How would you go about...

[Martin the fish]

Developing a nice ale, around 5% that has a real nice red/ruby colour?
Obviously i'd want it to taste quite nice too

When i was a teenager i had a holiday with my mates on a houseboat on the Norfolk Broads. This was in the day of pubs shutting after lunch and opening for the evening session. I cannot for the life of me remember what beer it was that we latched on to but it was dam tasty and had a beautiful rich ruby red colour to it. I've never forgotten it and would love to recreate my own similar ale.

Where would i start?
I'm a total novice to AG and some pointers here would be great. I'm happy to play arounnd with some brews if i can find a good starting point. It's the colour i'm after mostly.

[bitter_dave]

Might have been Wordforde Wherry? Do a search on this forum - it should throw up some recipes

[steve_flack]

Wherry isn't red though.

Heavily roasted malts tend to add red hues to beers - don't use too much though in a bitter though as the flavour can be quite powerful. Or you could try some carared although I'be not used it myself

BTW, some pubs still shut after lunch around here - in fact lots of them do and up until about a year ago, the only pubs open in Cambridge after 3pm were the crap ones.

[Martin the fish]

Crystal adds a ruby colour eh.

Thats as good a start as any i reckon.

Ta DaaB

[oblivious]

A little roasted barley give the red colour in Irish/ scottish ales

[steve_flack]

Crystal adds a ruby colour eh.

Thats as good a start as any i reckon.

Ta DaaB

If you use a lot yes....otherwise it comes out copper. The darker grades of crystal are more red IMO.

[Aleman]

50g of Roast Barley in an all pale grist will give a nice red colour in 25L

[Martin the fish]

Wherry isn't red though.

Heavily roasted malts tend to add red hues to beers - don't use too much though in a bitter though as the flavour can be quite powerful. Or you could try some carared although I'be not used it myself

BTW, some pubs still shut after lunch around here - in fact lots of the do and up until about a year ago, the only pubs open in Cambridge after 3pm were the crap ones.

I'm a bit limited as to what i can get here SF in the way of malts.

I loved my times up in the broads. My old man lives up that way now. I used to fish there a lot on family holidays. My holiday with my mates was one of the best weeks i can remember as a young, care-free lad. Can't get any of that back now but to have a beer that reminded me.... that would be nice.

[Martin the fish]

I think this will be my 'project' ale.

I have a big handfull of ale recipe's from here that i'm eager to try.

So much beer, so little time

[steve_flack]

Yes, I meant to say higher levels of crystal.

edit...I've just checked and it appears that I did

I was just reiterating the point.

[SiHoltye]

Is there a current beer/s that has similar traits? Colour, sweetness, bitterness, strength?

[Madbrewer]

My idea is to steal the research that someone did on the TEA recipe they worked on, (Someone Recent worked on a Traditional English Ale recipe. - like Hogs Back Brewery's one) I did one too tweaking the TEA mentioned in Norms Real Ale Almanac Recipes posting. I can vouch for it's rubyness though it's only 4.4%

At 1.044 it will produce about 4.5% ??

Use the same ratios of Malts (you really dont want any extra Crystal in it) but increase the weight to allow you the extra Starting Gravity amounts, (up your starting Gravity (O.G.) up to 1.050)

Re-adjust the hops accordingly you will have a ruby coloured Ale around 40IBU's though I would be temped to go for 43 -44 IBU's.

[Gurgeh]

cara red or melanoidin malt might be for you...

[iowalad]

A longer boil seems to bring out the red/ruby some. Try a two hour boil.