPA: Rye IPA
Specialty IPA: White IPA

As far as I'm concerned though.. an NEIPA is to an IPA what James Squire's new Tell Tale "Spring Ale" is to Pale Ale; a cheap marketing ploy.


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## pcqypcqy (22/9/17)

Feeling a lot of love for the IPA's here.... 



Leyther said:


> Obviously the malt gives it colour but I also think it gives a different flavour too, I usually love them, they tend to be a bit richer and sweeter than a standard IPA IMO, Modus Operandi Former Tenant has to be one of the best examples going around.



I can't comment on how accurate the clone is, but I did the recipe in the thread below, which is what prompted the question. I'm getting something a bit different to a standard yellow or darker IPA from the red malt I reckon, but I could be wrong. I might brew something similar again without the red and see how it goes.

https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/former-tenant-red-ipa-modus-operandi.90865/page-4#post-1477088


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## Meddo (22/9/17)

Not sure why a few seem offended by red IPAs, apart from the name itself (or was that the point of the OP?)? And even so, it's just as easy to call it an "India Red Ale" and know what sort of beer it is. Certainly not as bad as the "XPA" thing which seems to be mostly marketing and meaningless.

I really enjoy a lot of IRAs and it's certainly not just an IPA with colour added, at least not in the examples I enjoy (e.g. the old Mountain Goat IRA, Heretic Evil Twin, KAIJU Hopped Out Red and Betelgeuse, etc.) - you're definitely looking for a lot more of a richness and complexity from the malts compared to an IPA. I would have thought that an IRA is to an American amber ale what an AIPA is to an American pale ale - basically the same thing but up the hops/bitterness/alcohol.

Note that my views above are completely ignorant of what any styleguides have to say, just my interpretation of commercial examples and my own home brew attempts.


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## Schikitar (22/9/17)

Too many beer styles, it's a pretty terrible situation to be in...


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## homebrewnewb (22/9/17)

Meddo said:


> ...
> 
> Note that my views above are completely ignorant of what any styleguides have to say, just my interpretation of commercial examples and my own home brew attempts.



Who cares, it's justified by some quite subjective superlatives, which in my mind when it comes to beer is more than adequate. And i have say Meddo, i share a lot of your thought there too.

I am a big fan of the Reds, i think there is a bit more thought behind mashing and grain profiling. 
Getting the balance in the mash, which is essentially setting the stage of the bittering and aroma dance is a fine bloody art in my book, and then those amber ruby hues which are just divine i say.


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## Nizmoose (22/9/17)

Love reds and would argue that a Red IPA or IRA should focus on having a little extra in the malt department in comparison with any other IPA, brilliant style when done well. My 2c on the multitude of IPA styles: do they deserve designated sub-styles? Absolutely not. Are they all quite different beers? Absolutely.


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## pcqypcqy (22/9/17)

The sub styles are probably more a reflection of the popularity of them at the moment, competitions are getting consistently flooded with them so I guess the BJCP has responded accordingly.

I'm a big fan of the style, but I guess the point of the post is to work out what makes it different from a conventional pale ale? Does making it red give you other options in terms of malt flavours and hop combinations that simply wouldn't work in a yellow beer?

I'm leaning towards yes, but don't have the palate to fully describe why I think that.


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## Droopy Brew (22/9/17)

Simple question- simple answer- because they are ******* delicious!

Take a great style like an American Amber Ale and crank everything to 11- whats not to love?


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## pcqypcqy (22/9/17)

Droopy Brew said:


> Simple question- simple answer- because they are ******* delicious!
> 
> Take a great style like an American Amber Ale and crank everything to 11- whats not to love?



But could you get the same flavour without making it red?


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## stewy (22/9/17)

Generally a lot more toffee/caramel/toast and often slight roastiness in a Red IPA vs IPA. Basically much more malt backbone to accompany the "in your face" hops.
One significant advantage IMO of Red IPA vs standard IPA is once the beer has aged slightly and the hop intensity fades. With a standard IPA you are often left with a very bland beer, with many RED IPA's you are still left with an equally delicious beer. One example that springs to mind is Heretic Evil Twin.... fresh from the brewery it is incredible; the cans we get have some age on them & we are still left with a delicious beer which is quite different to the super fresh version.


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## Lionman (22/9/17)

There are flavours and aromas that are somewhat unique to the particular malts used in red ales. You can probably get there with other lighter malts (maybe) but I'm not sure why you would actively avoid colour.

I love Caraaroma, lovely mixture of caramel, chocolate and dried fruit flavours. Delicious with a nice healthy dose of US and similar hops.

I'm recovering from the disappointment of my RIPA keg blowing 2 days ago. Need to a put another one on soon.


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## Droopy Brew (22/9/17)

pcqypcqy said:


> But could you get the same flavour without making it red?


No


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## mstrelan (22/9/17)

Red Velvet Cupcakes though... There is no conceivable reason they should be red.


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## Gelding (23/9/17)

pcqypcqy said:


> Someone asked me this question at work, and I really didn't have an answer.
> 
> On reflection, I said it's a sensory thing and colour is a part of it, just for shits and giggles.
> 
> ...



purely its appearance. 

and I find its a challenge to actually get a proper "red" hue though if you beam natural light through any very dark beer you might see red tints... most people that try to make a red beer seem to end up with brown mud, myself included


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## wide eyed and legless (23/9/17)

stewy said:


> Generally a lot more toffee/caramel/toast and often slight roastiness in a Red IPA vs IPA. Basically much more malt backbone to accompany the "in your face" hops.
> One significant advantage IMO of Red IPA vs standard IPA is once the beer has aged slightly and the hop intensity fades. With a standard IPA you are often left with a very bland beer, with many RED IPA's you are still left with an equally delicious beer. One example that springs to mind is Heretic Evil Twin.... fresh from the brewery it is incredible; the cans we get have some age on them & we are still left with a delicious beer which is quite different to the super fresh version.


By adding a small amount of roasted barley would get a red colour, and may also add just a smidgen of roastiness.


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## Midnight Brew (23/9/17)

The few red IPAs I have had, have all been enjoyable but different. Some are just red in colour some are super malty, some are super caramelly. 

Then we have the UK beers on the red spectrum and we even have the 'amber fluid' of past. All subjective to your aim or style you wish to brew. Lately with my own brewing I have realised the less I try to meet a 'style' the more I like the end result. Im now focusing on style _influenced_ beers or just beers with flavours I like.


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## mattyh77 (23/9/17)

This one I made is delicious, malty and hoppy (no filters added)


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## Ferg (23/9/17)

As an Irish ex-pat I would like to point out that the acronym IRA is taken!!


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## laxation (25/9/17)

that looks delicious mattyh77


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## Garfield (25/10/17)

Ferg, I think these guys are talking about _real_ IRA.

In any case, isn't the answer to the original question obvious... red goes faster


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