The forgotten Irish Red

My wife and i realized the week before St. Patrick’s Day that we were seriously low on Irish Red (Potato Famine Ale).  Now, realizing that I did not have nearly enough time to turn around another batch before the sacred day of American debauchery (some would say douchebaggery….) I decided to cut losses and brew a batch to be enjoyed shortly after March 17th.  We brewed this on March 6th…. I finally bottled this on May 3rd.  Life got in the way, then other projects called to me.  Eventually, I forgot it was in the cellar.  So much for punctuality I guess.

The recipe used was a variation on our first batch of PFA, which can be found here: The Great Potato Famine

The recipe, for 5.25 gallons (brewed on 3/06/2010):

• 9lbs Maris Otter
• 1lbs German Vienna Malt
• 1lb British Mild Malt
• 1lb Cara-Amber
• 1lb Weyerman smoked malt
• 1/2lb Medium Crystal (about 55* Lovibond)
• 1/8 lb Black Patent
• 1/2oz Fuggles (4.7%AA) as First Wort Hops
• 1 oz Fuggles (4.7%AA) added at 60 minutes
• 1/2oz Fuggles (4.7%AA) added at 5 minutes
• WYeast 1084 Irish Ale yeast

OG was 1.067 with 5.3 galls in primary (calculated OG was 1.066 at 5.78 gals, efficiency = 71%)

IBU was 30

color was 17-ish SRM

FG ended up at 1.013

Mashed at 154*F for an hour and sparged with 180*F water until we had about 6 3/4 gallons in the boil kettle.  During the sparge, we added 1/2 oz Fuggles (4.7%AA) whole hops as a First Wort Hopping

Now, sadly, I appear to have lost my brewing notes for this batch aside for the recipe.  As mentioned above, this batch was just bottled earlier this week.  The gravity sample had a very nice body to it that is promising for once this is carbonated.  I still did not get the smoked malt character that I was hoping for.  It is just barely perceptible, and I want more.

Tentatively marking this one as a “Win with a revision clause”

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