Red Ale

Red Ale

 

If there were ever a beer that a person would assume a long and storied brewing history, it would be the Irish Red Ale. That assumption would be incorrect. While it's true that Red Ales have been brewed for generations in Ireland, its history is essentially that of the English pub beer. The Red is, and has always been, an easy to drink beer that is a staple of pubs throughout the years. 

The Red Ale is immensely popular in the craft beer world, as smaller batch brewers have taken the more popular Reds, such as Smithwick's and Killian's, and added their own twists to them. As the beer itself is relatively boring, it takes well to adjuncts like hot peppers and rye. Red Ales are also used by small brewers as an introduction into the craft beer universe. Its easy-to-drink nature and moderate alcohol level make it a perfect beer to pair with food or casually sip during the course of an evening. 

The red color of the beer is a result of specialty malts. Roasted barley, a very dark malt used in porters and stouts, adds vibrant red colors to pale beers when added in small amounts. Certain caramel malts and highly modified grains can also add red hues, however over use can darken the beer beyond the desired result. 

Red Ales are less hoppy than the English pale ales that they evolved from. The dark malts offer a more roasted flavor as well as some bread or biscuit qualities, creating a more robust beer than the mid-range ABV would suggest. Reds that originate from Ireland are traditionally lagered, where American versions are made in the ale style, with top fermenting yeast strains and warmer aging temperatures. 

OUR RECIPE

10 lbs 2-Row Pale Ale Malt
1/2 lb CaraMunich II
1/4 lb Roasted Barley
1/4 lb Melanoidin Malt

1 oz Cascade Hops
1 oz East Kent Goldings Hops

S-04 Dry English Ale Yeast

1 tsp Irish Moss

Malts We Use

2-Row Pale Ale Malt: A basic base malt, this won’t impart too much color and very little flavor. It is a pretty clean, crisp malt that works well with specialty grains and pretty much any style of beer. American varieties are generally less starchy and lighter than English breeds.

Roasted Barley: A classic dark malt, roasted barley adds rich dark hues with highlights of magenta and red to stouts and porters. It is heavy on the roast flavor and gives a fresh coffee aromatic characteristic in beer. Roasted barley is among the only widely used specialty grains that are unmalted.

CaraMunich II: Another darker malt, CaraMunich malt has several varieties. II is a mid-range caramel malt that adds some biscuity and sweet flavors while adding a rich color as well.

Melanoidin: A kilned specialty malt, Melanoidin not only adds red and copper colors to beer, but also adds sweet bready flavors. It promotes a heartier body to the beer as well as smoothness on the palate. 

Hops We Use

Cascade: Accounting for about 10% of all hop growth in the United States, Cascade has become the quintessential American hop variety. It's pine and resinous notes with sweet citrus aromas make it perfect for most domestic craft beers, especially pale ales.

East Kent Goldings: An English hop variety from the 18^th century, this traditionally aromatic British hop is widely used across all styles of homebrewed beer. Slightly sweet, earthy, and floral, East Kent Goldings are generally considered to be the quintessential English hops.

Yeast We Use

SafAle S-04: A basic English dry yeast strain that works well across all styles but really thrives in malty and dark ales. Top fermenting and reliable, S-04 dry yeast can handle most low to medium ABV beers, it ferments quickly and creates a tight sediment base, increasing the clarity of lighter English ales while still retaining the hearty characteristics of pub beer.

Irish Moss: We use Irish Moss as a clarifying agent. These negatively charged seaweed particles attract proteins and other free radicals in your boil kettle and drag them to the bottom once cooled, thereby removing haze from your final product. Whirlfloc tablets are another option for this process. Regardless of your preferred methods of clarity, it is important that beers of this style are clear. Lagering can do this as well, but most home brewers don't have that capability, so adding Irish Moss (or something similar) can work wonders for cleaning up the beer.