Ordinary Bitter

Beer Recipes
21

Thos. Fawcett MO, first time trying so zero exp with it IIRC.
The water is still a work in progress. BS amber dry has is suggesting 105ppm SO4 and agree it prob needs adj higher.

Thanks!!

22

In my opinion, something like Biscuit or Victory malt is unnecessary if you’re starting with a flavorful Pale Ale malt as your base. I’m a big fan of Crisp Floor-Malted MO. I’ve also used malts from US craft maltsters that are really good in these styles (I’m using Ye Olde Pale Ale from Sugar Creek right now and enjoying it a lot).

I brew a lot of moderate gravity English ales in the 1.035-1.040 range, and the biggest factor to me is carbonation. I use invert sugar in a lot of my recipes, so they end up attenuating pretty well. It’s easy for me to end up overcarbonating these, and they end up thin and watery. As a matter of fact, I just brewed a Brown Ale that had this exact problem. Once I blew off the excess carbonation the beer really came into its own.

23

Here is an update on recipe formation.

RO
Ca-65ppm
SO4-150ppm
CL2-67ppm

Mash In 155* 
Mash Out 169*

89.5% Thos. Fawcett MO
6% Briess C40
4% Dingemans Biscuit
0.5% Briess Midnight Wheat

Northdown @90 21 IBU
EKG @30 9 IBU

LalBrew Windsor British or WLP 002 or something else (suggestions welcome) I am overthinking this recipe!

Possibly an addition of sugar to bump the ABV above 3.4% but not over 4% ABV

Anywhoot, thoughts are appreciated.

24

Should be a tasty beer! Windsor is fine, but WLP002 is better. If it’s your first go at the style, I think you’ll want to go with a yeast with a good flavor impact, and Fullers is one of the best at that. WY1469 is another good option as well.

25

This recipe is reminiscent of several I have seen as very popular examples of the style.  I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

26

So its my 2nd go at the style, first one was ok, tasty but ok. Through looking today for Fullers strain yeast I come to understand that there really isn’t a commercial fullers strain. What would be an equivalent commercial strain. Honestly never heard of it until you had suggested.

Reading through the online beer chats, people claim that there are a few, WLP002 being just one. Imperial Pub AO9 was mentioned also. What is your experience?

If Dave DM Taylor reads this I’d like to hear your opinion too!

Thanks people!

27

Imperial’s Pub Ale is similar to 002, but I get the nice marmalade flavor from it. So closer to Fuller’s.

28

I have read quite a few comments about this marmalade flavor. I think that is a flavor I can enjoy.

Thanks

29

I’ve been using Pub quite a bit lately. I really like it.

30

Which end of the fermentation scale will coax marmalade flavor? I assume the upper end.

31

An ester, so pitch at a higher temp and ramp up. Under pitch slightly for more esters. Open fermentation will give more esters.

32

Good to know! I was going to under pitch as it stands. As far as an open fermentation, I have never attempted and honestly I know nothing about but will look into that.

33

I’ve been using some home toasted pale malt in my Bitters. 0.5 lbs for a 5 gal. batch.  It adds more malt character and a touch of color, but not any sweetness.

I toast 2-3 lbs of malt on a sheet pan in the oven at 350F for 30 min. Every 10 min. I pull it out and dump into a bowl to mix it, then back onto the sheet pan and back into the oven.

34

Sounds like a similar process to home made Brown Malt.  My LHBS didn’t have it in stock and I was instructed to make it myself in a fashion similar to what you were doing.  Sounds like it might impart a mellow brown malt hint.

35

Just catching up with this thread. Brewers from my club are brewing English Bitter for a style study and tasting. I just bought a bag of Warminster Maris Otter to mess around with. My goal is making a 3.5-3.9% ABV beer with flavor and not too thin. I will definitely use some of the suggestions like keeping carbonation down and mash high. I plan on this
92% Maris Otter
7% Crystal 40
1% Black Prinz
Progress and EKG hops
WLP 005

36

I believe I’m coming to the conclusion that using less grain to reach a lower ABV is not the answer. My logic said use the same percentages at lower weight and voilà, a session strength beer. Not so fast Scooter. Though my experience is limited in brewing session beers, I’m getting a thin, watery beer when I brew that way.

Now, I am starting to think that using the same weight of grain as say a 5-6% ABV beer but opening the mill gap to make that same grain bill achieve 3.5-4% session strength beer is the way to go.  I don’t think I’ve read this but it’s a conclusion I’m arriving at by trial and error.  (Lot’s of trial and error)

It’s taken several batches over several months to arrive at this point but I like my results lately. Like you say, I’m still learning.

Cheers!

37

I only brew low ABV, carb, and IBU brews.
Very challenging, carb wrong = flat beer, OG too low = colored water.
Yeast, grain, hops, and process is less forgiving than for higher ABV/IBU brews.
I’m just starting to pay attention to attenuation percentages of yeasts.

My guess is that the learning never stops.

Cheers

38

For Ordinary Bitter, I have settled on a higher mash temp and lower attenuating English yeast to get adequate body with lower ABV.  It is a bit like dancing on the head of a pin.

But as a session beer brewer, I put up with an occasional thin beer in pursuit of the right balance.

39

That will be my approach on mine. 155* mash and trying Pub A09 for the first time.
At what temp do you mash? I will assume it is a single infusion.

40

The bottom range for a bitter or Mild is 158F for me.  Then you can slowly ramp it up to 168 or so for a mash out, if you like.  I also tend to mash a bit longer with the session beers (75-90 minutes)