Harvey's Best Bitter clone recipe

[Granarian]

Hi all

Having finished my first AG brew and having 40 pints of decent enough beer to drink, my thoughts are turning to my next batch. My favourite beer is Harvey's, and I've been looking at the various recipes on the different forums. The one I think I'm settling on is the one below.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

I didn't understand the "or until converted" comment on the mash? And how long would you steep before chilling and decanting to FV?

Thanks
Granarian



HARVEY'S SUSSEX BEST BITTER/BB

6 US Gallons = 5 Imperial Gallons = 22.7 Litres

FERMENTABLES:
88.1% = 7.75 lb = 3.5 kg, Maris Otter Pale Malt
6.8% = .6 lb = 272 g, Dark Crystal Malt (≈90-115°L)
5.1% = .45 lb = 204 g, Flaked Maize (don't skip this essential adjunct, trust me)

MASH ≈ 152.6°F/67°C 60 minutes or until converted.

SPARGE ≈ 171°F/77°C, collect 7 US gal/5.8 Imperial gal pre-boil, to allow for evaporation

BOIL 60-90 minutes

HOPS:
.9 oz = 26 g, Progress, ≈6.3% AA, 60 minutes
.9 oz = 26 g, Bramling Cross, ≈6.5% AA, 30 minutes
.5 oz = 15 g, Fuggles, ≈5% AA, at flame-out, steep until cooled
.5 oz = 15 g, Goldings, ≈5% AA, at flame-out, steep until cooled

afterwards, STEEP all hops awhile before chilling, transfer to fermentor, aerate, then pitch.

YEAST:
Harvey's proprietary dual-strain, top-cropped and repitched for over 50 years, possibly available as BrewLab Sussex 1, also used by nearby micros such as Rectory

STATS: (assuming ≈75% mash efficiency and 76% yeast attenuation)
OG: 1041
FG: 1010
ABV: 4.0%
IBU: 35
COLOUR: 9°SRM/18°EBC, light amber

 

[MyQul]

'convert' means until the starches in the grains are converted to sugars. I beleive you do an iodine test to do this - never bothered meself.

Normally when adding flame out hops you wait or paritally cool till wort is 80C then chuck in hops, leaving to steep for 15 mins. I'm finding this bit, "STEEP all hops awhile before chilling," a bit confusing tbh

 

[clibit]

Just means don't start chilling the wort for a while, to allow hops to steep.

I believe the yeast is crucial to Harvey's, and home brewers struggle to get a close clone of Harveys.

 

[MyQul]

I believe the yeast is crucial to Harvey's, and home brewers struggle to get a close clone of Harveys.

Totally agree with this - I'm increasingly making fairly simple brews. with the yeast being the star of the show