Winter 2016 RCE Red XIPA - BigPapaG/Screwy

[Beer-lord]

Farmhouse is where I got mine and I'm thinking about ordering more before they run out.
I'm afraid if I order malt, I'll buy more hops.
http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/r ... malz-1-lb/

[Beer-lord]

I haven't even used the 10 lbs I ordered and I just ordered another 12 lbs because I have ideas in my head and lots of spring brewing to get done so there!
And you bastards keep talking about this and I have to wait but I did order a few packs of some 4 oz hops to try.
Thanks for helping an addict!!!!!!

[BigPapaG]

I haven't even used the 10 lbs I ordered and I just ordered another 12 lbs because I have ideas in my head and lots of spring brewing to get done so there!
And you bastards keep talking about this and I have to wait but I did order a few packs of some 4 oz hops to try.
Thanks for helping an addict!!!!!!

Ooo Ooo Ooo, Mr. Kotter, Mister Kotter...

Well... Me an Vinny and the guys... We wus thinkin'...

Well, since you have all dat malt an all doez hops n all...

Maybes we couldz interest you into buyin' some yeast to go whit dat?

[ScrewyBrewer]

As luck would have it my plans for kegging my first batch of Red XIPA on Friday had to be put on hold. So first thing yesterday morning, after quaffing down a few cups of black coffee, I was finally able to get started. Before getting too far into the details I would like to raise a glass to @BigPapaG for his part in making this year's RCE one of my most memorable. I'd also like to take a minute to toast @FedoraDave too, for coming up with his idea and for working to keep the tradition alive all these years.

This year's RCE enabled me to collaborate with @BigPapaG, who can best be described as, a resourceful brewer, a fellow Borg member passionate about beer and a complete joy to work with. After our initial phone conversation, it was evident that we both shared the same passion for brewing and the same love of great tasting beer. And within record time, about 2 weeks, we had put together our first Red XIPA recipe and we both had placed our orders.

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Based on the single four ounce hydrometer sample, that I drank while it was at 36F, this beer tasted absolutely great to me. The truth be told, before the first drop of beer even left the fermentor I was already daydreaming about brewing another 10 gallon batch of this fiery Red XIPA. I had finally done it, brewed a session IPA that was visually indistinguishable from a Scottish Wee Heavy and with half of the alcohol content.

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Somethings to consider, this was the first partial mash recipe I had ever brewed. Making a few slip ups didn't surprise me at all, actually making a mistake here and there was kind of expected. For some reason I thought that I ordered a 4 pound container of LME, it actually weighed 3.3 pounds when it arrived. At the last minute I decided to add 2 ounces of Carafa I malt to the mash for deeper color, and not to add pure cane sugar to the boil. The results from all of this were a 4% alcohol beer that had a huge hop flavor and aroma with an underlying malt complexity.

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The beer was exceptionally clear even after spending just a few days cold crashing but it tasted very good. As expected I can hardly wait for it to be carbonated enough to drink.

[Beer-lord]

Great teamwork for both you guys who are undoubtedly, excellent brewers and Borg members.
I salute you both (and am brown nosing for when I do my RedX brew).

[BigPapaG]

Thanks guys, but seriously...

It was like Screwy and I were sharing the same brewing brain as we raced toward this recipe!

Truly, this collaboration was a pleasure for me! To be able to work with one of my brewing idols was off the hook!

I had a great time working with you Vince and I think it worked out quite nicely!

We both gained something here...

I really was inspired by your hop choices and schedule... I would have gone with less but am so glad I didn't.

It is also great to compare the minor changes we made as this evolved!

Good stuff, and thanks again Hat for setting this up and giving us this great opportunity to brew together!

Can't wait to create more interesting brews usin Red X in some way... Ruby Kölsch mabey? Hmmm...

[BigPapaG]

So, three days on the gas (15 psi) and I pulled a pint this evening to try it...

Still not properly carbed of course... And because of that it still gives me the impression of a thin beer.

I thing it will be better in a week or so... Better still in two weeks I'm sure.

Still tastes great though, really like the balance of the Red X and the hops...

[ScrewyBrewer]

Saturday will be 1 full week carbonating at 12 psi, I'll be pouring a glass this Saturday to give it a try. Right now I have so many great recipes running around my head that it's making it difficult to decide on what to brew next.

[Dawg LB Steve]

How do you guys think this malt would do for a to style Irish Red over Maris Otter? Competition speaking.

[Beer-lord]

Right now I have so many great recipes running around my head that it's making it difficult to decide on what to brew next.

I'm so sick I think about recipes even while I'm in church!

[BigPapaG]

How do you guys think this malt would do for a to style Irish Red over Maris Otter? Competition speaking.

I think adding some to a recipe like that with MO might be brilliant...

Maybe 20-25% Red X and remove an equal amount of MO...

Might add a nice complexity that would help it stand out...

Or, it could cause a judge to think that perhaps it's off a bit...

You know what they say in football...

'Any given Sunday...'

[ScrewyBrewer]

I think by Sunday this beer will be ready to drink. Its nearly fully carbonated tonight and delicious. The Red X adds a nice tasting background to the aroma and flavor hops. Its clear, light bodied and very flavorful. Under natural daylight tomorrow I plan to take a few pictures, under indoor lighting the color leans more toward orange than red.

I can't wait to pour a full glass to admire and enjoy. The quarter glass samples I've tried so far have had plenty of flavor and aroma. This beer is a good one and it'll go quick. Low alcohol, bright, flavorful and lots of aroma are sure to make it a hit.

[ScrewyBrewer]

After just a week in the keg this beer is just about fully carbonated now. There's not much of a head to it, not surprising to me at all considering the 149F mash temperature, and the lack of any dextrine malts in the grain bill. Surprisingly though this beer does have a little bit of lacing to it. After drinking my first full glass I'm still processing all of the flavors and aromas in this beer, something I thought could never be said of a 4% alcohol beer. I'm going to pour myself another now, purely to further my analysis, but I'm beginning to like this beer a lot.

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It's an interesting beer. It has a definite malt flavor combined with hop flavor and aromas that linger in the mouth and nose after each sip. The 12psi carbonation adds to the perceived bittering and also helps enhance the aroma too. Today I'm also picking up slight hints of roast too, which reminds me more of an English IPA than an American IPA. Tomorrow I plan to bring a half gallon growler full of this beer to a dinner party in order to get some unbiased assessments to post here too.

[Beer-lord]

That looks freaking awesome and sounds any better. Cheers to you both on a great session beer.

[BigPapaG]

Here's a RedX IPA Update that I haven't gotten around to posting until now.

Back in March, I approached Screwy and obtained his permission to add his name as Co-Brewer on this beer as I wanted to submit it into a State Regional Competition and I felt he was as much a part of it as I was.

So. The results...

Ok... Drum rool please.... Prrtttrt!

We did not medal... But we did pull a very respectable combined score of 33.5!

We scored a 33 from a Certified judge and a 34 from a Recognized judge.

Comments included:

'Terrific'

'Crushable'

'Very nice Red IPA'

In addition, both judges felt there should be some character malt, which, in our experiment was not there as we were looking to experience the Red X predominantly, so that's ok and spot on...

And they both felt the hops were a bit high for the style due to that... So... Tweaking the balance would have it better represent the style.

They loved the hop choices, the color, the aroma and the mouthfeel...

It was a difficult category and there were a lot of submissions... In fact for the entire Specialty IPA group of categories they had to bust it up into three distinct groupings of flights to get through them all!

So, I think it was a respectable result in a crowded field of good entries from good brewers...

I think we were a little off style and agree with the judges there...

But overall a terrific beer!

Congrats again to Screwy for his invaluable collaboration!

(On a side note: I had 5 other beer entries and one AppleWine entry and did not medal at all! However, my Cream Ale entry, which scored a 36.5, did get a shot at Best of Show but alas, did not make that cut.)

Good times, good brewers, good entries!