AG Brewday #10 Ordinary Bitter

[jafski]

Having a go at this today:

23l

Ingredients:

3.6kg Maris Otter
0.26kg Crystal 60
0.2kg Wheat Malt
55g Dextrose
75g EKG 5% a.a.
1 x Packet of Danstar Nottingham Yeast
5g Irish Moss

Additions at:

55g EKG at 60 mins
20g EKG at 10 mins

Based on a Young's OB recipe I saw.

This will be my Christmas Quaffer, my stock beer, my go to session pint.

 

[MyQul]

Ooh, I love a bitter.

I know you've already started but you may not have added the dextrose yet? If you havent can I suggest adding golden syrup (if you have some or can get it from a local shop) instead. I added it to a bitter recently and found it really added some extra flavour complexity

 

[jafski]

Ooh, I love a bitter.

I know you've already started but you may not have added the dextrose yet? If you havent can I suggest adding golden syrup (if you have some or can get it from a local shop) instead. I added it to a bitter recently and found it really added some extra flavour complexity

Ah, missed this and just added it! Maybe next time, cheers!

 

[MyQul]

Your receipe is very similar to my current bitter recipe (I'm in the process of developing a house bitter recipe), except instead of the wheat malt I use flaked barley. My hop schedule is similar too, just a bittering addition and a 10 min flavour addition.
Notty is a great yeast but I think it too attenutive for bitters. If you make bitters regularly try a bought liquid English strain, or even culture one up. It makes all the difference for a bitter.

 

[Clint]

I'm off to check my shed...that gear looks exactly like mine!

 

[Thumper]

@MyQul It was suggested to me the other day that english bitters all follow very similar recipes, and the only major flavour variation was a result of different yeast strains. I'm aware the yeast strain is a major flavour contributor, but I'm not sure how accurate that statement is.

 

[MyQul]

@MyQul It was suggested to me the other day that english bitters all follow very similar recipes, and the only major flavour variation was a result of different yeast strains. I'm aware the yeast strain is a major flavour contributor, but I'm not sure how accurate that statement is.

This is absolutely true. A bitter mainly gets its flavour from the yeast. The basic bitter recipe is very simple; a base malt (most often Marris Otter) and 0%-about 10% crystal malt. A bittering charge for hops and one later charge for flavour (although some bitters dont even have that). Brewers of course have tweaked and changed this but that that's the base line. If you look at the recipes in BYOBRA which are mostly bitters and milds they're all just base malt and crystal malt with some recipes having a bit of black malt for colour adjustment and/or some sugar (in place of invert syrup)

So a large amount of the flavour comes from the estery English yeast (although you can get fairly clean bitters). If you want to make an excellent bitter IMO you HAVE to use a liquid strain. I've used dried yeast for bitters and they make good beers but using a proper English strain just takes it several notches above. I haven't long bottled a bitter using the Gales strain that I got out of a bottle of HSB and even at this early stage it's just screams English Ale at you (although I may have overdone it a bit with the esters, I'll have to wait and see what it's like with a bit more conditioning)

 

[chub1]

This is absolutely true. A bitter mainly gets its flavour from the yeast. The basic bitter recipe is very simple; a base malt (most often Marris Otter) and 0%-about 10% crystal malt. A bittering charge for hops and one later charge for flavour (although some bitters dont even have that). Brewers of course have tweaked and changed this but that that's the base line. If you look at the recipes in BYOBRA which are mostly bitters and milds they're all just base malt and crystal malt with some recipes having a bit of black malt for colour adjustment and/or some sugar (in place of invert syrup)

So a large amount of the flavour comes from the estery English yeast (although you can get fairly clean bitters). If you want to make an excellent bitter IMO you HAVE to use a liquid strain. I've used dried yeast for bitters and they make good beers but using a proper English strain just takes it several notches above. I haven't long bottled a bitter using the Gales strain that I got out of a bottle of HSB and even at this early stage it's just screams English Ale at you (although I may have overdone it a bit with the esters, I'll have to wait and see what it's like with a bit more conditioning)

My Qul,
is there anywhere on the site that explains culturing?,if not how about starting one for us lesser mortals!:thumb:

 

[MyQul]

My Qul,
is there anywhere on the site that explains culturing?,if not how about starting one for us lesser mortals!:thumb:

Here's my guide on how to do it

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53567

Tbh I need to re-write this in the light of new knowledge I have, as this culturing guide is overkill. The Gales strain I cultured up I easily did it in two steps for a 10L brew and I think this would probably have been enough yeast for a 23L brew. Three step is definatle ample for a 23L brew

You do 10L brews dont you? I did a 10L brew when I did the Gales strain. So what I did was put the dregs in 200ml of 1.040 wort (in a 2L pop bottle) then put that in 1L of 1.040 wort (in a 5L demi john - you could use a 5L water bottle if you dont have a demi john). Then just put that in the 10L of sweet wort and thats it. It definately was enough yeast as it fermented out in about a week

 

[IainM]

Looks good. I've just ordered some Chavallier malt to do something very similar, but with torrified wheat instead of wheat malt and fermented with Wyeast Scottish Ale.

 

[joel]

I like more estery bitters too but mainly use dry yeast. I've had good success with a bitter using Mangrove Jacks Liberty Bell (used to be called Burton Union) which goes fairly dry but with more contribution from the yeast than Notty. If I want something sweeter then Empire Ale does the trick and can do a decent Fullers London Pride style bitter, despite it being marketed for darker beers like browns and milds. It's plenty estery for me at least. Needs a bit of dextrose as it's a low attenuator. I've not had trouble with either clearing (Liberty) or sticking (Empire) but others have. The liquid yeast with a good starter would give a more predictable fermentation than dry yeast for sure.

Jafski, Maris Otter and EKG, classic combo, what's not to like! Should be a good session pint.

 

[jafski]

I've not ventured into liquid yeasts, yet. I wanted to get my brewing routine down, and I think I'm up to speed with everything else now, so liquid yeasts & starters will be the next thing to get my head round.

 

[MyQul]

I like more estery bitters too but mainly use dry yeast. I've had good success with a bitter using Mangrove Jacks Liberty Bell (used to be called Burton Union) which goes fairly dry but with more contribution from the yeast than Notty. If I want something sweeter then Empire Ale does the trick and can do a decent Fullers London Pride style bitter, despite it being marketed for darker beers like browns and milds. It's plenty estery for me at least. Needs a bit of dextrose as it's a low attenuator. I've not had trouble with either clearing (Liberty) or sticking (Empire) but others have. The liquid yeast with a good starter would give a more predictable fermentation than dry yeast for sure.

Jafski, Maris Otter and EKG, classic combo, what's not to like! Should be a good session pint.

I used golden syrup to get the Empire ale (I used it when it was in it's Newcastle Dark Ale incarnation) to attenuate a bit more. I agree it makes a tasty pint

 

[chub1]

Here's my guide on how to do it

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53567

Tbh I need to re-write this in the light of new knowledge I have, as this culturing guide is overkill. The Gales strain I cultured up I easily did it in two steps for a 10L brew and I think this would probably have been enough yeast for a 23L brew. Three step is definatle ample for a 23L brew

You do 10L brews dont you? I did a 10L brew when I did the Gales strain. So what I did was put the dregs in 200ml of 1.040 wort (in a 2L pop bottle) then put that in 1L of 1.040 wort (in a 5L demi john - you could use a 5L water bottle if you dont have a demi john). Then just put that in the 10L of sweet wort and thats it. It definately was enough yeast as it fermented out in about a week

Yes i do 5 to 10 litre brews

 

[MyQul]

Yes i do 5 to 10 litre brews

A two step culture will be fine then. Any idea which yeast strain you fancy doing?

 

[chub1]

A two step culture will be fine then. Any idea which yeast strain you fancy doing?

To be honest no i don't. I like a good bitter. Out of around six that i have done,either biab or extract,only one was really good and that was extract.
Any suggestions welcome,ta

 

[MyQul]

Have a look at the Bottle Conditioned Beer list

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=58007

The Fullers yeast is a good one flavour wise and one of the most popular stains from the yeast labs in it's liquid strains guise (WLP002/WY1968) but it's notorious for overattenuating if you bottle (fine if you keg)

 

[chub1]

Have a look at the Bottle Conditioned Beer list

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=58007

The Fullers yeast is a good one flavour wise and one of the most popular stains from the yeast labs in it's liquid strains guise (WLP002/WY1968) but it's notorious for overattenuating if you bottle (fine if you keg)

:thumb:cheers

 

[peebee]

...
Notty is a great yeast but I think it too attenutive for bitters. If you make bitters regularly try a bought liquid English strain, or even culture one up. It makes all the difference for a bitter.

I'd always used a dried yeast for British style bitters - S-04. But I moved to a liquid yeast last month (WLP002 - reputedly Fuller's yeast). Now that shouldn't be too attenuative, the specs only suggest 70% at best.

Went to 84% (FG 1.006)! Okay I did mash low (64-65C) but it wasn't playing quite like you say? Beer's great, but if it was made with S-04 I don't think it would have turned out hugely different. My use of Nottingham yeast is lost in the mists of time so I don't know what it's like.

I'll be looking out for your results from culturing that Gale's yeast!

 

[peebee]

Don't get that WLP002 too warm. Or that was blamed for this...

(See attached image).

This is just some of it. It was clogging everything up, but I only let the temperature climb to 22C. It's like Potty Putty; hit with a spoon and it fractures into pieces, which then melt into their own little puddles.

It's been making great bread though!