Brewed for our friends at Weary Traveler Freehouse. This dark lager is brewed with Pilsner and De-Bittered Roasted Malts for a jet black appearance and ample roast character without coming off bitter or astringent.

Midnight Traveler

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

A lightly roasty smooth Irish Red Ale. Malty, rich, creamy and mellow, and not too bitter.

Heat ~3.5 gallons of strike water to a temperature that will bring the mash to 152°F (approx. 162–168°F strike water depending on equipment).

Heat strike water

Add crushed grains (Maris Otter, Munich, Crystal 40L, flaked barley, roasted barley) to the mash tun and slowly stir while adding strike water to reach an even mash at 152°F (67°C). Target a mash thickness around 1.25–1.5 qt/lb.

Mash in

Hold mash at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. This temperature yields a malty, slightly dextrinous profile—smooth and creamy mouthfeel suitable for Irish Red.

Protein rest / conversion

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

Mashout

Recirculate wort until clear, then sparge with ~3.0 gallons of 170°F water to collect ~6.5 gallons of pre-boil wort (adjust for equipment loss).

Sparge

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

Bring to a boil

At the start of the 60-minute boil, add 1.0 oz East Kent Goldings (or Fuggle) bittering hops. Boil for 60 minutes total.

Bittering hop addition

With 15 minutes left in the boil, add 1 tsp Irish moss or a Whirlfloc tablet to aid in protein precipitation and clarity (optional). Also add the 0.5 oz flavor/aroma hop at 15 minutes left.

Irish moss / Whirlfloc

With 5 minutes left in the boil, add the remaining 0.5 oz East Kent Goldings for late flavor and aroma.

Late hop addition

At the end of the boil, chill the wort quickly to yeast pitching temperature (around 66–68°F / 19–20°C) using an immersion chiller or equivalent. Aim to get to that temp within 20–30 minutes if possible.

Cool wort

Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter, topping up with water if needed to reach 5 gallons. Aerate by splashing, shaking, or pure O2 to provide yeast oxygen for a healthy fermentation.

Transfer and aerate

Pitch the Irish ale yeast (re-hydrated if dry, or a properly prepared starter if liquid) into the wort at around 66–68°F (19–20°C).

Pitch yeast

Ferment at 66–68°F (19–20°C) for about 7–10 days or until primary activity slows. This yeast range will produce a malty, slightly fruity but clean profile suitable for an Irish Red.

Primary fermentation

After primary slows, raise the temperature to ~68–70°F (20–21°C) for 2–3 days to help clean up any diacetyl. Then transfer (if desired) to a secondary for a further 7–14 days cold conditioning at ~50–55°F (10–13°C) to mellow and clarify the beer.

Diacetyl rest and conditioning

Dissolve 3.25 oz corn sugar in 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water, cool, and add to sanitized bottling bucket. This amount targets ~2.3–2.5 volumes CO2 for a smooth, creamy carbonation (adjust slightly to taste or style).

Prepare priming sugar

Siphon beer gently to bottling bucket to mix with priming solution, then bottle and cap. Store bottles at room temperature (68–72°F / 20–22°C) for 10–14 days to carbonate, then condition a further 1–2 weeks cooler for flavor maturation. If kegging, carbonate to ~2.4 vols CO2 and condition for a week.

Bottle or keg

Serve chilled but not ice cold — around 45–50°F (7–10°C) in a pint glass. Expect a lightly roasty, malty, creamy Irish Red with moderate caramel sweetness and low-to-medium bitterness.

Serve

Maris Otter pale malt (2-row equivalent)

Munich malt

Crystal/Caramel 40L

Roasted barley (lightly roasted)

Flaked barley

East Kent Goldings (or Fuggle) - bittering

East Kent Goldings (or Fuggle) - flavor/aroma

East Kent Goldings (or Fuggle) - late/aroma

Irish ale yeast (e.g., Wyeast 1084 / White Labs WLP004 or Safale US-05 for cleaner)

Irish moss or Whirlfloc (optional, for clarity)

Corn sugar (for priming bottles) or priming solution

Water

Water (to finish / top up)

Strike water (around 3.5 gallons, temp depends on mash)

Sparge water (around 3.0 gallons, ~170°F)

Burly Irish Ale

GRAND BANKS

7oz bistro filet, house – made spicy Southwest steak sauce, crispy fried onions, brew fries, and small mixed green salad

PUB STEAK

Grilled Cabot Cheddar

Herb marinated grilled chicken thighs, seasonal veggie, small mixed green salad, and potato salad

GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS

Grilled Chicken Victoria

Shaved steak, Cabot cheddar, peppers, caramelized onions

Philly Cheese Steak

Make Burly Irish Ale Recipe in just 48h . A lightly roasty smooth Irish Red Ale. Malty, rich, creamy and mellow, and not too bitter.

Burly Irish Ale Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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