Red Queen Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.044 FG = 1.008 IBU = 24 SRM = 10 ABV = 4.6%
In Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” Alice encounters the Red Queen, who needs to keep running as fast as she can just to stay in place. Like the Red Queen, brewers will be doing some scrambling just to hold their ground in 2008. due to the hop shortage In my Red Queen Ale, I tried to come up with a recipe that made the most of some ingredients that should be plentiful, and of high quality, this year. I chose Santiam and Sterling hops because I liked their spicy character. This year, the US crop of 6-row barley was excellent, whereas 2-row barley crops around the world were variable. This beer is dry and the Nottingham yeast leaves a refreshing crispness.

Ingredients

4.5 lbs. (2.0 kg) 6-row pale malt
2.25 lbs. (1.0 kg) 2-row pale malt
8.0 oz. (0.22 kg) crystal malt (90 °L)
2.25 lbs. (1.0 kg) flaked maize
2.3 AAU Sterling hops (60 min.) (0.46 oz./13 g of 5% alpha acids)
2.3 AAU Santiam hops (60 min.) (0.38 oz./11 g of 6% alpha acids)
0.33 oz. Santiam hops (15 min.)
0.33 oz. Sterling hops (7.5 min.)
0.33 oz. Santiam hops (0 min.)
1 tsp Irish moss (15 min.)
1⁄4 tsp. yeast nutrients Danstar Nottingham Ale yeast
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Add crushed grains and flaked maize to kettle and stir in 14.3 qts. (13.5 L) of mash liquor at 142 °F (61 °C). Mash should settle into 131 °F (55 °C). Immediately begin heating mash to ramp temperature up to 150 °F (66 °C). Stir constantly and aim to raise the temperature at a rate of 2 °F (~1 °C) per minute. Hold for 45 minutes at 150 °F (66 °C) then heat mash — again stirring constantly — to a mash out temperature of 168 °F (76 °C). Scoop mash over to lauter tun and let sit for 5 minutes. Recirculate wort for 20 minutes (or until wort is clear) then begin running off wort. Keep sparge water heated such that grain bed temperature remains close to, but not over, 168 °F (76 °C). Collect about 5 gallons (19 L) of wort, Add 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) of water to wort and boil for 90 minutes. Add hops at times indicated in the ingredient list. Add Irish moss and yeast nutrients with 15 minutes left in boil. Cool wort to around 65 °F (18 °C) and transfer to fermenter. Aerate thoroughly and pitch yeast. Ferment at 65 °F (18 °C) until fermentation is complete (about 4–6 days). Let beer sit on yeast for a day or two, at 68–70 °F (20–21 °C), then rack directly to keg or bottling bucket.

Red Queen Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.044 FG = 1.008 IBU = 24 SRM = 10 ABV = 4.6%

Ingredients

1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) 6-row pale malt
8.0 oz. (0.23 kg) 2-row pale malt
8.0 oz. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (90 °L)
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Briess Light dried malt extract
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) cane sugar (late addition)
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Briess Light liquid malt extract (late addition)
2.3 AAU Sterling hops (60 min.) (0.46 oz./13 g of 5% alpha acids)
2.3 AAU Santiam hops (60 min.) (0.38 oz./11 g of 6% alpha acids)
0.33 oz. Santiam hops (15 min.)
0.33 oz. Sterling hops (7.5 min.)
0.33 oz. Santiam hops (0 min.)
1 tsp Irish moss (15 min.)
1⁄4 tsp. yeast nutrients Danstar Nottingham Ale yeast
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place crushed grains in a large steeping bag. In a large kitchen pot, heat 3.0 qts. (2.8 L) of water to 161 °F (72 °C). Submerge grain bag and let steep, at 150 °F (66 °C), for 45 minutes. While grains are steeping, heat 2.0 gallons (7.6 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. In a small third pot, heat 1.5 quarts (1.4 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C). Once grains are done steeping, lift out grain bag and place it in a colander suspended over your brewpot. Slowly pour the “grain tea” through the grain bag (to strain out the “floaties”), then pour the 170 °F (77 °C) water through the bag (to rinse the grains). Add dried malt extract and bring the wort to a boil, add first dose of hops and boil for 60 minutes. Add hops at times indicated in ingredient list. With 15 minutes left in the boil, stir in liquid malt extract, sugar, Irish moss and yeast nutrients. After boil, cool wort — in sink or with a wort chiller — then transfer to fermenter. (Do not pour hot wort into cold water for chilling.) Add cool water to top volume up to 5.0 gallons (19 L) and make temperature 65 °F (18 °C). Aerate thoroughly and pitch yeast. Ferment at 65 °F (18 °C) until fermentation is complete (about 4–6 days). Let beer sit on yeast for a day or two, at 68–70 °F (20–21 °C), then rack directly to keg or bottling bucket. (No secondary fermentation is required).