Style Of The Week 3/10/07 - Irish Red

[Stuster]

This week it's a new style, Irish Red, a session beer that's become fairly popular. It's often served on nitro in Irish pubs for example, but we can all do better than the Kilkenny's of this world.

What grains? Hops? Kits? Partial mash? Yeast? Fermentation temp? How long to age this one? Any other tricks? I know there are a few Irish red brewers out there, so tell us how you do it.


From the BJCP.

9D. Irish Red Ale

Aroma: Low to moderate malt aroma, generally caramel-like but occasionally toasty or toffee-like in nature. May have a light buttery character (although this is not required). Hop aroma is low to none (usually not present). Quite clean.

Appearance: Amber to deep reddish copper color (most examples have a deep reddish hue). Clear. Low off-white to tan colored head.

Flavor: Moderate caramel malt flavor and sweetness, occasionally with a buttered toast or toffee-like quality. Finishes with a light taste of roasted grain, which lends a characteristic dryness to the finish. Generally no flavor hops, although some examples may have a light English hop flavor. Medium-low hop bitterness, although light use of roasted grains may increase the perception of bitterness to the medium range. Medium-dry to dry finish. Clean and smooth (lager versions can be very smooth). No esters.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body, although examples containing low levels of diacetyl may have a slightly slick mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation. Smooth. Moderately attenuated (more so than Scottish ales). May have a slight alcohol warmth in stronger versions.

Overall Impression: An easy-drinking pint. Malt-focused with an initial sweetness and a roasted dryness in the finish.

Comments: Sometimes brewed as a lager (if so, generally will not exhibit a diacetyl character). When served too cold, the roasted character and bitterness may seem more elevated.

Ingredients: May contain some adjuncts (corn, rice, or sugar), although excessive adjunct use will harm the character of the beer. Generally has a bit of roasted barley to provide reddish color and dry roasted finish. UK/Irish malts, hops, yeast.
Vital Statistics:
OG FG IBUs SRM ABV
1.044 - 1.060 1.010 - 1.014 17 - 28 9 - 18 4.0 - 6.0%

Commercial Examples: Moling's Irish Red Ale, Smithwick's Irish Ale, Kilkenny Irish Beer, Beamish Red Ale, Caffrey's Irish Ale, Goose Island Kilgubbin Red Ale, Murphy's Irish Red (lager), Boulevard Irish Ale, Harpoon Hibernian Ale

 

[jayse]

Stupid style, nothing to see here move along :wacko:
Just make a bitter thats not really bitter and strip/hide/don't have the majority of flavour from it somehow, the creamflow horrid things seem to do the trick but I don't think most of those beers have the flavour to start with. h34r:

Sorry have not got anything real to add just having some fun at the irish red brewers expense.



Jayse

 

[Stuster]

A fair point, jayse. Is this a real style at all?

But I did enjoy the red beers in the recently departed Xmas case here in NSW. Maybe they weren't Irish reds though as they had too much taste.

 

[crozdog]

i made my 1st attempt at this style for the XSW XMAS in July 2007 case swap. Recipe was as follows:
10kg JW trad ale
1kg JW crystal
70g JW roast barley
500g wheat
45g 5% fuggles @ 60
45g 5% fuggles @ 30
30g 5.7% ekg @ 10

mashed at 65 degrees
OG 1.051 @ 25 IBU

Fermented at 17 with Wyeast irish ale, Bulked primed with ordinary white sugar

It could have been redder, but I really liked it although a few people picked up blackcurrant / medicinal notes. Stuster recently found a thread on a US brewboard which says that this yeast may be responsible

 

[Linz]

My effort for the Xmas case as follows



Razorback Red Ale

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 23.00 Wort Size (L): 23.00
Total Grain (kg): 5.51
Anticipated OG: 1.057 Plato: 13.96
Anticipated EBC: 30.8
Anticipated IBU: 23.0
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
94.9 5.23 kg. JWM Traditional Ale Malt Australia 1.038 7
4.4 0.24 kg. Weyermann Caraaroma Germany 1.034 350
0.7 0.04 kg. JWM Roasted Malt Australia 1.032 1200

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.00 g. Pride of Ringwood Plug 13.00 21.7 60 min.
3.00 g. Pride of Ringwood Plug 13.00 1.3 15 min.


Yeast
-----

WYeast 1084 Irish Ale

Maybe I'm giving away trade info here???

 

[kabooby]

"Razorback Red Ale"

Isn't that a Snowy Mountains Brewery Beer :lol:



Kabooby being cheeky

 

[PostModern]

"Razorback Red Ale"

Isn't that a Snowy Mountains Brewery Beer :lol:
Kabooby being cheeky

It is, but it doesn't hold a candle to Linz's beer.

 

[Maxt]

I do enjoy this style. Was supposed to be brewing one today actually, but had massive equipment failure.. :angry:


Style: Irish Red Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 45.00 L
Boil Size: 62.92 L
Estimated OG: 1.043 SG
Estimated Color: 17.7 EBC
Estimated IBU: 21.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
7.52 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) (5.9Grain 86.30 %
0.80 kg Carared (Weyermann) (47.3 EBC) Grain 9.18 %
0.22 kg Caraaroma (256.1 EBC) Grain 2.51 %
0.17 kg Melanoiden Malt (39.4 EBC) Grain 2.01 %
75.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.00 %] (60 min) Hops 18.3 IBU
60.00 gm Hallertauer Hersbrucker [2.00 %] (15 min) Hops 3.6 IBU
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc

 

[Linz]

It is, but it doesn't hold a candle to Linz's beer.

Awww shucks!!

 

[winkle]

Three of us emptied a keg of this on Saturday (hence lost day Sunday)

Colins Eyrish Red

4.50kg JW Trad Ale Malt
0.16kg JW Crystal (Dark)
0.05kg Roast Barley

16gm Northern Brewer pellets 60 min
10 gm EKG 15 min
10gm EKG 0 min
Windsor yeast
Single infusion - full body

Malty and chewy with choc notes and too hoppy to style be boring.

 

[bconnery]

Smithwicks in Ireland is a tasty drop. I mostly alternated between that and Guiness when I visited there.
The beer rumour, true or not, is that Kilkenny is the dumbed down export version.
I won't get into the argument about whether this is a true style or not. Personally I think it is

Here's an extract version I made a while ago. I haven't made my AG one yet but I've got the recipe ready...

1.5kg Amber LME. 1kg Morgans Caramalt Master Blend. 500g Malto Dextrin. 100g Crystal 60L 30g Roast Malt 30g Northern Brewer hops. 30g Perle Hops Safale S-04 yeast.
30g Northern Brewer @45 1kg Morgans @30. LME @15. 30g Perle @ end

I would remove or reduce the MD next time but I got a bronze in the club comp with this one.
I know EKG is the hop of choice for many but I think Northern Brewer works very well.

 

[mfdes]

Isn't Irish red supposed to have NO hop flavour or aroma?

MFS.

 

[SJW]

Yep this style does not float my boat. It ends up a lot like a vienna. ie. uless you are a very experienced brewer your probably not going to be able to make true Irish red or vienna. At least all my attempts have been non-events.

Steve

 

[SJW]

But what do I know!

 

[Weizguy]

Yep this style does not float my boat. It ends up a lot like a vienna. ie. uless you are a very experienced brewer your probably not going to be able to make true Irish red or vienna. At least all my attempts have been non-events.

Steve

Steve,

I heard it said that a certain Vienna lager brewed in WA is more of an Irish Red, so the comparison is quite apt.

It all comes down to personal taste, unless you're gonna enter a comp. Then U gotta stick to the guidelines.

Seth

 

[razz]

My version Of Doc's recipe. I have a mate coming down from NSW next weekend and he likes my dark ales. He asked me to make some for him. I get a nice EKG flavour in this one as well as the malt, almost like a munich flavour. Don't know about the style so much but I like it, I hope my mate does too! Thanks to Doc.
Aidan's Irish red
Irish Red Ale


Type: All Grain
Date: 14/08/2007
Batch Size: 42.00 L
Brewer: JD
Boil Size: 43.55 L Asst Brewer: Doc's recipe
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 90.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.70 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 83.75 %
1.00 kg Carared (39.4 EBC) Grain 12.50 %
0.30 kg Caraaroma (256.1 EBC) Grain 3.75 %
40.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.20 %] (60 min) Hops 11.2 IBU
50.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.20 %] (30 min) Hops 10.8 IBU
60.00 gm Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.10 %] (5 min) Hops 2.4 IBU
1.00 tsp KoppaFloc (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
20.00 gm PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 90.0 min) Misc
2 Pkgs Nottingham Yeast (Lallemand #-) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.053 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.054 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.30 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.48 %
Bitterness: 24.4 IBU Calories: 507 cal/l
Est Color: 19.4 EBC Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: My Mash Total Grain Weight: 8.00 kg
Sparge Water: 17.56 L Grain Temperature: 20.0 C
Sparge Temperature: 78.0 C TunTemperature: 20.0 C
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.2 PH

My Mash Step Time Name Description Step Temp
90 min Main rest Add 24.00 L of water at 71.8 C 66.0 C
15 min Mash out Heat to 78.0 C over 15 min 78.0 C



Mash Notes:
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Kegged (Forced CO2) Volumes of CO2: 2.7
Pressure/Weight: 96.5 KPA Carbonation Used:
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 4.0 C Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 4.0 C

Notes

Pitched yeast at 15 degrees. Temp dropped to 12-13 degrees over first 24-36 hours, fermentation had begun, albeit slowly. Decided to leave out heat pad and allow temp to increase naturally with fermentation. 16/08 and still at 12 degrees. 18/08 13 degrees, rapid fermentation.
Sat at 15 degrees for 4 days now, primary appears to be over. Gravity at 14. Kegged 05/09/2007

 

[Doc]

It took me at least 8 brews to finally nail an Irish Red that I was happy with.
The result is Aidans Irish Red (Aidan is my son with Irish heritage).
The recipe is here in the RecipeDB
Since I've nailed it I've brewed it at least another half dozen times, and it is always on tap here.
Got a HC at Bathurst this year too.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Franko]

Just a plug for Gerards ND Brewing Celtic Red Ale Fresh Wort Kit
A great beer for those looking to try this style, a real winner at my place didnt last last long in the keg

Franko

 

[Fatgodzilla]

Just a plug for Gerards ND Brewing Celtic Red Ale Fresh Wort Kit
A great beer for those looking to try this style, a real winner at my place didnt last last long in the keg

Franko

Noticed in your signature you are fermenting a ND Cerny Pivo. I've got one too in the cube and am tossing around what to do with it. What yeast you used and what temperature you do it at !! Did you add to the volume and any extras added ?

 

[mje1980]

Im planning the following soon. Not really an Irish red, but im not looking for it to be to "style" haha.

73% JW trad ale
14.4% Cara red
9.4% Munich 1
1.1% Black patent
2.1% TF Amber.

1.044.
29 IBU

Thames Valley ale yeast.


See how it goes, will update.