Red IPA Recipe feedback

[GuyG]

Hi all,

I am hoping for some feedback on a recipe I have devised for a red IPA.

The recipe is inspired by the game Red Dead Redemption... which is why I went for a red IPA and the hop selection, I did do some research and it sounded like the hops would compliment each other.

Any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers
Guy

 

[YeastFace]

My thoughts, having never brewed one, but drank a few, so feel free to take with a pinch of salt.

I think Crystal Red Rye is great so glad to see you've included it. What are you trying to achieve with the biscuit that you don't think you'll get from the munich and 3 crystal malts? Just thinking from a drinkability point it could become a bit chewy/cloying

Hop combo looks good, but might benefit from a bit of pine/resin (it is in essence an amped up American Amber so I think it would be well-placed), maybe just my tastes though.

People associate El Dorado with a jolly rancher character and I definitely agree on the sample I've had. Think that should work well with the grain bill.

 

[GuyG]

Hi Yeast Face,

Thanks for the feedback I really appreciate it.

With regards to the biscuit, I saw in a malt bill for another red IPA (can't remember where!!) If it's going to make it too chewy i could always take it out and boost the other malts up slightly.

When looking into hop profiles i was hoping to get some of the piney flavour from the el dorado hops, i haven't brewed with them before but i read that they can provide it.

As for resinous/piney boost do you think chinook would work well and should i throw on top of the current hop schedule or substitute some of the others?

Thanks again!

 

[YeastFace]

If you haven't brewed this yet, there is a discussion of recipe development for a Red IPA on the Basic Brewing podcast.

 

[GuyG]

If you haven't brewed this yet, there is a discussion of recipe development for a Red IPA on the Basic Brewing podcast.

That's brilliant thanks... I have bought ingredients but will give it a listen

 

[SMP Brewery]

I had a lovely Red IPA in Brewhouse & Kitchen Cheltenham and emailed the brewer and got the following back.

The recipe is very simple for it honestly. I used the majority Pale malt for base, then Munich and Light Crystal for flavour and colour additions. The hops were all very easy as well. I wanted to emphasise a super citrus with a back note of pineapple and grapefruit, so I used El Dorado for aroma, and Zeus for bittering due to its high alpha content.
The Yeast was BRY-97, which helps bring out esters of stonefruit and floral aromatics too.

 

[JockyBrewer]

From experience I think you’ve got it all nearly perfect.

Colour wise 28 EBC is dead on for a red IPA,
Around 1.060 is an ideal starting gravity too, assuming you get it down to 1.010-1.013 you have the option of going up to 60 IBU, and with 15% crystal malts you might want to, I personally only use about 8% - as a mix of medium and light crystal.

The one bit I’m not sure about it hop choice. Personally I prefer the older piney hops like Simcoe, Centennial and Columbus.
El Dorado and Citra are just a bit fruity for my taste in this style, but if you fancy it then go for it.

 

[GuyG]

From experience I think you’ve got it all nearly perfect.

Colour wise 28 EBC is dead on for a red IPA,
Around 1.060 is an ideal starting gravity too, assuming you get it down to 1.010-1.013 you have the option of going up to 60 IBU, and with 15% crystal malts you might want to, I personally only use about 8% - as a mix of medium and light crystal.

The one bit I’m not sure about it hop choice. Personally I prefer the older piney hops like Simcoe, Centennial and Columbus.
El Dorado and Citra are just a bit fruity for my taste in this style, but if you fancy it then go for it.

Thanks for all your feedback it's appreciated .

I have actually got the ingredients now and planning my brew day for Tuesday... I had modified the recipe slightly since this... i got rid of the biscuit malt and spread it across the other malts slightly, I also dropped the quantity of the hops and added in some Chinook for some piney resinous flavour... I am a fan of fruity hops so I will give it a go this way and see how it comes out

I will post the final recipe on here with a picture of the brew and thoughts when it's all done

 

[GuyG]

Thought I would give an update on the Red Dead IPA... i fell short on my OG (for the first time in 5 brews) and came out at 1.055 instead of 1.060, haven't figured out why but it is what it is... FG was 1.010 so finish up around the 6% mark.

I tried a bit out the fermenter whilst bottling today, big fruit salad flavour with resinous undertones... Definitely got the reddish colour I was hoping for. Will give a further update when its bottle conditioned and dropped bright.

I've attached the final recipe i went with and a picture in one of my clear bottles I use to monitor clarity.

 

[Keruso]

Hi all,

I am hoping for some feedback on a recipe I have devised for a red IPA.

The recipe is inspired by the game Red Dead Redemption... which is why I went for a red IPA and the hop selection, I did do some research and it sounded like the hops would compliment each other.

Any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers
Guy

I’m sure it will be a good beer, my observations, looks a bit heavy on the crystal malts, you may get too much sweet malty flavour in addition the the colour. Looks like your going more west coast than east coast with the salts, so perhaps go for the piney hops, simcoe, centennial, columbus, cascade. Your hop schedule looks great and I’ve used that combination before and it really works well, give a tropical, fruit, citrus feel in pale ale or IPAs. It’s all a bit subjective though, good luck

 

[GuyG]

I’m sure it will be a good beer, my observations, looks a bit heavy on the crystal malts, you may get too much sweet malty flavour in addition the the colour. Looks like your going more west coast than east coast with the salts, so perhaps go for the piney hops, simcoe, centennial, columbus, cascade. Your hop schedule looks great and I’ve used that combination before and it really works well, give a tropical, fruit, citrus feel in pale ale or IPAs. It’s all a bit subjective though, good luck

Thanks for the feedback @Keruso time will tell with the brew.

It's all trial and error, if i find it too sweet next time i will reduce the crystal... I was leaning on the westy side.

Glad you like the hop schedule and have had good results with it

 

[JockyBrewer]

It certainly looks red! Good work.

 

[Jim Brewster]

Definitely looks red!
I don't think "taking the Biscuit" will have done any harm, it can easily be a bit much

 

[GuyG]

Thanks for the feedback @Keruso time will tell with the brew.

It's all trial and error, if i find it too sweet next time i will reduce the crystal... I was leaning on the westy side.

Glad you like the hop schedule and have had good results with it

You were right about the crystal @Keruso it has come out a bit sweet but by no means cloying.

For my v2 recipe I have dropped the crystal additions down to 9%, added a touch of carafa special 3 to get it back to 28EBC and bumped the IBUs up from 53 to 58.

 

[Keruso]

You were right about the crystal @Keruso it has come out a bit sweet but by no means cloying.

For my v2 recipe I have dropped the crystal additions down to 9%, added a touch of carafa special 3 to get it back to 28EBC and bumped the IBUs up from 53 to 58.

Sounds and looks great, I tend to find the west coast piney ones reach their prime around two weeks after kegging or bottling, with week one for carbonation. Very smooth. Next brew I’m making a Hill Farmstead “Abner” clone which has west coast characteristics.