Mainline Bitter
Sometimes you just need to put down those American hops and get back to basics with a proper English Bitter. This is my recipe that's just come really good after 4 weeks bottle conditioning.
Brew day
Recipe Specifications
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Date: 13 August 2017
Estimated OG: 1.043 SG
Estimated Color: 26.9 EBC
Estimated IBU: 33.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.2 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type # %/IBU
29.28 l Tesco Ashbeck Water 1 -
4.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 2 -
3.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 3 -
3.00 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 4 -
3.62 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 5 93.5 %
0.19 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (240.0 EBC) Grain 6 5.0 %
0.06 kg Chocolate Wheat Malt (1000.0 EBC) Grain 7 1.5 %
15.00 g Challenger [12.25 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8 22.3 IBUs
10.00 g Fuggle [5.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 9 7.0 IBUs
3.00 g Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 10 -
15.00 g East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.90 %] - Boil Hop 11 3.9 IBUs
10.00 g Fuggle [5.80 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 12 0.3 IBUs
1.0 pkg Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007) Yeast 13 -
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 3.88 kg
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Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 24.28 l of water at 70.8 C 68.0 C 60 min
4ml 60% lactic acid added to mash water (Bru'n'water calcs)
Carbonate to 1.9 vols.
Bottling
Target ABV was 4.1% but my WLP007 was a bit more hungry than Beersmith thought it would be, finishing at 1.008 instead of the predicted 1.011 so it's 4.6% which is fine by me because I prefer a dry finish to a bitter.
Tasting notes
Caramel and toffee on the nose, moderate bitterness, smooth and caramel in the mouth and a dry finish with earthy flavours from the Fuggle. I love it and it sort of reminds me of Cameron's Strongarm from 20 years ago.
More information
The Homebrew Forum has a discussion thread on this bitter.