Can I have your thoughts on this recipe please

[mattp94]

I have been making a lot of Big hop IPA recently and one Russian Imperial stout. I now have some grains and hops that need using up so I have concocted a recipe that is very loosely based around an Irish red ale. I would be grateful if you could have a look and let me know your thoughts on how this might turn out.
Total batch 19litres
2.4kg of light DME

Steep - 300g crystal, 100g roasted barley, 50g chocolate malt

20g Fuggles 60 min boil (needs using up)
36g Challenger 20 min boil
30g Bramling Cross 10 min boil
30g Bramling Cross Whirlpool 30 minutes

Wyeast 1084 Irish ale yeast
Est 4.9% abv, 28 IBU, 33 EBC

I am looking to get a nice red colour with a more malty flavour than my previous IPAs but being a hop lover still want to have a decent hop flavour.
What do you think?

[Nosferatu]

Looks great but I reckon the steeping grains will give you a much darker colour than a red ale you'll be heading more towards Porter territory with the roasted barley and chocolate malt . I've only done 2 brews with grain steeping but both have used chocolate malt and even just 50g gives off a lot of colour .

[mattp94]

Mmm, fair point. I was after a nice chestnut red colour and with a more malty backbone but don't want it to taste overly roasted like a stout. I thought that 100g of roasted barley would give the colour and the 50g of chocolate add some nutty malt flavours but I'm still learning so open to all advice.
BeerSmith suggests adding Roasted barley in 2-4% for a nutty flavour and 3-10% for porters and stouts for a coffee flavour. The 2.4kg of DME should be roughly equivalent to 4kg of pale malt (I think) so 100g would only come to 2.5% which I guessed would be about right. Please let me know if I'm missing something here.

[allanmb]

I think 300g of crystal is going to be a bit too sweet. An IBU of 28 is not much for such a malty beer, I would personally aim for >40 but I like my beers bitter and hoppy. I also think the colour is going to be darker than your intention.

[mattp94]

Thanks for the advice.
I might try reducing the crystal to 200g, roasted barley to 70g and chocolate to 30g. 28 IBU is at the top limit of the style for an Irish red ale but I do like a decent bitterness so could easily up all of the remaining fuggles (36g) to get an IBU in the 35 range.

[mattp94]

Thanks for the advice.
I might try reducing the crystal to 200g, roasted barley to 70g and chocolate to 30g. 28 IBU is at the top limit of the style for an Irish red ale but I do like a decent bitterness so could easily up all of the remaining fuggles (36g) to get an IBU in the 35 range.

Well I put this brew on yesterday using the reduced quantities of steeping grains and the additional hops. I'll be working away for the next 2 weeks so it's tucked up safely in the brew fridge and should be ready for dry hopping and kegging when I get home. The OG sample was more brown than red but so long as it tastes good I'm really not too worried.

[Nosferatu]

Nice one , be interesting to see how this turns out . The recipe certainly looks good .