Irish Red Recipe Kit - 5 Gallon All Grain

Irish Red  Recipe Kit

Our Irish Red Ale is a classic for a reason: it’s incredibly smooth, ridiculously drinkable, and strikes the perfect balance between refreshing and satisfying. It’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser and the perfect beer to have on tap as the seasons change.

Understanding the Style: Irish Red Ale
An Irish Red is a masterclass in malt balance. It’s often mistaken for a sweet beer, but a true version is defined by its clean, dry finish. It’s all about showcasing beautiful malt character without being heavy or cloying.

Malt-Forward, Not Sweet: The soul of this beer comes from its grain bill. A high-quality British pale malt provides a clean, biscuity base. A careful addition of crystal malts adds layers of subtle toffee and caramel flavor. The key is that these flavors are balanced, not dominant.

The Secret to the Color & Dry Finish:

So where does that iconic reddish hue come from? The brewer’s trick is a tiny, almost "secret" addition of Roasted Barley. We're talking ounces, not pounds. This small amount is just enough to lend a beautiful ruby-copper color and, more importantly, a crisp, drying quality to the finish that cuts through the residual malt sweetness. It's the ingredient that makes the style so unique.

Hops in the Background: Unlike an American Amber Ale, an Irish Red is not about the hops. We use classic English hops like East Kent Goldings purely for balance. You won't get much hop aroma or flavor, just a clean bitterness that supports the malt and keeps the beer highly drinkable.

The Perfect Pub Ale: With its smooth profile and sessionable ABV, this is a true "pint beer." It’s flavorful enough to be interesting but balanced enough that you can easily have more than one.

This kit is a fantastic way to learn about building a complex malt profile and seeing firsthand how a tiny amount of a specific grain can completely transform a beer.

Beer Stats:
OG: 1.053

FG: approx. 1.011

ABV: ≈5.5%

IBU: 25

SRM: 16 (Amber to Copper)

What's in the Kit:
Fermentables: 8 pounds Riverbend Regenified Southern Select malt, 2 pounds Gambrines Mars malt, 8 ounces of Riverbend crystal 50, 6 ounces Simpsons Red Rye crystal malt, 4 ounces of Breiss Victory Malt, 2 ounces of Weyermann CARAFA SPECIAL Type 2

Hops: 2 oucnes of East Kent Goldings

Yeast: LalBrew Nottingham

Misc: 1 Campden Tablet and onewhirlfloc tablet.