Racin’ Mason Irish American Red Ale

This classic Irish red pours a dark red/copper color and features a sweet caramel and toasted malt profile.

Step by step
This is a single step infusion mash. Mix the crushed grains with 3.7 gallons (14 L) of 170 °F (77 °C) water to stabilize at 150 ºF (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge slowly with 175 °F (79 °C) water. Collect approximately 6 gallons (23 L) of wort runoff to boil for 60 minutes. While boiling, add the hops, Irish moss and yeast nutrient. After the boil is complete, add the wort to 2 gallons (7.6 L) of cold water in the sanitized fermenter and top off with cold water up to 5 gallons (19 L).

Cool the wort to 75 °F (24 °C). Pitch your yeast and aerate the wort heavily. Allow the beer to cool to 68 °F (20 °C). Hold at that temperature until fermentation is complete. Transfer to a carboy. Allow the beer to condition one week and then bottle or keg. Allow the beer to carbonate and age for two weeks and enjoy!

Extract with grains version:
Reduce the 2-row pale malt from the all-grain version to 1 lb. (0.45 kg) and add 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Briess light liquid malt extract and 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) light dried malt extract. Steep the crushed grain in 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water at 150 °F (66 °C) for 30 minutes. Remove grains from the wort and rinse with 2 quarts (1.8 L) of hot water. Add the liquid and dried malt extracts and boil for 60 minutes. While boiling, add the hops, Irish moss and yeast nutrient. After the boil is complete, add the wort to 2 gallons (7.6 L) of cold water in the sanitized fermenter and top off with cold water up to 5 gallons (19 L). Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.

Written by Marc Martin (BYO) Magazine
Issue: January-February 2011