Green River Rainbow Red Ale

Red canyon walls over jade water

An Irish red ale named for the Green River, toffee-sweet with a dry roasted finish, 5.4%.

Brewed to order

Two rainbow trout swim through jade water beneath red canyon walls on the label of this Irish red ale. The panel is framed in burnt orange, with cream letters and pink-striped fish.

ABV: 5.4%
IBU: 26
Colour: 14SRM
OG to FG: 1.0541.013

Irish red ale, 5.4% ABV
Toffee and caramel, dry roasted finish
Two rainbow trout under red canyon walls
14 SRM, 26 IBU
Maris Otter, crystal malt, roasted barley

In the glass

A glass of Irish Red Ale: clear ruby-red, tan head.

14SRM

Toffee and caramel up front, light toast in the middle, a dry roasted finish with gentle earthy hops

Serve: 50°F in a nonic glass
Alongside: Shepherd's pie, aged cheddar, smoked trout on rye

Two rainbow trout cut through green water, pink stripes bright against the current. Above them, red sandstone climbs toward a pale sky, and juniper clings to the ledges. A burnt orange frame holds it all together.

It pours deep amber-red. Toffee and caramel come first, then toasted bread and a dry, faintly roasted finish. Open one when the shade finally reaches the bank and the rods are leaning on the truck.

Roasted barley is the quiet hand behind that red. Two ounces is all it takes; added late in the mash, it lends colour and a dry edge without turning the beer bitter or burnt.

The numbers

5.4%Alcohol by volume

(1.054 − 1.013) × 131.25

26Bitterness, IBU

Bitterness only means anything against the style. This one is a Irish red ale.

14Colour, SRM

The swatch above is this number on the standard reference ramp, not an impression of it.

Gravity1.054 down to 1.013 — 76% apparent attenuation.

Named for the Green River

Flaming Gorge, Northeast Utah · UT

The water it is named for

Water type: Tailwater

Details

River: Green River
Style: Irish red ale
ABV: 5.4%
Tasting notes: toffee, caramel, toasted bread, light roast, earthy hops
Colors: burnt orange, red rock, jade green, cream, pink

Make it yourself

A home brew day set up in a garage: kettle steaming on a burner, mash tun and chiller beside it.

At a glance

Style: Irish red ale
Gravity, OG → FG: 1.054 → 1.013
ABV: 5.4%Derived from OG and FG
Bitterness: 26 IBU
Colour: 14SRMdeep amber
Difficulty: Second batchthe roasted barley needs a light hand and the mash a steady temperature.
First pint: 35 daysFrom brew day, including conditioning
Brew day: 2 h 10 minKettle on to kitchen clean. The rest is the yeast.
You supply: brew kettle, mash tun, fermenter with airlock, thermometer, hydrometer, wort chiller, sanitiser, siphon, bottles or keg system
Written for: 5 gal (18.9 L)
Efficiency assumed: 72%Brew-in-a-bag, full-volume. House guidance

Grain bill

5 malts · 10.31 lb for 5 gal

Piles of pale, amber and dark malted barley on a wooden bench beside a scale.

Milled grain, weighed for each batch size. The percentage is each malt's share of the grist and stays the same at every size.

Malt	% of grist	12-pack batch · 1.25 gal	Classic · 5 gal	12×12 batch · 15 gal
Maris Otter	87.3%	2.25 lb (1.02 kg)	9 lb (4.08 kg)	27 lb (12.25 kg)
Munich	4.8%	2 oz (57 g)	8 oz (227 g)	1.5 lb (0.68 kg)
Crystal 40L	4.8%	2 oz (57 g)	8 oz (227 g)	1.5 lb (0.68 kg)
Crystal 120L	1.8%	0.8 oz (21 g)	3 oz (85 g)	9 oz (255 g)
Roasted barley	1.2%	0.5 oz (14 g)	2 oz (57 g)	6 oz (170 g)
Total grain	100%	2.58 lb (1.17 kg)	10.31 lb (4.68 kg)	30.94 lb (14.03 kg)

Hop schedule

2 additions · 60 min boil

Whole green hop cones and hop pellets on slate, one cone split to show the yellow lupulin.

Pellet hops, weighed in grams. Boil times count down to the end of the boil, so 60 minutes means the first thing in the kettle.

Hop	Use	Time	12-pack batch · 1.25 gal	Classic · 5 gal	12×12 batch · 15 gal
East Kent Goldings	Boil	60 min	8.9 g (0.31 oz)	35 g (1.25 oz)	106 g (3.75 oz)
East Kent Goldings	Boil	15 min	3.5 g (0.13 oz)	14 g (0.5 oz)	43 g (1.5 oz)

Yeast and pitch

Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale · 1 liquid pack for 5 gal

Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale. Pitch at 64°F.

Yeast	12-pack batch · 1.25 gal	Classic · 5 gal	12×12 batch · 15 gal
Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale	1 liquid pack	1 liquid pack	3 liquid packs

One pack per 5 gal, and one more above 1.060 OG in a batch over 3 gal. Never fewer than one. House guidance

Water

8.07 gal into the mash for 5 gal

Full-volume brew-in-a-bag: all the water goes in at the start and there is no sparge. Volumes are the total to heat, so the kettle has to hold the mash and still leave room to boil: the 12-pack kit sells a 5 gal stockpot and the 12×12 kit a 30 gal kettle for that.

Water	12-pack batch · 1.25 gal	Classic · 5 gal	12×12 batch · 15 gal
Into the mash	2.11 gal (8 L)	8.07 gal (30.6 L)	19.73 gal (74.7 L)
Boiled off	0.5 gal (1.9 L)	1.25 gal (4.7 L)	1.25 gal (4.7 L)
Held by the grain	0.21 gal (0.8 L)	0.83 gal (3.1 L)	2.48 gal (9.4 L)
Left as trub	0.15 gal (0.6 L)	1 gal (3.8 L)	1 gal (3.8 L)
Into the fermenter	1.25 gal (4.7 L)	5 gal (18.9 L)	15 gal (56.8 L)

Boil-off, grain absorption and trub are typical figures for a stovetop pot and a propane kettle, not measurements of your own gear. Brew once, note what you end up with, and adjust. House guidance

Water profile Soft to moderate water with a balanced chloride to sulfate ratio keeps the malt round and the finish dry.

Mash

152°F · 60 min

The mash turns starch into sugar. Hold the temperature steady and the beer finishes the way the recipe intends.

Rest152°F for 60 minutes
Strike waterHeat to 162°F; the grain cools it to the rest temperature. House guidance
Mash-outRaise to 168°F and hold 10 minutes, then lift and drain the bag. House guidance

Mash inhold it steady, because this rest sets a medium body
Mash outit loosens the sugars for an easier sparge

Boil

60 min · 2 hop additions

Hops go in on a countdown from the end of the boil. Early additions give bitterness; late ones give aroma.

Length60 minutes
60 minEast Kent Goldings
15 minEast Kent Goldings
15 minA kettle fining (whirlfloc or Irish moss) clears the beer if you have one. House guidance

Chillto 64°Fa cool start keeps the yeast clean and quiet

Fermentation

3 steps · first pint in 35 days

A glass fermenter of amber beer with foam on top and an airlock.

The recipe's own schedule, in order. Temperature control matters more than almost anything else on this page.

7 days at 64°F
3 days at 68°F
2 days at 35°F

First pint 35 days from brew day.

Packaging and carbonation

2.3 volumes CO₂ · bottle or keg

Plain aluminium cans and a small keg on a workbench beside a priming-sugar measure.

Target 2.3 volumes of CO₂.

Bottling	12-pack batch · 1.25 gal	Classic · 5 gal	12×12 batch · 15 gal
Corn sugar to prime	0.96 oz (27 g)	3.86 oz (109 g)	11.57 oz (328 g)
12 oz bottles it fills	12	50	144

Dissolve the sugar in a little boiled water, stir it gently into the beer, then bottle. The amount is worked out for 68°F, the warmest the beer got while it fermented.

Kegging Set the regulator to 9.1 psi at 38°F.

Kegging instead Skip the bottles with 3 × 5 gal ball-lock kegs, 1 × 5 lb CO₂ tank, 1 × dual-gauge regulator, 1 × gas and beer lines with picnic taps: the kegging upgrade for the 15 gal home brewery, $594.

Brewer's notes

3 tips

Add the roasted barley in the last 10 minutes of the mash for colour without harsh roast.From the recipe
Let the beer rise to 68°F near the end so the yeast cleans up diacetyl.From the recipe
Keep the carbonation modest so the toffee stays soft on the tongue.From the recipe

A fermenter, airlock, siphon, hydrometer, thermometer and bench capper. — The kit

Every kit size

Ingredients only

Ingredient kit · 12-pack batch

$25.13

$2.09 a bottle

Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 12 caps, for 1.25 gal.

Includes Maris Otter · Munich · Crystal 40L · Crystal 120L · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 12 items

Ingredients

Maris Otter$5.832.25 lb (1.02 kg) · Milled to order
Munich$0.322 oz (57 g) · Milled to order
Crystal 40L$0.362 oz (57 g) · Milled to order
Crystal 120L$0.140.8 oz (21 g) · Milled to order
Roasted barley$0.090.5 oz (14 g) · Milled to order
East Kent Goldings (60 min)$1.508.9 g (0.31 oz)
East Kent Goldings (15 min)$1.503.5 g (0.13 oz)
Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale$11.991 pack · Liquid yeast, shipped cold
Milling and kitting$31

Packaging

Corn sugar for priming$0.401 oz · Primes to 2.3 volumes of CO₂
Crown capsIncluded12

Guide

Printed brew guideIncluded1

Ingredient kit · 12×12 batch

$156.43

$1.09 a bottle

Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 144 caps, for 15 gal.

Includes Maris Otter · Munich · Crystal 40L · Crystal 120L · and 8 more

Every item in this kit · 12 items

Ingredients

Maris Otter$69.9327 lb (12.25 kg) · Milled to order
Munich$3.891.5 lb (0.68 kg) · Milled to order
Crystal 40L$4.341.5 lb (0.68 kg) · Milled to order
Crystal 120L$1.639 oz (255 g) · Milled to order
Roasted barley$1.086 oz (170 g) · Milled to order
East Kent Goldings (60 min)$14.96106 g (3.75 oz)
East Kent Goldings (15 min)$5.9943 g (1.5 oz)
Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale$35.973 packs · Liquid yeast, shipped cold
Milling and kitting$81

Packaging

Corn sugar for priming$4.6411.6 oz · Primes to 2.3 volumes of CO₂
Crown caps$6144

Guide

Printed brew guideIncluded1

Complete home brewery

Complete home brewery · 12-pack batch

$218.95

$18.25 a bottle

Bought separately $240.49 · you save $21.54

All the equipment, then the ingredient kit, for 1.25 gal. Works on a kitchen stove.

Includes 5 gal stainless stockpot · Fine-mesh brew bag · 1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung · 3-piece airlock · and 22 more

Every item in this kit · 26 items

Equipment

5 gal stainless stockpot$49.991
Fine-mesh brew bag$9.991
1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung$17.991
3-piece airlock$2.491
No-rinse sanitizer, 4 oz$12.991
Hydrometer and test jar$15.991
Digital probe thermometer$14.991
Mini auto-siphon with tubing$13.991
Spring-tip bottle filler$5.991
12 oz amber bottles$16.9912
Wing capper$19.991
Brewery wash, 1 lb$9.991
0.1 g kitchen scale$14.991
Long stainless spoon$8.991

Ingredients

Maris Otter$5.832.25 lb (1.02 kg) · Milled to order
Munich$0.322 oz (57 g) · Milled to order
Crystal 40L$0.362 oz (57 g) · Milled to order
Crystal 120L$0.140.8 oz (21 g) · Milled to order
Roasted barley$0.090.5 oz (14 g) · Milled to order
East Kent Goldings (60 min)$1.508.9 g (0.31 oz)
East Kent Goldings (15 min)$1.503.5 g (0.13 oz)
Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale$11.991 pack · Liquid yeast, shipped cold
Milling and kitting$31

Packaging

Corn sugar for priming$0.401 oz · Primes to 2.3 volumes of CO₂
Crown capsIncluded12

Guide

Printed brew guideIncluded1

Complete home brewery · 12×12 batch

$1,252.43

$8.70 a bottle

Bought separately $1,374.21 · you save $121.78

All the equipment, then the ingredient kit, for 15 gal. You supply a propane tank and water.

Includes 30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer · 72 · 30 gal brew bag · 50 ft copper immersion chiller · and 25 more

Every item in this kit · 29 items

Equipment

30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer$3991
72,000 BTU propane burner and stand$991
30 gal brew bag$44.991
50 ft copper immersion chiller$1291
7.9 gal fermenting buckets with lids and airlocks$89.973
No-rinse sanitizer, 32 oz$32.991
Brewery wash, 4 lb$34.991
Hydrometer and test jar$15.991
Refractometer$29.991
Digital thermometer$24.991
½" auto-siphon with tubing$24.991
Bottling buckets with spigots$55.982
Bottle filler$5.991
12 oz amber bottles (6 cases)$119.94144
Bench capper$59.991
Mash paddle$24.991
Digital scale$24.991

Ingredients

Maris Otter$69.9327 lb (12.25 kg) · Milled to order
Munich$3.891.5 lb (0.68 kg) · Milled to order
Crystal 40L$4.341.5 lb (0.68 kg) · Milled to order
Crystal 120L$1.639 oz (255 g) · Milled to order
Roasted barley$1.086 oz (170 g) · Milled to order
East Kent Goldings (60 min)$14.96106 g (3.75 oz)
East Kent Goldings (15 min)$5.9943 g (1.5 oz)
Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale$35.973 packs · Liquid yeast, shipped cold
Milling and kitting$81

Packaging

Corn sugar for priming$4.6411.6 oz · Primes to 2.3 volumes of CO₂
Crown caps$6144

Guide

Printed brew guideIncluded1

The creator

John

@john

Tight line, quiet feet, zero slack.

See everything by @john

Remixes

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Where this came from

river beer · made September 16, 2026

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irish red ale
red ale
green river
rainbow trout
trout
canyon
fly fishing
homebrew recipe
maris otter
east kent goldings
toffee