Irish Red Ale: Smooth, Malty 20-Litre Homebrew Recipe
A copper-red Irish red ale at about 4.6% ABV. Maris Otter, a touch of crystal and a pinch of roasted barley give toffee and toast with a dry finish, balanced by East Kent Goldings and Fuggle.
Irish Red Ale · 4.6% ABV · 24 IBU · 20 Litres · 10-14 days primary, then 2 weeks to carbonate · beginner
Brewing figures
- Original gravity
- 1.048
- Final gravity
- 1.012
Irish red ale is the quiet one at the bar: a clear, copper-red pint with a gentle toffee and biscuit malt character, a dry, slightly toasty finish and only enough hops to keep it balanced. It is not a big or showy beer, and that is the point. At around 4.6% ABV it is easy to drink over an evening, and it is a forgiving style to brew at home because it does not rely on huge hop additions or tricky yeast. That signature red colour comes from a small amount of roasted barley rather than lots of crystal malt, which is what keeps it dry rather than sweet.
Recipe at a Glance
Batch size: 20 litres into the fermenter
Original gravity (OG): 1.048
Final gravity (FG): 1.012
ABV: approx. 4.6%
Bitterness: approx. 24 IBU (Tinseth)
Colour: copper to deep ruby red
Brewhouse efficiency assumed: 70%
Equipment Needed
Brew kettle of at least 30 litres (or an all-in-one electric system)
Mash tun, or a large grain bag for brew-in-a-bag (BIAB)
Fermenting vessel of 25 litres or more, with airlock
Hydrometer and trial jar
Digital thermometer
Wort chiller or an ice bath
No-rinse sanitiser
Bottling bucket, bottles (about 40 x 500ml) and caps, or a keg
Kitchen scales and a long stirring paddle
Ingredients (20 Litres)
Grains (all-grain)
3.9 kg Maris Otter pale malt
300 g medium crystal malt (about 120–150 EBC)
100 g biscuit or amber malt (for a light toasty note)
60 g roasted barley (this is what gives the red colour, so weigh it carefully)
Extract + steep option
2.8 kg light dry malt extract (or 3.3 kg light liquid malt extract)
300 g medium crystal malt – steeped in a grain bag at 65–70°C for 30 minutes
100 g biscuit or amber malt – steeped with the crystal
60 g roasted barley – steeped with the crystal
Hops
25 g East Kent Goldings (about 5–6% alpha acid) – 60 minute boil
15 g Fuggle – 15 minute boil
10 g East Kent Goldings – 5 minute boil (optional)
Yeast and Extras
1 sachet of a clean, low-ester ale yeast such as Nottingham or US-05, or a liquid Irish ale strain (Wyeast 1084 or WLP004)
1 Irish moss or Protafloc tablet at 15 minutes, for a clear beer
About 100 g dextrose for priming, if bottling
No roasted barley? A small amount of black malt (around 40 g) will get you a similar colour, though the finish will be a touch sharper. Avoid adding more crystal to chase the colour; it makes the beer sweet and heavy.
Mashing
Heat the strike water: Bring about 13 litres of water to roughly 72°C so that adding the grain brings you down to mash temperature.
Mash in: Stir the crushed grain in slowly, breaking up any clumps.
Rest: Hold at 66°C for 60 minutes. That gives a moderately dry beer with enough body to carry the malt.
Mash out (optional): Raise to 75°C for 10 minutes.
Sparge: Rinse with water at about 75°C until you have roughly 25–26 litres in the kettle, or your usual pre-boil volume for a 20-litre batch.
The Boil
Bring the wort to a rolling boil and add the East Kent Goldings. Boil for 60 minutes.
With 15 minutes left, add the Fuggle and the Irish moss.
With 5 minutes left, add the optional late Goldings for a light earthy aroma.
Switch off the heat and chill the wort as quickly as you can to about 18°C.
Fermentation
Transfer to a sanitised fermenter, aerate well and pitch the yeast.
Ferment at 17–18°C. Keeping it cool gives a clean, malt-led beer without fruity esters getting in the way.
After 3–4 days, let the temperature rise to about 20°C so the yeast finishes properly.
Leave for 10–14 days in total, until the gravity is steady near 1.012 for three days running.
If you can, cold-crash at 2–4°C for a couple of days before packaging. It drops the yeast out and makes the colour glow.
Packaging
Bottle with priming sugar or keg at a fairly modest 2.0–2.2 volumes of CO2. Irish red should be smooth rather than fizzy. Leave bottles somewhere around room temperature for two weeks to carbonate, then move them somewhere cool. Unlike a hoppy pale ale, this one keeps well and often tastes rounder after a month.
Tasting Notes and Tips
Expect toffee, light caramel and buttered toast up front, with a dry, faintly roasty finish and gentle earthy hops.
Too sweet? Mash a degree cooler next time or trim the crystal malt.
Too roasty or harsh? Cut the roasted barley back to 40–50 g. It should be a hint, not a flavour.
Want it redder? Hold the beer up to the light before you judge it. In the fermenter it always looks darker than it will in the glass.
Serve at 8–10°C in a nonic pint glass or a tulip.
Food Pairing
The malty sweetness and dry finish make Irish red a natural partner for comfort food. Try it with a beef and ale stew, bangers and mash, a mature Irish Cheddar, roast pork or a proper shepherd's pie.
Irish red is a great beer to have in your repertoire: quick to turn around, cheap to brew and loved by people who don't usually drink craft beer. Nail the colour, keep it dry, and it will become a regular on your brew day list.