Need Authentic Best Bitter Recipe!

wgentzel · 03-11-2009, 03:03 AM

Hey all,

Newbie here. Anyhow, I am getting ready to brew my third batch of beer (extract) and I want to do my best to recreate the flavors of the bitters I had when I was in London and fell in love with beer for the first time.

I know there are lots of types of bitters, and I've only had one in the US that has even come close to that authentice taste (Ship Inn in Milford NJ, excellent Best Bitter). I still sort of new to the lingo, so I am going to do my best to describe the taste that I just cannot find in the bottle. Now, maybe my taste buds are messed up, but the closest I can come to describing the missing element is a sweet plasticy kind of taste? Kind of like when you leave a bottle of water in your car for a while and it has a sweet/stale taste. But thats not even right, if you've had a pint in London you'll know what im talking about.

Anyhow, if someone could suggest some recipes I'd really appreciate it. I've seen lots, but I want something AUTHENTIC!

I order a few lbs. of Maris Otter and 2oz of Kent Goldings, if I cannot find any recipes I am just going to go with this stuff =P

Help!

Bob · 03-11-2009, 12:33 PM

Pretty simple, actually. Here's a tried-and-true recipe from my brewery.

For the grist, you want 80% British pale malt (or extract equivalent), 10% British Medium Crystal (~60L), and 10% sugar (preferably Demerara, though Turbinado works). Target an OG of 1040.

For hops, bitter with a relatively high-alpha British variety like Challenger or Target. Don't waste your fine EKG for bittering! Shoot for an IBU of 33-35. Add your EKG at flameout. You can also use Fuggles for flavor/aroma.

Ferment with a not-too-dry English ale yeast. I like dry yeasts like S-04 or Windsor for mine. Nottingham is too dry and clean, as is S-05. There are any number of liquid ale yeasts that are also appropriate.

If you want to use extract, I suggest looking for Maris Otter extract. There are several online retailers who stock it. Remember the formula to switch from grain to the different extracts:

1 lb pale malt = 0.75 lbs LME = 0.6 lbs DME

Anyway, here's the full recipe:

Pride of Raubsville

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 7.50
Anticipated OG: 1.040 Plato: 10.03
Anticipated SRM: 7.7
Anticipated IBU: 33.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 6.47 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.034 SG 8.57 Plato

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
80.0 6.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain 1.038 3
10.0 0.75 lbs. Crystal 55L Great Britian 1.034 55
10.0 0.75 lbs. Demerara Sugar Generic 1.041 1

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.75 oz. Target Pellet 10.00 33.6 60 min.
1.0 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 4.75 0.0 0 min.

Yeast
-----

DCL Yeast S-04 SafAle English Ale

Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 6.75
Water Qts: 8.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 2.00 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.19 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 152 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 168 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 175 Time: 10

Total Mash Volume Gal: 2.54 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.

Cheers!

Bob

wgentzel · 03-11-2009, 01:51 PM

Wow, thanks for the excellent looking recipe and all the info! Does anyone know where I can buy Target hops? Everywhere I've looked online either doesn't stock it or is sold out =[

EDIT: I FINALLY found some on homebrewdepot.com, everywhere else is sold out.

wgentzel · 03-11-2009, 02:11 PM

Perhaps this is a dumb question, but is there a difference between Kent Goldings and East Kent Goldings? I see it two different ways.

EDIT: Nevermind, found the answer. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/goldings-vs-kent-goldings-58406/ This forum is awesome!

KingBrianI · 03-11-2009, 02:46 PM

You could substitute another high alpha english hop for the target if you don't want to order from several places. Admiral, Northdown, Northern Brewer, Progress and Challenger are some recommended choices.

wgentzel · 03-11-2009, 02:48 PM

OK, so it seems every time I've posted I have found my own answer. Maybe I'll have that luck again. Can anyone suggest what type of malt extract to substitute for the 55L crystal. I have never done any grain brewing except for packages where you let some chocolate malts steep for a bit in the beginning.

Or can I try to do just the crystal malt parts with grain and use LME for the pale 2-row malt? I only have very standard equipment, would I be able to just put the .75lbs of grain in a cheesecloth bag or whatever so I can remove it easily after sparging? I'm not really sure how this all works =P

Keep in mind I don't mind spending a little more or doing a little more work to make it taste authentic.

KingBrianI · 03-11-2009, 03:04 PM

Use the crystal malt just as you did the chocolate malt. Steep it then add the LME after you take the steeped grain out.

wgentzel · 03-11-2009, 03:15 PM

Awesome, thanks KingBrianI. Should I follow the saccharification rest time and temp suggested above 60min @ 152 degrees, or should I steep as I did with chocolate malts, which was about 15 mins @ 165-168 degrees.

I think I'm going to go with Simpsons Medium from NorthernBrewer. How's that sound =P

I also already ordered Wyeast 1968, is this a suitable substitute, or should I get the DCL Yeast S-04 SafAle English Ale for the real deal?

Bob · 03-11-2009, 03:59 PM

Steep it as you did the chocolate malt. The temperatures and rests above are for all-grain brewing. You may safely ignore them and instead follow your standard steeping regime.

Simpson's Medium is perfect. In fact, that's what I used last I brewed the above recipe.

Unless you're prepared to make a starter, get some S-04. Though making a starter is quite simple, perhaps you should wait to do that until you garner a bit more experience. Yeast management is important, and dry yeast is just plain simple.

Good luck!

Bob

onelegout · 03-11-2009, 05:39 PM

Seeing as I'm a Brit I thought I better give my input on this one!
If you want a REALLY authentic Best recipe, I would suggest this one, supplied by the brewery themselves for the book, 'Brewing Beers like those you buy' by Dave Line which is considered the homebrew bible here in the uk!

I chose this one because it's my favourite Best Bitter, and because it's usually made only with hops and barley grown within my county (Sussex).

The beer is 'Sussex Best' and it's brewed by Harvey & Sons brewery who are based a few villages along from me in the town of Lewes.

'Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter' Original recipe from Harvey's of Lewes
6lb Crushed Maris Otter Pale Malt Barley (or other pale malt barley)
8oz Flaked Maize
8oz Light Brown Sugar
2oz Goldings Hops
1oz Northern Brewers hops (quite bizarrely, these are grown in sussex as well!)
1tsp Irish Moss
2oz Light British Ale Yeast

Bring water to 60*C and add crushed malt and flakes
Raise to 66*C & mash for 1.5 hours
Sparge grains
Disolve sugar in a little hot water
Boil wort and add hops & sugar and boil for 1.5 hours.
Pitch irish moss as per instructions
Ferment 4-5 days until SG reaches 1010 and rack to secondary.
Disolve gelatin finings into hot water and add to secondary whilst racking - Do not boil the gelatine for gods sake!
Leave for 7 days
Rack beer off sediment into keg or bottles and carbonate (use dissolved brown sugar for bottle carbonation)
Leave in keg or bottles for 7 days to condition before sampling.

I'll leave you with a pic of a pint of Harvey's Sussex Best I took in my local last summer!

- oneleg