Title: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 04, 2015, 11:49:25 PM
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 04, 2015, 11:49:25 PM
Any recommendations for (Irish) red ale kits? Did the St. Peters one before Christmas, twas lovely and wouldn't mind giving another red ale a go. Can't seem to find any others from the main Irish home brew shops though...
Would an English Bitter be close to a red ale??
Would an English Bitter be close to a red ale??
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: LordEoin on February 05, 2015, 01:04:20 AM
Post by: LordEoin on February 05, 2015, 01:04:20 AM
1.7kg Australian Pale Ale
500g Coopers Light Dry Malt
100g Crystal Malt
50g Roasted Barley
Yeast under the lid or an ale yeast of your choice
to 20L
from http://www.coopers.com.au/#/diy-beer/beer-recipes/ale/detail/irish-red-ale/ (http://www.coopers.com.au/#/diy-beer/beer-recipes/ale/detail/irish-red-ale/)
500g Coopers Light Dry Malt
100g Crystal Malt
50g Roasted Barley
Yeast under the lid or an ale yeast of your choice
to 20L
from http://www.coopers.com.au/#/diy-beer/beer-recipes/ale/detail/irish-red-ale/ (http://www.coopers.com.au/#/diy-beer/beer-recipes/ale/detail/irish-red-ale/)
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 05, 2015, 02:55:52 PM
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 05, 2015, 02:55:52 PM
Ah good man MisterEoin!
2 questions - (a) Is Coopers Light Dry Malt the same as their Brew Enhancer? and (2) have you tried it yourself?
Further question - (iii) Is this still a kit hack or are we flirting with extract brewing here??
2 questions - (a) Is Coopers Light Dry Malt the same as their Brew Enhancer? and (2) have you tried it yourself?
Further question - (iii) Is this still a kit hack or are we flirting with extract brewing here??
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 05, 2015, 02:58:45 PM
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 05, 2015, 02:58:45 PM
OK, did a bit of searching and far as I can see light dry malt is pale malt. Am I right? So can I buy this on it's own for less than the brew enhancer?
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: LordEoin on February 05, 2015, 03:32:51 PM
Post by: LordEoin on February 05, 2015, 03:32:51 PM
yeah, it's just Light Dry Malt Extract aka spraymalt, get any brand.
I'd go for DME over enhancer. Enhancers are overpriced.
There's really very little difference between extract and kit apart from kits have the hops already in the goop so there's no need for hop boils (apart from getting extra flavor/aroma if you want)
I'd go for DME over enhancer. Enhancers are overpriced.
There's really very little difference between extract and kit apart from kits have the hops already in the goop so there's no need for hop boils (apart from getting extra flavor/aroma if you want)
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Bubbles on February 05, 2015, 03:50:09 PM
Post by: Bubbles on February 05, 2015, 03:50:09 PM
+1 for Eoin's recipe. That kit makes a very nice base for a red ale.
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 05, 2015, 03:59:54 PM
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 05, 2015, 03:59:54 PM
Brilliant - nice one lads!
I kinda agreed to brew a few batches of red ale and stout for a buddy's wedding. Depending on how it turns out of course and just exactly how crippling the stomach cramps will be (there's a sliding scale) so if this turns out better that the St. Peters it could be a goer.
Any similar recommendations for stout while we're at it? Have the Craft Range stout conditioning at the mo but it's still a bit early to tell yet...
I kinda agreed to brew a few batches of red ale and stout for a buddy's wedding. Depending on how it turns out of course and just exactly how crippling the stomach cramps will be (there's a sliding scale) so if this turns out better that the St. Peters it could be a goer.
Any similar recommendations for stout while we're at it? Have the Craft Range stout conditioning at the mo but it's still a bit early to tell yet...
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: LordEoin on February 05, 2015, 04:04:51 PM
Post by: LordEoin on February 05, 2015, 04:04:51 PM
my default stout kit is coopers again, the Irish Stout kit can
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 05, 2015, 04:11:48 PM
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 05, 2015, 04:11:48 PM
And do you add some steeped grains/hops etc.? Or brew it straight?
So we're still in kit hacking territory but winking across the room at eachother... ;)
Quote from: LordEoin on February 05, 2015, 03:32:51 PM
There's really very little difference between extract and kit apart from kits have the hops already in the goop so there's no need for hop boils (apart from getting extra flavor/aroma if you want)
So we're still in kit hacking territory but winking across the room at eachother... ;)
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: LordEoin on February 05, 2015, 04:16:15 PM
Post by: LordEoin on February 05, 2015, 04:16:15 PM
Technically it's all extract brewing. Kits are just hopped up malt extract.
But the accepted understanding of extract brewing would be using unhopped malt extract and getting your bittering, flavor and aroma from the hops, speciality grains, etc.
But the accepted understanding of extract brewing would be using unhopped malt extract and getting your bittering, flavor and aroma from the hops, speciality grains, etc.
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 18, 2015, 01:21:06 AM
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 18, 2015, 01:21:06 AM
Two (more) questions on this recipe
When you're steeping the grains is it just the grains + hot water, or is it grains + hot water + contents of can?
Also in the link to the coopers site they say to ferment between 18 and 20 degrees. But then they say in the next bit that the closer to 21 degrees you can get it the better... So should I just aim for 21 degrees so? (Using the yeast under the lid)
Cheers
When you're steeping the grains is it just the grains + hot water, or is it grains + hot water + contents of can?
Also in the link to the coopers site they say to ferment between 18 and 20 degrees. But then they say in the next bit that the closer to 21 degrees you can get it the better... So should I just aim for 21 degrees so? (Using the yeast under the lid)
Cheers
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: LordEoin on February 18, 2015, 10:19:05 AM
Post by: LordEoin on February 18, 2015, 10:19:05 AM
steep - just water. guide here (http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,2732.0.html)
temperature - 18C. i presume 'the closer the brew is to 21C' is for Australians aiming to keep the temp down rather than us trying to keep the temp up.
temperature - 18C. i presume 'the closer the brew is to 21C' is for Australians aiming to keep the temp down rather than us trying to keep the temp up.
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 18, 2015, 05:30:04 PM
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 18, 2015, 05:30:04 PM
Of course - sure the goop in the cans is basically malt extract that has been mashed already... makes sence
Thanks for constantly repeating yourself to eejits like myself!
Thanks for constantly repeating yourself to eejits like myself!
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: johnrm on February 18, 2015, 06:09:41 PM
Post by: johnrm on February 18, 2015, 06:09:41 PM
Sure its eejits like you that keep us in jobs. 
No, wait...
No, wait...
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 18, 2015, 06:52:29 PM
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 18, 2015, 06:52:29 PM
Quote from: johnrm on February 18, 2015, 06:09:41 PM
No, wait...
heh heh
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 20, 2015, 12:18:50 AM
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on February 20, 2015, 12:18:50 AM
Got this on today
Aussie Pale Ale kit
500g light spray malt
100g crytsal
50g roasted barley
and just to show I've been paying attention 200g carapils!
Thanks for all the help! :-*
Aussie Pale Ale kit
500g light spray malt
100g crytsal
50g roasted barley
and just to show I've been paying attention 200g carapils!
Thanks for all the help! :-*
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: gearoid on March 15, 2015, 02:36:59 PM
Post by: gearoid on March 15, 2015, 02:36:59 PM
Brewed the same a while back. It was on the money and was gone in a flash ;D
But got to say the Coopers Bitter with a hop hack and carapils gives a more flavoursome beer http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,3607.msg44258.html#msg44258
But got to say the Coopers Bitter with a hop hack and carapils gives a more flavoursome beer http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,3607.msg44258.html#msg44258
Title: Re: Red ale kit recommendations
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on April 04, 2015, 12:50:52 PM
Post by: Kevin O'Roundwood on April 04, 2015, 12:50:52 PM
Finally got round toottling this last week. Tasted pure mank straight out of the fermenter but snuck a bottle of it last night after 6 days conditioning and holy moly this stuff is good! I'll (try) to leave the rest another week but I'm fierce impressed altogether.
I had a bottle of O'Haras Irish Red (that I usually like) afterwards for comparison and it was gack!
Fair play LordEoin!
I had a bottle of O'Haras Irish Red (that I usually like) afterwards for comparison and it was gack!
Fair play LordEoin!