McShepardSons Irish Ale (previous recipes)
This is the "archive page" for McShepardSons Irish Ale. For the most recent recipe follow this link.
In March of 2022, I decided to design a recipe for a classic Irish Ale.
An easy-drinking pint, often with subtle flavors. Slightly malty in the balance sometimes with an initial soft toffee or caramel sweetness, a slightly grainy-biscuity palate, and a touch of roasted dryness in the finish. Some versions can emphasize the caramel and sweetness more, while others will favor the grainy palate and roasted dryness.
The first time I brewed it, I did a double batch. I fermented half with a classic English Ale yeast and the other with Voss Kveik Ale.
Subsequent batches used the English Ale yeast.
The name "McShepardSons" comes from a series of geocaches that I hid years ago. Most of them have been Muggled and no longer exist, but I thought it was a good name for an Irish Ale.
For more about the beer (and the Geocaches) see Sheppy's Blog: McShepardSons
| McShepardSons Irish Ale --- Batch 1 (308) |
| Style | Irish Red Ale | Batch Size | 11.00 gal | |||
| Type | All Grain | Boil Size | 13.44 gal | |||
| Brewhouse Efficiency | 70.00 | Boil Time | 60 minutes |
Recipe Characteristics
| Recipe Gravity | 1.040 SG | Estimated FG | 1.010 SG | ||||
| Recipe Bitterness | 24.7 IBUs (Rager) | Alcohol by Volume | 3.9 % | ||||
| BU : GU | 0.617 | ||||||
| Recipe Color | 11.7 SRM |
| |||||
| Measured OG: | 1.043 | Measured FG: | 1.012 kv 1.013 | ||||
| ADF: | 71 kv 69 | Measured ABV: | 4.1 kv 3.9 |
Ingredients
| Amt | Name | Type | # | %/IBU | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.45 gal | Denver, Colorado | Water | 1 | - | - |
| 8.00 g | Calcium Chloride (Mash) | Water Agent | 2 | - | - |
| 3.00 g | Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) | Water Agent | 3 | - | - |
| 2.00 g | Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash) | Water Agent | 4 | - | - |
| 1.00 tsp | Lactic Acid (Mash) | Water Agent | 5 | - | - |
| 15 lbs | Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) | Grain | 6 | 89.6 % | 1.17 gal |
| 1 lbs | Brown Malt (Crisp) (65.0 SRM) | Grain | 7 | 6.0 % | 0.08 gal |
| 8.0 oz | Crystal 80L (Proximity) (80.0 SRM) | Grain | 8 | 3.0 % | 0.04 gal |
| 4.0 oz | Chocolate Malt (Proximity) (350.0 SRM) | Grain | 9 | 1.5 % | 0.02 gal |
| 1.500 oz | Magnum [14.40 %] - Boil 30.0 min | Hop | 10 | 23.0 IBUs | - |
| 2.00 Items | Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) | Fining | 11 | - | - |
| 2.00 tsp | Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins) | Other | 12 | - | - |
| 1.000 oz | Goldings, East Kent [4.80 %] - Boil 5.0 min | Hop | 13 | 1.7 IBUs | - |
| 1.0 pkg | SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) [23.66 ml] | Yeast | 14 | - | - |
| 1.0 pkg | Voss Kveik Ale Yeast (Lallemand #- ) [50.28 ml] | Yeast | 15 | - | - |
Mash Profile
| Name | Description | Step Temperature | Step Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mash In | Add 20.94 qt of water at 163.7 F | 152.0 F | 60 min |
Batch sparge with 3 steps (Drain mash tun , 5.11gal, 5.11gal) of 168.0 F water
Double batch. Half brewed with each type of yeast.
Prepare mash and sparge water together.
Brewing salts in the mash and sparge water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to "Balanced Amber"
Ca=80,Mg=12,Na=21,SO4=92,Cl=90,HCO3=104
Acid addition to bring calculated pH around 5.2
Mash and boil as directed above.
Cool to around 65 degrees. Split batch into two fermentors each with different yeast strain.
Ferment for a couple weeks. (a little less for Voss yeast)
Force carbonate to 2.5 volumes. Condition to taste.
Brewing Record
| Brew Date: | Strike Temp: | |||||
| Mash Temps: | ||||||
| Pre-boil OG | (1.035 SG) | Pre-boil Vol | (13.44 gal) | |||
| Actual Mash Efficiency | Pitch Temp | |||||
| Fermentation | ||||||
| Day 1: | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||