Cit Ruby Cit - Ruby Colored Citra Pale Ale

Craigerrr

Craigerrr

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I have brewed this twice before.
The first batch was pretty decent, the second was dissapointing.
A lot of that could be my process, and uncontrolled ferm temperature.
Interested in feedback on the recipe.
Does the Crystal 40 belong in there?
Do the flaked oats belong in there?
Would Maris Otter be a better base than 2 row?

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/650670/cit-ruby-cit
 
Craigerrr said:
I have brewed this twice before.
The first batch was pretty decent, the second was dissapointing.
A lot of that could be my process, and uncontrolled ferm temperature.
Interested in feedback on the recipe.
Does the Crystal 40 belong in there?
Do the flaked oats belong in there?
Would Maris Otter be a better base than 2 row?

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/650670/cit-ruby-cit
Click to expand...

My opinion is that is way too much crystal malt for an IPA. I would cut it down to 5% total or so and it may not hurt to simplify and only use one type of crystal malt. The oats I would either remove entirely or up the amount to twice as much.

If it was me I would go with something like:
10.5 lb two row - 82%
1.5 lb flaked oats - 12%
0.4 lb Crystal 40 - 3%
0.4 lb Caramunich I - 3%

That will change the color significantly. If you are shooting for Ruby colored you will need to get closer to 15 SRM in my experience. I would use a small amount of huskless roasted malt to get there. Just my two cents...
 
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Or take out either crystal their both 40 lovibond it looks and use some dark crystal malt like weyermann special W or dingermans special B or Bries also do a dark crystal. Use this to bring up colour it'll add more malt complexity like burnt caramel / raisins. Remember if you drop the oats you may loose some of that round creamy mouthfeel and the beer may thin out a bit. Maybe mash high to keep the body if dropping the oats.

I'm sure Ruby will stay put for this one!
 
I am not a fan of German caramunich in Citrus IPA so i would drop that and swap the c40 for c60 with amount adjusted to the color you are looking for. This would simplify the flavors which would work well with a single hop beer. Crystal doesn't usually go in a IPA however sometimes it can and in this case I think with the oats the recipe would stand well with a malty caramel finish to accent the amount of citra you have there. My 2 cents.
 
As far as 2 row vs. Marris otter, it really depends on what your looking for. MO usually has a richer flavor to it as it is kilned to a slightly darker color. Some people want that in a pale ale, others think it gets in the way of the hops.

I'm in the same boat as others have been regarding the c 40 and caramunich. Not sure what your getting with 2 caramel malts of the same color. Maybe drop both and use less of c80?
 
Thanks for all of the input everyone, I will have to sit down with pen and paper to give proper thought to this.
 
Well I have made some adjustments to the recipe based on the input above. Everyone seemed to have roughly the same input on cutting back on the crystal percentage, and upping the crystal to a 60 or 80. It isn't really all that important that I hit a specific Ruby color, more interested in making a great beer.

Thanks for posting your recipe JA, it looks real interesting, not sure if I'm ready to venture into the pureed fruit addition thing just yet.
I have just changed from BIAB to mashing in a cooler on my most recent batch which is still in the fermenter.

Can I get a Hell Yeah on my recipe adjustments?
Any further thought or advice?

Thanks again, always appreciate the input!
Craigerrr
 
Looks like a good beer, if not ruby colored. Should taste good though.
 
I like it, I like it a lot!
Simple yet enough different flavors in there for a solid beer.
The C 80 will be diff than the 40 or caramunich flavor but should do what you need as a coloring and touch of maltyness addition.
 
Craigerrr said:
Thanks for posting your recipe JA, it looks real interesting, not sure if I'm ready to venture into the pureed fruit addition thing just yet.
Click to expand...
Pretty simple implementation but, for me at least, the cost of puree makes it an unattractive option. I've been wanting to re-brew that beer using concentrated OJ and Grapefruit juice combined to see what the flavor profile would be like.
 
Now planning this one for my next brew, and have made some adjustments
10.3 lbs two row
2 lbs flaked oats
3 oz black 500L
This gives me the color I am looking for, is the black malt a good idea?
I am trying to mimick a local brew, it is Rhyme & Reason from Collective Arts Brewing
It is a Citra IPA, and I am going for a higher ABV, more like 6.5
Not the greatest picture below, scabbed it from the interweb

TIA for your thoughts
Craigerrr


rhyme and reason.JPG
 
Here are the ingredients listed on their site, obviously no black malt, and a variety of hops...

Bittering Hops: German magnum
Flavour Hops: Citra and Centennial
Dry Hops: Citra, Centennial, Chinook, Simcoe
Malt: Pale Ale, Crystal, Carafoam, Toasted Wheat Flakes
 
Not sure, but you might want to be careful with the black malt, or at least at that amount. As I recall, too much can yield a “cloying” flavor.
 
At 1.5% black malt I think you will be fine. I use carafa special all the time for color adjustment and would rarely know it's there. Not a huge fan but New Belgium uses black malt all the time in their hoppy beers. I have seen some of the grains for their beers listed as Pale Ale and Black Malt only...
 
Craigerrr said:
This gives me the color I am looking for, is the black malt a good idea?
Click to expand...
I don't think so unless you're making an Amber. Special B will add color as well as including some Munich in your bill. I get the color of the beer you show all the time and have never used anything darker than Special B. Just a small percentage of C-40or Victory will get you into that color range.
Don't try to get color at the expense of flavor.
 
Use debittered black malt for less flavor, just color. People do it all the time, with no problem. It still has some flavor, but not nearly as much as regular black malt.
 
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