I’ve brewed quite a few attempts at English bitters like those I enjoyed when I spent a few days in London. It’s just a fine beer to enjoy with the Earthy/Floral UK hops along with the estery, English caramel malt profile that just goes down smooth with echoes of nuttiness or biscuit like flavor in the profile. I’ve gotten a few hints from Fuller’s brewers concerning brands of malts, color and hops but still didn’t get quite the profile I was looking for. I’m hoping this year with a couple of tweaks, I’ll finally get that profile I’ve failed to achieve all these years….
Update 4/24/2021
I need to post an updated recipe. I had to make a number of substitutions due to not researching what was in stock. Not a big deal. Biggest was Northern Brewer for Northdown. Brands of grains were different and the crystal was kind of a guess. However the beer had an OG right on target around 1.057 and a FG around 1.017. First impression was that it was sweet, it may have just been my pallet because the next sips were very nice. Bright, flavorful ale. Need to keg it with gelatin soon so it’ll clear out and carbonate. Should be an interesting beer to have around the house.
Recipe Details
Batch Size |
Boil Time |
IBU |
SRM |
Est. OG |
Est. FG |
ABV |
6 gal |
60 min |
38.9 IBUs |
8.0 SRM |
1.057 |
1.018 |
5.1 % |
Fermentables
Name |
Amount |
% |
Pale Malt, Best (Simpsons) |
12.25 lbs |
90.74 |
Crystal, Light (Simpsons) |
12 oz |
5.56 |
Barley, Flaked (Thomas Fawcett) |
8 oz |
3.7 |
Hops
Name |
Amount |
Time |
Use |
Form |
Alpha % |
Northdown |
1.75 oz |
30 min |
Aroma |
Pellet |
8.5 |
Challenger |
1.5 oz |
30 min |
Aroma |
Pellet |
7.5 |
East Kent Goldings (EKG) |
1.5 oz |
30 min |
Aroma |
Pellet |
5 |
Miscs
Name |
Amount |
Time |
Use |
Type |
Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) |
14.00 g |
60 min |
Mash |
Water Agent |
Lactic Acid |
8.00 ml |
60 min |
Mash |
Water Agent |
Yeast
Name |
Lab |
Attenuation |
Temperature |
West Yorkshire Ale (1469) |
Wyeast Labs |
69% |
64°F - 72°F |
Mash
Step |
Temperature |
Time |
Mash In |
154°F |
75 min |
Notes
The distilled water is actually 10 gallons of my Ascension parish well water. I need to add it to BeerSmith from my bayoubeer.com website. Need a Simpson's Crystal around 40. 100 EBC. Simpsons was prescribed by the English Brewer. Said never Bairds. The Crystal Light malt we use is closer to 100 EBC and never from Bairds- usually Simpsons. For the hopping regime we add all aroma hops at the end of the boil before we then go on to a 30 min whirlpool rest. Challenger and Goldings are correct but we also use the beautiful Northdown hop (6%AA)- each 33% split of the total late addition. |