Tweaking a red recipe

[alcaponejunior]

Tell me what you guys think of this recipe:

Briess Pilsen Extra Light Liquid Extract 6 lbs, 9.6 oz
Briess Victory 0 lbs, 8 oz
Briess 2 Row Caramel 120 8 oz
Briess 2 Row Caramel 40 8 oz
*Gambrinus Honey Malt 0 lbs, 4 oz
*Briess 2 Row Carapils 0 lbs, 4 oz
Crisp Chocolate Malt 0 lbs, 2 oz
Amarillo Pellets 1 oz @ 60 mins
Cascade Pellets 1 oz @ 10 mins
*Cascade Pellets, 1.5 oz Dry Hop
SAFALE S-04

It's a straight up red type beer kit, but I added in a little bit of malts and the dry hops. I want to brew a really hoppy red something between Stone Levitation and Green Flash Hop Head Red, but with about 6.5% ABV. I haven't ordered yet and I can order anything I want in one ounce increments.

* ingredients I added to the base kit

[BDawg]

Looks pretty good overall.

4 oz of carapils and honey malt aren't very significant. I'd bump them up to a half pound apiece and deduct from the base malt. Or, you probably don't even need the carapils, all that crystal will provide plenty of head.

Also, Amarillo is a great flavor/aroma hop. Using it as a bittering hop is almost a sin.
I'd consider swapping the 10 minute cascade with the amarillo, or splitting them and going 1/2 oz of each at both times for a more complex hop profile.

I'd also probably go with US-05. Cleaner yeast will allow the malt to shine through. There will be a ton of citrus, and adding an estery yeast will make it seem sweet, IMO.

My .02

[alcaponejunior]

Based on your and other feedback, I've altered it to this possibility...

Briess Pilsen Extra Light Liquid Extract 6 lbs, 9.6 oz
Briess Victory 4 oz
Briess 2 Row Caramel 120 8 oz
Briess 2 Row Caramel 40 8 oz
Gambrinus Honey Malt 6 oz
Briess 2 Row Carapils 6 oz
Crisp chocolate malt, 2oz
Weyerman Cara Amber, 4oz
Crisp Chocolate Pale Malt 2 oz
Cascade Pellets 1 oz @ 60 mins
Amarillo Pellets 1 oz @ 10 mins
Cascade Pellets, 1.5 oz Dry Hop
SAFALE S-05

Still considering the final blend. I won't be brewing this one for at least two weeks, maybe longer, so I have time to think about it! Also I realized the original recipe was only 5.0% ABV, so it needed a little extra malts in there somewhere.

And yeah, I have 14oz of cascade, but only two oz of Amarillo, so I should probably bitter with cascade and flavor (and perhaps dry hop?) with some Amarillo. I know I like cascade but don't have that much experience with Amarillo.

I'm going to take your suggestion and switch yeasts to the 05.

Also, do I need any clarifiers? I was going to order some irish moss just for stock, should I add some?

Thanks for the feedback! Let me know what you guys think of this!

al

[BDawg]

Yes, but I suggest whirlfloc tablets as they are pulverized irish moss and a hell of a lot easier to use. Just toss in
1 tablet at 10 mins in the boil at 10 mins left and you are good to go.

[alcaponejunior]

Here's my (yet again) tweaked recipe:

Briess Pilsen Extra Light Liquid Extract 6 lbs, 9.6 oz
Briess Golden Light Dry Extract 1 lbs
Briess Victory 8 oz
Briess 2 Row Caramel 40 8 oz
Briess 2 Row Caramel 120 8 oz
Weyermann Cara Amber ® 6 oz
Briess Pilsen (Extra) Light Dry Extract 4 oz
Briess 2 Row Carapils 4 oz
Crisp Pale Chocolate Malt 2 oz
Crisp Chocolate Malt 2 oz
Cascade Pellets 1 oz @ 60 mins
Amarillo Pellets 1 oz @ 10 mins
Cascade Pellets 2 oz @ Dry
Irish Moss powder
SAFALE US-05 American Ale

Website calculates:
IBU 24.4
SRM 17.86
ABV 6.03

This is fun! I wish I knew more about how these ingredients work, but over time I'm sure I will learn a lot. How about this version?

[madchemist83]

I'd add some saaz hops at the end. I know it's a sin to put aromatic hops at the beginning but it worth the try.
Check out my first recipie:
7# Alexanders pale malt extract
1# Victory malt
1# Aromatic malt
1/2# English crystal 40 L
1/2# Castlefords Extra Dark 150L
2 tbsp wildflower honey
1 tsp blackstrap molasses
1 oz UK E Kent Golding 60 min
1 oz Galena 35 min
1 oz Saaz 20 min
1 oz Saaz 0 min

[alcaponejunior]

That looks great, will be saving a link to this thread for a future brewing!

In the meantime, I am taking input from three sources here, this is my latest edition, still subject to change! I simplified the grain bill, changed the hops around a little bit, and changed the extracts too.

Briess Pilsen Extra Light Liquid Extract 4 lbs, 8 oz
Briess Golden Light Dry Extract 3 lbs
Weyermann Cara Munich II ® 1 lbs
Briess 2 Row Caramel 120 8 oz
Briess 2 Row Carapils 8 oz
Magnum Pellets, GR 1 oz @ 60 mins
Cascade Pellets 1 oz @ 10 mins
Amarillo Pellets 1 oz @ 0 mins
Cascade Pellets 2 oz Dry hopped
Whirlfloc Tablets 1 ea
SAFALE US-05 American Ale 1 ea

IBU: 45.5
SRM: 12.92
ABV: 6.03

[scotchpine]

When I did one like this recently, I looked up the clone recipe for Oscar Blues Gordon on the forum and used it a a base reference, then tweaked it from there. I was shooting for something like that or Big Hoppy Monster. I went with 76% Marris Otter, 6% Brittish Caramel 15, 6% Munich 10, 6% Victory and 6% cane sugar. Since I could'nt find any CaraRed, I used 1oz of English Choc. Malt which was plenty and put it just on the red side of brown in color and added a slight hint of choc nose. These are pretty hoppy beers so I went to 65 IBU with Warrior and Columbus in the boil and 2oz Amarrillo and 1oz Simcoe dry hop. WLP002 gave me 69% att. This 5 gal batch turned out great. Been in the keg 2 weeks and still getting better each pour. Hope you might find any of this helpful and good luck with yours.