Name: DRAFT + TABLEs Killer Irish Red Recipe
Cook time: 16 h
Total time: 16 h
Yield: 20 servings
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 9 lbs Maris Otter pale malt (crushed); 0.5 lbs Flaked oats; 0.75 lbs Carared / Caramalt (60L); 0.5 lbs Crystal 40L; 0.25 lbs Roasted barley (lightly roasted, not charcoal); 0.25 lbs Special B (for raisin/toffee accent); 0.5 lbs Dry malt extract (DME) - light (optional for gravity boost); 1 oz East Kent Goldings (whole or pellet); 0.5 oz Fuggle (English) hops; 0.5 oz East Kent Goldings (flavor/aroma/whirlpool); 1 packet Irish ale yeast (Wyeast 1084 or White Labs WLP004 alternative); 1 tsp Yeast nutrient (optional); 5.5 gallons Brew water (adjusted to moderately soft profile: moderate calcium, low sulfate); 0.25 tsp Gypsum (CaSO4) - optional; 0.25 tsp Calcium chloride (CaCl2) - optional; 3 oz Corn sugar (dextrose) for bottling; 0.25 tsp Campden tablet (for water sterilization if using well water) - optional

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Medium-bodied, slightly malty + biscuity. Rich red color, notes of toffee, made with Irish yeast and those good old English hops.

Crush all grains to a coarse consistency (not flour). Heat 4.5 gallons (about 17 L) of your brew water to 165°F (74°C). If using water salts, dissolve the gypsum and calcium chloride into the mash water now.

Crush & Heat

Target a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C). Add the crushed Maris Otter, flaked oats, Carared, Crystal 40L, Special B, and roasted barley to the mash tun and stir thoroughly to avoid dough balls. Ensure even mixing and hold at 152°F (67°C).

Mash In

Hold the mash at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. This temperature balances fermentable and dextrinous sugars for a medium body with some residual sweetness and biscuit character. Gently stir the mash at the 30-minute mark.

Saccharification Rest

Raise the mash to 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and improve wort runoff.

Mash Out

Sparge with enough water at 168°F (76°C) to collect approximately 6.5–7 gallons of wort in the boil kettle (accounting for evaporation and trub loss). Aim for a total pre-boil gravity around 1.048–1.052 (for 5 gallon batch) — if using DME add later in the kettle.

Sparge

Bring the collected wort to a vigorous boil. Watch for boilovers during the first 10 minutes.

Bring to Boil

At the start of the 60-minute boil, add 1.0 oz East Kent Goldings (bittering). If you didn't hit target gravity from the mash, add 0.5 lb light DME now, dissolved in a cup of boiling wort to avoid scorching.

60-minute Hop Addition

With 20 minutes left in the boil, add 0.5 oz Fuggle hops and 1 tsp yeast nutrient (if using). This provides mild English hop flavor and supports fermentation.

20-minute Hop Addition

At flameout (0 minutes remaining), add 0.5 oz East Kent Goldings for aroma/whirlpool. Turn off heat, cover the kettle, and let the wort sit 15–20 minutes while whirlpooling gently to extract aroma without adding harsh bitterness. Chill promptly afterwards.

End of Boil / Whirlpool

Cool the wort quickly to 68°F (20°C) using an immersion chiller, counterflow, or ice bath. Aim to get below 80°F (27°C) within 20–30 minutes to minimize DMS and off-flavors.

Cool Wort

Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter. Top up with pre-boiled and cooled water to reach 5.0 gallons if necessary to reach your target batch size. Aerate the wort thoroughly (shake, splash, or use an oxygen system) to achieve dissolved oxygen for healthy yeast growth.

O2 and Transfer to Fermenter

Pitch the hydrated/conditioned Irish ale yeast (or a fresh vial/pack) into the wort at 66–68°F (19–20°C). If using a liquid yeast, prepare a starter 12–24 hours in advance for best performance. Add the yeast nutrient at this stage if you did not add during the boil.

Pitch Yeast

Ferment at 66–68°F (19–20°C) for 5–7 days until activity slows and krausen subsides. Irish ale yeast will emphasize smooth malt and mild fruitiness, supporting the beer's biscuity, toffee notes.

Primary Fermentation

After primary fermentation slows (typically days 5–7), raise temperature gently to 68–70°F (20–21°C) for 48 hours to help reduce diacetyl and finish fermentation cleanly.

Diacetyl Rest & Temperature Schedule

Optionally transfer to a secondary for clearing or simply cold crash in the primary: chill the fermenter to 35–40°F (2–4°C) for 48–72 hours to accelerate clearing and drop out yeast/trub.

Cold Crash & Secondary (optional)

Measure final gravity (expected ~1.010–1.014 depending on attenuation). Calculate priming sugar accordingly. For a 5 gallon batch to achieve ~2.3–2.5 volumes CO2, dissolve 3.0 oz corn sugar in 1 cup boiling water, cool and add to bottling bucket, then rack beer onto the sugar solution with minimal splashing.

Measure and Prepare for Bottling

Bottle and cap or transfer to a keg. Allow bottles to carbonate at room temperature (68–72°F / 20–22°C) for 10–14 days. If kegging force carbonate to ~2.4 volumes CO2 and condition 24–48 hours before drinking.

Bottle or Keg

Chill and serve. This Irish Red benefits from short aging: best 2–4 weeks after bottling for flavor integration. Expect a medium body, rich red hue, biscuit malt, light toffee/raisin notes, and mild English hop backdrop.

Drink & Age

Maris Otter pale malt (crushed)

Flaked oats

Carared / Caramalt (60L)

Crystal 40L

Roasted barley (lightly roasted, not charcoal)

Special B (for raisin/toffee accent)

Dry malt extract (DME) - light (optional for gravity boost)

East Kent Goldings (whole or pellet)

Fuggle (English) hops

East Kent Goldings (flavor/aroma/whirlpool)

Irish ale yeast (Wyeast 1084 or White Labs WLP004 alternative)

Yeast nutrient (optional)

Brew water (adjusted to moderately soft profile: moderate calcium, low sulfate)

Gypsum (CaSO4) - optional

Calcium chloride (CaCl2) - optional

Corn sugar (dextrose) for bottling

Campden tablet (for water sterilization if using well water) - optional

Killer Irish Red

Make Killer Irish Red Recipe in just 16h . Medium-bodied, slightly malty + biscuity. Rich red color, notes of toffee, made with Irish yeast and those good old English hops.

Killer Irish Red

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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