Stone Brewing Co.’s Pataskala Red X IPA clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.068 FG = 1.012
IBU = 74 SRM = 15 ABV = 7.3%

Ingredients
15 lbs. (6.8 kg) BestMalz Red X® malt
8.3 AAU Magnum hops (first wort hop) (0.65 oz./18 g at 12.7% alpha acids)
15.4 AAU Mosaic® hops (15 min.) (1.28 oz./36 g at 12% alpha acids)
4.3 AAU Cascade hops (15 min.) (0.65 oz./18 g at 6.6% alpha acids)
15.4 AAU Mosaic® hops (0 min.) (1.28 oz./36 g at 12% alpha acids)
4.3 AAU Cascade hops (0 min.) (0.65 oz./18 g at 6.6% alpha acids)
5.2 AAU Amarillo® hops (0 min.) (0.65 oz./18 g at 8.0% alpha acids)
2.56 oz. (73 g) Mosaic® hops (dry hop)
1.28 oz. (36 g) Amarillo® hops (dry hop)
1.28 oz. (36 g) Cascade hops (dry hop)
White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale), Wyeast 1098 (British Ale), or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Using 0.9 qts. of water per pound of grain (2 L/kg), mash in at 148 °F (64 °C), rest for 60 minutes or until conversion has been achieved. Increase temperature to 165 °F (74 °C) for 5 minutes to halt the conversion process. Considering the thick mash, you can achieve this by infusing boiling water.

Recirculate your wort for 10–15 minutes or until clear. Begin your lautering process as you sparge to collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) while adding your first wort hop addition. Boil for 60 minutes and add the suggested hops during the last 15 minutes and at the end of the boil. Yeast nutrients and a kettle fining such as Irish moss or Whirlfloc can be added too. After the boil, give the wort a long stir to create a whirlpool, then let settle for 15 minutes.

Chill wort rapidly to 68 °F (20 °C), pitch your yeast and oxygenate. Ferment at 72 °F (22 °C) until final gravity is reached and clear of diacetyl (10 to 14 days is standard). Remove from yeast and add your dry hop additions to the fermenter. Let sit for 3 days. Chill the beer then rack into kegs and carbonate to 2.4 to 2.5 volumes or a touch higher if you intend to hand bottle from the keg. Otherwise, prime and bottle condition.

Stone Brewing Co.’s Pataskala Red X IPA clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.068 FG = 1.012
IBU = 74 SRM = 15 ABV = 7.3%

While it may be hard to mimic the color and character of Pataskala Red X without a majority BestMalz Red X® base malt, we can try to mimic the color and toasted character with some playful substitutions. If you can utilize a partial mash in your setup, then go with as much Red X® as you can while proportionally cutting back on the Munich extract and Carafa® malt.

Ingredients
3 lbs. (1.36 kg) extra light dried malt extract
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Munich dried malt extract
3 oz. (85 g) Carafa® Special III malt
8.3 AAU Magnum hops (first wort hop) (0.65 oz./18 g at 12.7% alpha acids)
15.4 AAU Mosaic® hops (15 min.) (1.28 oz./36 g at 12% alpha acids)
4.3 AAU Cascade hops (15 min.) (0.65 oz./18 g at 6.6% alpha acids)
15.4 AAU Mosaic® hops (0 min.) (1.28 oz./36 g at 12% alpha acids)
4.3 AAU Cascade hops (0 min.) (0.65 oz./18 g at 6.6% alpha acids)
5.2 AAU Amarillo® hops (0 min.) (0.65 oz./18 g at 8.0% alpha acids)
2.56 oz. (73 g) Mosaic® hops (dry hop)
1.28 oz. (36 g) Amarillo® hops (dry hop)
1.28 oz. (36 g) Cascade hops (dry hop)
White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale), Wyeast 1098 (British Ale), or LalBrew Nottingham yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Heat 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water, adding the Carafa® Special malt in a muslin bag and submerge while the water heats up. Once the temperature reaches about 165 °F (74 °C) remove the grains, giving a gentle squeeze to the bag.

Increase temperature to near-boiling before turning off heat and adding the malt extract plus another gallon (3.8 L) of water. Stir continuously until all extract is dissolved. Put the pot back on heat, add the first wort hops, then raise to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes and add the suggested hops during the last 15 minutes and at the end of the boil. After the boil, give the wort a long stir to create a whirlpool, then let settle for 15 minutes.

Chill wort rapidly to 68 °F (20 °C). Add water to achieve a total fermenter volume of 5.5 gallons (20.82 L). Follow the all-grain recipe for fermentation and packaging instructions.

Tips For Success:
Since Red X® is such a unique malt and doesn’t have a true extract equivalent, brewing this beer all-grain is the ideal way to go. However, for those who haven’t gone to all-grain brewing or don’t have the space to do so, the extract recipe will give you a pretty great IPA that will be similar in color, even if it may lack some of the brightness and malt character of the all-grain version. Whatever you do, seek out this specific grain and do not substitute for something “similar” because nothing on the market will get you close enough to the character that Red X® provides . . . at least at this time.