Black Irish Red (Take Three)

This was my third attempt with this Irish Red recipe. We've lovingly called it the Black Irish Red because both of my previous attempts with this beer have turned out very dark. This time we changed quite a bit to try and get the color right while keeping the flavor profile as close to the original as possible. This is the best overall red I've made. It's still probably a little dark (a deep coppery-brown), but it's much closer. The flavor is pretty good, too. It's got a nice aroma, a great malty body, and a little bit of a sweet finish. I'm pretty pleased with how this has turned out. Third time's the charm, I guess.

Ingredients

• 6.6 pounds Marris Otter LME
• 6 ounces Crystal 40L
• 8 ounces Crystal 60L
• 2 ounces Roasted Barley 300L
• 1 ounce Kent Goldings Hops
• 1 packet Irish Ale or London Ale yeast (I used London Ale yeast)

Instructions

• Steep grains at 150-160 degrees for 30-60 minutes
• Remove grains. Add extract and hops. Bring to a boil.
• Boil for 60 minutes.
• Cool wort and transfer to fermenter.
• Pitch yeast.
• Ferment for 2-3 weeks.

Note: I used London Ale yeast simply because the local HBS was out of Irish Ale yeast the day I was brewing. It's pretty close in profile to the Irish Ale yeast and keeps the flavor pretty close to the standard.

OG: 1.053

FG: 1.012

ABV: approximately 5%

Until Next Time,

RHSC