2011 American Red Ale

grain

- 19 pounds Muntons Maris Otter Pale Ale malt

- 2 pounds 2 ounces Briess Caramel 80
- 1 pound 2 ounces Fawcett Amber malt

- 4 ounces Briess Roast malt

hop

- 1/2 ounce Columbus whole hops 60 minutes

- 2 ounces Columbus whole hops 30 minutes

- 2 ounces Cascade whole hops 20 minutes

yeast: Wyeast Irish Ale (two packs)

comments:
Thick, hop-bursted malty American-style autumn ale

batch size: 10 gallons

ambient outdoor temperature: 80 degrees Fahrenheit
ambient basement temperature: 72 degrees Fahrenheit

mash notes
- (8:00 AM) mash start at 156 degrees Fahrenheit

- (8:50 AM) at 154 degrees

- (9:30 AM) ended

- pre boil Brix reading: 12 degrees

boil notes

- 60 minute boil

- post boil Brix reading: 13.25 degrees

brew date: 9/3/2011

keg date:

notes:
- low volume yield; approximately two 4 gallon batches; should have added enough sparge water to reach the top of the mash tun
- White Labs yeast is excellent and I have used it most of my beers. I tried the Wyeast Activator yeast this time for convenience (no need for a yeast starter). I activated the yeast the night before brew day. The next morning the Activator packs were fully expanded and the yeast was ready to get to work. Excited to taste test the resulting beer.
- lots of hops in the boil:

- draining from kettle into fermentor:

- this red turned out brown.  likely the amber  malt.  clearly inappropriate for this style.  hoppy with lingering grainy, caramel flavor.  "it's alright".  exclude the amber malt and reduce the dark caramel malt next time.  hard to judge the yeast ... it's an after thought in this brew dominated by hops and malt.