My BEST IRISH RED ALE Recipe Yet! (Award Winning)

[@GregArthaud]

I brewed an extract version of this and it turned out wonderful. Partial mash of 1 lb flaked maize, 3/4 lb English Medium Crystal - 45 minutes at 150-157 degrees. Also, added 2 oz of roasted barley for the last 30 minutes. Used RO water and added 2 g gypsum, 3 g epsom, 5 g CaCl2, and 3 g NaHCO3. Followed boil and hop schedule using 6 lb gold malt extract (which has a small amount of carapils). Towards end (10 minutes), added a whirfloc and 1 Tblsp of Fermaid O. Used a 1 liter start of Nottingham yeast. OG was 1.047 and FG of 1.010, for a 4.9% ABV. 8 days primary and 9 days secondary. After 2 weeks, the beer was delicious and clear. Nottingham flocs well and sits tight on the bottom of the bottles. Perfect for St. Patrick's Day in 10 days and will brew again, for sure.

[@TheBruSho]

Color looks spot on! Really enjoyed your technique of adding the roasted barley slowly to get the color, cool trick!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks! It works nicely, you just have to anticipate it will darken a bit more throughout the brew

[@irrlicht6997]

One of the best things with these kind of videos, grain to glass, is that they have a way to change ones mind... I've never really been interested in making a Irish Red but seeing and hearing your enthusiasm makes me reconsider and getting new thoughts. Thanks!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

You're missing out!

[@ciaranmadden3485]

I copied you recipe for a brew I did on paddy's day. Used a different base malt (MO) and added a little extra bitterness hops. Hands down the best Irish red ale I have ever had and I'm irish. Thanks for a great recipe!!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That's a huge compliment! Glad it was so good!

[@MandyMichels]

I love a good Irish Red and I always get excited when I see one offered on tap. Beautiful color and fantastic video!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you so much!

[@BroswithBeerandPants]

I like the slow addition of roasted barley for color. Yours is a bit more red than mine have been historically but I’ve never put more than 2oz in. I like the idea.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It works well to avoid overdoing it. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@BrewDudes]

I love the approach of adding the roasted barley as a top mash during recirc and adding it until you hit the color you're targeting. I'm queuing up an irish red myself right now and I might borrow that technique. Cheers! -Mike

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks Mike! It's a really easy way to be sure of the color. Just have to keep in mind wort condensation and kettle caramelization! Cheers!

[@Alex-ir9nx]

This was the first beer I ever made all-grain. I was very new and just doing 1 gal batches to learn in my small apartment and I was looking for vids on how to brew in an apartment. Thank you so much for this awesome beer man

[@wedomusic9451]

Like that you used the roasted barley for the red color. I did the same, I used a little CaraRed and CaraMunich to add a little caramel flavor and body.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Very nice!

[@iaahner]

Well done sir! You've decided for me what I'm doing tomorrow. If fermentation goes well I should be able to have it on tap for St Pat's. A bit of a rush job, but I can't resist after seeing your results. Keep up the great videos!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Best of luck! Thank you for watching!

[@DesertScorpionKSA]

I really like the color of that Irish Red ale you brewed. That could possibly win an award.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you! We will find out later this year!

[@thecoastalelite2074]

Epic. Need to try your recipe; also am a fan of adding the roasted barley a little at a time to get the color right. Well done 👍🏽

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you! Yeah it works well!

[@gerardnatale2387]

The Red Ale that I brewed is keg conditioning for St. Patrick's Day now. I used Red X to get the color. This year I used a Farmhouse Saison yeast because I won it on the Bitter Reality Brewing channel. He was basically giving the Lallemand packs away because they were nearing expiration. I'm not sure if it's an actual style but I'm calling it a Farmhouse Red. I'll have to try your recipe next time. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Nice! A dark saison perhaps?

[@brewing8094]

Nice colour and lacing in the glass, I made a Stout and left conditioning . Would like to brew your Irish Red Ale recipe . On another note when you mentioned Fuggles hops, makes a great sessionable 4% lager.

[@knightmare1015]

I did Brewdemon's Hellfire red ale 2 gallon kit not long ago and it was the best beer I've ever brewed. The IBU's was 12 and the ABV was only 4.6%. It was a very tasty and easy to drink beer. I gave some to a few friends and they loved it and want more of it. The batch was gone in 24 hours after bottle conditioning for 2 weeks. Thanks for the tip on the roasted barley.

[@wd6358]

I have one in the fermenter right now. If it doesn't turn out OUTSTANDING I might try your recipe next year

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Very nice!

[@davidrogers6262]

I love that sight glass! Excellent sound track. Great production! I brewed a cream ale and an IPA the same day around your last video. Must have ESP! Keep up your videos.👏👏👏

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you!

[@henkjanssen1252]

Since you seem to have been discovering some places in Europe recently you should definitely pay Ireland a visit! I went there a long time ago (2007) but I really liked it. Avoid the usual tourist traps, small harbour town pubs is where it's at (and Connemara is gorgeous). Beer-wise it's hard to overstate the Irish love for their Guinness.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Ireland is on the list!

[@oscarosullivan4513]

Guinness tastes of little Porterhouse XXXX stout is far superior and that is just the first example

[@timpolster]

Thanks for the video. Great job on the beer!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Bushwookie_18]

Really enjoy the malt test having appropriate SRM! Love how much your channel has evolved and gotten better over time.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you so much!

[@clubroot3383]

I really enjoyed drinking Irish Red many years ago and your videos has really opened this mystery to home brewers. I do think that +/- 0.5% ABV has a big impact on the style of ale consumed in this part of the world, 3.5% is light, 4% is normal, and 4.5 to 5.5% is ESB.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That's a great point - low ABV beer is a bit more separated out across the pond.

[@oscarosullivan4513]

Lager yeast for an Irish red ale quell the heresy

[@ahund562]

I’ve been watching your videos for the last couple weeks and have learned a ton, great content! Also, I’ve noticed your watch choices are on point and varied. Is that an Oris Big Crown in this one?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Good eye, glad you enjoy the channel!

[@christinealbury8024]

I have always wanted to brew a red ale. Would it be possible to assist in scaling up to a 3BBl recipe.

[@irishsn0w]

Super late to the party, but I'm just getting back into brewing after over a year hiatus from buying a house, moving, life, etc, and decided to make this as my "first" brew back. Irish reds have long been my favorite style and I'm excited to have this on tap for Oktoberfest (don't come at me, I just prefer reds and Viennas over Oktoberfests). Looks absolutely delicious and can't wait to brew it. Thanks for the recipe and awesome content, cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Happy brewing!!

[@davidbathkedb]

Subscribed! You have a lot of good recipes with a ton of knowledge to go with them, thank you!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you!

[@eachday5705]

There is a scotish/irish dry yeast from crossmyloof.But i don t know how authentic they are.

[@eachday5705]

BEòIR

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I'll keep an eye out thanks!

[@filmscorefreak]

Beautiful looking beer. Touch of roast all the way. see ya on the next one!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Excellent, cheers!

[@seriomarkj]

Really cool to see the color change in that viewing window, I think I would have too much fun with that in some super dark beer to go from pale to dark...either way looks great and cheers

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Haha it is cool, but its sped up like crazy. Its a bit more extreme when you're adding dark grains in much higher quantities though and that's definitely fun to watch

[@MinnesotaFats]

I'm having a party at my house end of March. I may make this along with a neipa

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Do it!

[@Scootenfruity]

Not in time for me, because I already made mine. I went completely basic with Maris Otter, roasted Barley and EKG. I forgot to order xyeast though, so I used Nottingham.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Nice!

[@WreckedBrewery]

That is a pretty beer. Love the color! Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks! There's definitely something special about red colored beers!

[@gmac7405]

I might have to make that and put it on nitro. Looks amazing.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

On nitro I bet this would be awesome! Great idea!

[@tensky]

Fun fact, I started homebrewing because of you and the first beer I ever made is an Irish Red Ale AND the tasting will be on Thursday, three days after you published this video so I'm nervous on how it will compare to yours, but this is all about trying different things, learning from them and most importantly about having fun :)

[@baronvonkaiser9912]

and impressing/entertaining friends and family

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That's awesome to hear! Congratulations on your first brew!! Keep brewing, keep learning and never stop having fun!

[@NoMusiciansInMusicAnymore]

Welcome to the fold, it's a great hobby and you can go as deep as you want haha. I hope you update your message with how the beer turned out, I remember my first, I thought it was great at the time, every beer I make is the best beer I have made yet... usually haha

[@baronvonkaiser9912]

@@NoMusiciansInMusicAnymore tomorrow he will taste it. for tomorrow is the appointed thursday

[@NoMusiciansInMusicAnymore]

@@baronvonkaiser9912 ahh, but today has been the Thursday for hours already depending where you are... That's why you don't need to worry that the world will end tomorrow... It's already tomorrow here in Australia

[@tomcothron5738]

New subscriber. Thank you for the easy to follow informative videos. My wife told me that I 'Simply need to make a good Irish Red'. (the color is very important to her, assuming I hit the flavor) Looking fwd to giving this a try. One comment: I cant adjust the roasted barley as you do with the cool clear glass thing. Will it work in a similar fashion if I leave the pump on to monitor the color as it circulates while I add the roasted barley?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you for subscribing, I hope you continue to enjoy the content! As far as color adjustment I'd recommend just pulling a small sample in a clear glass from a bottom valve on your mash tun to try and gage the color change. I would definitely leave the pump on.

[@MarioDeLaFuente-w6r]

I use a brew easy Blichmann system with a therminator, do I chill first then whirlpool? Or viceversa.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Whirlpool first. If you can hook up a recirculation loop that doesn't go through the chiller at first for the whirlpool then throw a valve to send it through the chiller that would be best.

[@paulschroeter4987]

could vienna be used rather then ashburne ?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I'd recommend just going with a regular english pale malt otherwise.

[@smellsamazing]

I may have missed it, what was the EBC of this beer? I want to try again but this time without resorting to hibiscus for that deep live red color.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I belive the SRM was 15.5, so that translates to about 30 EBC

[@derrik420]

I brewed up an IRA earlier this month. My recipe is very similar to yours except I used Nottingham yeast, and I dropped in a touch of torrified wheat. My IRA actually looks identical to yours in the glass. However, the Nottingham yeast is not my preferred yeast. I prefer to use an Irish Ale yeast which I did last year and it produced a better final product. I fermented at 66 degrees with Nottingham and the yeast put off a bit too many esters for the style and my pallet. Nice video and IRA! 😎

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Very nice!

[@oscarosullivan4513]

Irish ale yeast is more authentic

[@jorgeluizalbani2467]

Great recipe. What color was the beer in SRM or EBC? I will try to replicate.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I want to say it was about 15.5 SRM

[@ElementaryBrewingCo]

Great looking beer, Steve! Hey, where did you get that in-line site glass? I need that!!!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks! Brewhardware.com 1/2 in NPT in-line sight glass. Check it out!

[@tryexceptions1025]

Oh my Gosh! fantastic color!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you!

[@juaresteixeira8033]

Essa receita certamente ficou sensacional, vou tentar replicá-la com os maltes daqui. 👏👏👏👏

[@skipp107]

Good stuff. Thank you for sharing.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thanks for watching!

[@firstnlast]

Great job!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you!

[@oscarosullivan4513]

@@TheApartmentBrewer IBU was very accurate but please in the future keep the stereotypical music out but the beers colour is superb and more accurate for the style as we know it in Ireland

[@oscarosullivan4513]

@@TheApartmentBrewer You should have gone for a mild nutty taste as well

[@WinSchutten]

I was having trouble finding a proper "clone" recipe of Kilkenny irish cream ale.. This with the flaked corn might just be it..Though probably flaked barley would be more irish.. Still definitely a recipe I want to try!.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That might work nicely!

[@paramattic30]

What are your thoughts on using a kveik strain in this one?

[@thebird36]

you could get away with it on this particular style but you wont get some of the yeast characteristics you would from irish ale yeast. Irish ale by bjcp is dry and clean, could also be neutral on the palate

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Agreed, the only real option is Lutra, but be sure to keep that pH under control or it will get tart on you

[@cochroach10]

I just started homebrewing, did a starter kit that used grain and extract that turned out well. I tried to create my own wheat ale recipe on brewfather and ended up way low on my og, but I'll still end up with a decent abv. Going to bump up the amount of grain I use next time. Where would I go to learn about mouth feel? I've been drinking beer for a while and I just don't understand the mouth feel thing.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

That's something that comes with experience I think. Try drinking two different types of beers side by side and think about how they feel on the palate. Ex, a lager feels lighter and crisper than a pale ale or stout. A hazy ipa feels different than a Belgian beer.

[@vidmaillet]

Have been struggling trying to get that ruby red colour in an irish red. There appears to be 2 variations of Roasted Barley: 500L and 300-350L. Would you happen to know which one you used? I have tried both but haven't managed to find the right amounts yet.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Simpsons lists their roasted barley as 488.1 - 713.1 Lovibond, I usually end up getting their roasted barley.

[@apack76]

Did you milled the flaked corn too? Typically, I thought it's a bad idea to mill in flaked adjuncts. Cheers!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Nope, you don't mill flaked anything. I mixed it into the grist after milling the other stuff.

[@jeffmorrison8032]

I brewed this as my 1st all grain in Clawhammer system. Turned out fantastic altho color was darker then yours even tho I followed your instructions and video, not exactly sure why.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Congrats on the first brew on the system! There's always going to be a little variance on the malt colors, I would guess thats why its a bit darker for you.

[@BeerWineandShine]

That is a beautiful colored beer.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you! It really is nice, especially when it catches the light!

[@losFondos]

Do you use Brewfather?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I've started to over the last few months, but not for this recipe.

[@JoeGraves24]

Interesting to include flaked maize to thin out the body. Could you have replaced some of the base malt with some Red X to reduce the amount of roasted barley? Not that it necessarily needs it, but it might even out the roasted character a bit.

[@thebird36]

i feel red x can be appropriate for this, but you can have a little roasted character to an irish red ale and not throw it out of style. I feel like the roasted character is a "to each their own". I'm curious to try this recipe and maybe one with some red x to compare side by side

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

So the Irish Red I made a few years back actually incorporated red-x into it and that was much less roasty. Its definitely a viable option but be careful as red-x can really turn the maltiness up as its essentially a munich-caramel malt crossover

[@JoeGraves24]

@@TheApartmentBrewer right on! I prefer the toasty roasty Irish reds anyway. I had one a while back with just a touch of smoke malt. Unexpected but still enjoyable.

[@FPBC14]

How do you whirlpool in this system?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Using that external whirlpool arm. Works like a charm.

[@FPBC14]

@@TheApartmentBrewer is that an accessory your bought? If yes where did you get it

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yes it is the spincycle whirlpool arm from brewhardware.com

[@Nathocraig33]

Nice video, like always. I noticed you say you added 8 gal of strike water, did you not sparge with this one? My typical efficiency with sparge is around 78% but I'm wondering if I'll overshoot too much if I choose to batch sparge this one. Interested to hear your thoughts? Thanks !

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Yup I usually don't sparge to save time. With a regular gravity beer I can still hit my volumes on target no problem

[@rickreevesjr399]

Where did you get that hop sweatshirt????

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

It's my design! Available in the merch store in the description if you want to get one 😁

[@codebowl]

Hey thanks for all the content you put out, I have a suggestion since I have not seen anything done yet by any brewer on youtube, nor can I seem to find the information on the web. When people discuss carbonation levels they never discuss how you can hit such targets and not go over when using a CO2 tank and kegs. Sure when bottling you can adjust your sugar levels but when it comes to a keg do you just use say 12lb pressure vs 20lb pressure for a few days or?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Have you ever seen the charts that go with carb stones that have temperature and pressure? If you google force carbonation chart you'll find it. Basically because of that I know if I want about 2.5 volumes of CO2 on the beer I can keep it at 35 degrees for two weeks at 10 PSI, or what I usually do for a rough approximation is just double the pressure and half the time. Once you hit that desired carbonation level, reduce to serving pressure of about 5-8 PSI. Ultimately I'm not about to go buy a several hundred dollar carbonation tester lol

[@codebowl]

@@TheApartmentBrewer Ah I have not seen those, I have a carb stone I bought second hand so I will lookup some charts for force carbonation and see if I can make sense of it all :) Appreciate the explanation.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Any time! It's ultimately guesswork at the end of the day

[@brezj215]

That color is 🤌🤌 just kegged mine 2 days ago, but is more brown than anything. I went 1% roasted barley from the beginning of the mash. I’d definitely give your method a try next time though, it came out beautiful.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Its a bit easier to dial it in in the middle of the mash but it also depends on how your base malts and specialty malts contribute color as well, and the clarity of course. Mine was brown until it clarified. Thanks for watching!

[@GentleGiantFan]

Off topic, but was that a potential wreck or just someone peeling out we heard around the 20:08 mark? You looked distracted by it. Good looking Irish Red!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Lol no that was someone's child screaming at them

[@cameronarthurnoble]

Is this beer a good candidate for pressure fermentation?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Definitely!

[@1TheLord1]

I have one in the fermenter actually. Reciepe is not far from your own. Took it from Gordon Strong's book. With corn and mild malt. Only thing I'm "worried" about is that he has rather low ibus at 16. Wait and see!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Nothing wrong with a few less IBUs. Hope it turns out great for you!

[@Identace445]

Bro..u got some skills.. some serious Brew skills

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I appreciate that!

[@jeffmorrison8032]

which yeast nutrient do you typically use?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Wyeast beer nutrient

[@EngineeringDisaster]

What Lovibond Crystal did you use in the recipe? Just shows the percent but not name/type/L.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

The malt is literally called medium crystal malt. Simpsons website says its 63.2-71.8 Lovibond

[@EngineeringDisaster]

@@TheApartmentBrewer ohhh I see it now 🫣 you only had that type of Crystal in the recipe. I was thinking the medium was one crystal and the line below it was another crystal. Nevermind haha. Thanks for responding though!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

No problem!

[@joescopo8933]

Great video! The Irish Red ale is on my list of beers to brew in the future. Here's kinda a newbie question, when mashout, do you start timing the 15 minutes when you set the temp to 170, or do you wait for the temp to reach 170, then start the 15 minutes? Thanks, and keep the great videos coming.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Its a great beer to brew if you don' have too much experience. Mashout isn't really necessary but it does help a lot with getting the most out of your grain without sparging. I start the timer once I hit the temperature, and thats true of all mash steps.

[@joescopo8933]

@TheApartmentBrewer, I appreciate it. Thank you!

[@uqox]

...I do not mean this question to seem to be out of left field, but I am genuinely curious as to if you are brewing in an apartment? It does not look as if you are, but I could be wrong. I ask because brewing in smaller spaces is of interest to me and I think that KZbin recommended this title to me because of the name of your channel. Great video, btw.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Not anymore. I live in a condo now and this was brewed in the basement. If you want more info, check out the video I have pinned to my channel main page.

[@JPch108]

Devias ter posto os Pogues

[@paulschroeter4987]

what spring water did you use?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Poland Spring for the most part. Its easy to find and good quality water.

[@paulschroeter4987]

Ok

[@ryanbaileyworshipleading579]

Do you have another video talking about your decision to go with spring water? Been using distilled and adding minerals, but it would be so nice to jus the able to buy the giant jug of spring water instead of a bunch of 1 gallon distilled jugs… but I worry about mineral content between versions of spring water varying too much…

[@judge9637]

Hello good sir looking to make my first beer want to make a red. However your coffee mug good sir caught my eye are you a combat engineer?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

8 years as a 12A. Hope you enjoyed the video!

[@judge9637]

@TheApartmentBrewer I did sir, thank you for your service. My father was a 12B which is why knew the castle, there was a lot of days I worked with him on base good times

[@cleddy-qx9vx]

Have you considered doing 30 minutes boils?

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I consider it all the time, but it makes sense to do the longer boil here - controlled isomerization with clean bitterness and flavor, wort caramelization, stability and good protein breaks to help with clarity.

[@andybrown3302]

The Irish are gonna be furious with you, drinking an Irish beer out of a Scottish glass lol

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Oh well lol I forgot the Irish and Scots don't like each other. Obviously neither like the English (and vice versa). Does anybody hate the Welsh?

[@oscarosullivan4513]

The glass type is an imperial non stemmed tulip quite a common pub and home glass in Ireland

[@andybrown3302]

@@oscarosullivan4513 my comment was not due to the type of glass which is pretty common all across the UK it was the fact it was engraved with the name Cairngorm Brewery that made me smile

[@oscarosullivan4513]

@@andybrown3302 We don’t have a problem with the Scots

[@andybrown3302]

@@oscarosullivan4513 I know it was a joke

[@garagebrewingsince2020]

Good Job 🍻🍻🍻

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Thank you!

[@brianmurrayROC]

Video so good, I watched it twice (on different accounts)

[@danieljones6846]

Essayons!

[@ic4roswings]

That's a pretty looking beer *insert Anakin I hate you meme here*

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Lol one could say its slightly roasted. Hasn't turned into a sith lord yet though I'll keep you posted

[@ic4roswings]

@@TheApartmentBrewer lol

[@bilboswaggins2323]

Man you sound HUNG OVER hahaha. No judgement we all been there bro!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Lol actually no, thats just my normal pre-coffee voice

[@theghostofsw6276]

Hmmm....you'd think they'd have used potatoes as an adjunct?

[@ScullyBrewing]

Put it on Nitro!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Wish I had a nitro system to put it on!

[@tommanning7337]

😎👍🏻👍🏻🍺🍺

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Cheers Tom!

[@NWsmallbatchBrewing]

your so hard on poor Esther. She gets no respect......😁

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I think I'm missing something...

[@NWsmallbatchBrewing]

Was a joke about esters from your yeast.

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

Haha nice!

[@markroach7418]

Use Nitrogen instead of co2... Turn that bronze into a gold.. Thank me later ;)

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

I dont see how I can package a beer with nitrogen without a canning line...