My first ordinary bitter recipe

This is my first attempt at a ordinary bitter please tell me if I'm on the right track.

5 gallon batch

6.5 lbs maris otter
.75 lb crystal 80
1oz EKG for 60 min
1oz Fuggles for 5 min
1 pkg wy1968 london ESB

should hit right around 1.038 OG
26 IBu's
8 Srm

Basic notes as I can't seem to figure out how to attach a beerxml file. Thanks for any input.

Looks good. My preference would be for about 5% crystal which in that recipe would be about 6 oz.

I like less crystal in an ordinary bitter too, but it will be delicious even with 12oz. Don't forget to rouse the yeast a bit in the first few days.

Thanks to Darkbrood who taught me how to do this. Here is a better description.

Aaron's ordinary bitter
Standard/Ordinary Bitter
Type: All Grain Date: 10/16/2011
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal Brewer: Aaron schecter
Boil Size: 6.72 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Aaron's MLT
End of Boil Volume 5.72 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.50 gal Est Mash Efficiency 79.2 %
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
6 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 89.7 %
1.0 pkg London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) [124.21 ml] Yeast 8 -
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 4 22.2 IBUs
0.50 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 1.8 IBUs
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 3 10.3 %
0.50 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 6 1.8 IBUs
1.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 1 -
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 5 -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.039 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.040 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 3.7 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 3.8 %
Bitterness: 25.9 IBUs Calories: 131.9 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 9.3 SRM
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body Total Grain Weight: 7 lbs 4.0 oz
Sparge Water: 4.06 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 10.06 qt of water at 162.5 F 152.0 F 60 min
Mash Out Add 5.08 qt of water at 203.9 F 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 4.06 gal water at 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Keg Volumes of CO2: 2.0
Pressure/Weight: 9.02 PSI Carbonation Used: Keg with 9.02 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 45.0 F Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage Storage Temperature: 65.0 F
Notes


Created with BeerSmith

10% crystal in a beer that low in OG is just fine, I'd say. You need something to give it a little body, or it will just thin out too much. I might also mash a bit higher, around 154-155, but again, that's just me. I'd be afraid of it finishing in the low single digits otherwise.

GuldTuborg said:

10% crystal in a beer that low in OG is just fine, I'd say. You need something to give it a little body, or it will just thin out too much. I might also mash a bit higher, around 154-155, but again, that's just me. I'd be afraid of it finishing in the low single digits otherwise.

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I like adding flaked barley in my bitters. Adds body and mouthfeel. Add about half a pound and lower the base malt accordingly.

+1 on the higher mash temp.

I think you're definitely on the right track. A bit too much crystal for my taste, but you're not brewing it for me, and 12 oz crystal is not excessive.
Regarding the comments about mashing at a higher temperature, according to Ray Daniels, English bitters are usually mashed at about 150F and with a mash thickness of about 1 US qt per lb. I find that the lowish mash temperature combined with the thick mash produce exceptional results with MO, and that decreasing the mash thickness to 1.25 qt per lb or greater produces a rather thin tasting beer.

-a.

ajf said:

I think you're definitely on the right track. A bit too much crystal for my taste, but you're not brewing it for me, and 12 oz crystal is not excessive.
Regarding the comments about mashing at a higher temperature, according to Ray Daniels, English bitters are usually mashed at about 150F and with a mash thickness of about 1 US qt per lb. I find that the lowish mash temperature combined with the thick mash produce exceptional results with MO, and that decreasing the mash thickness to 1.25 qt per lb or greater produces a rather thin tasting beer.

-a.

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I've seen you mention this statement about mash thickness a couple of times and it had me intrigued enough to try it a few brews back. It resulted in a rapid loss of temperature due to lower mass and increased deadspace in the tun plus a rather impressive number of doughballs... Lower efficiency too, but I think my process was partly to blame for this last problem.

I might try to give it another shot, altough I've never had one of my bitter taste thin and I mash at about 1.25qt/lb for 60 minutes around 154-155F. But if it can help them taste even better...

Some traditional brewing practices did indeed arise because they improved the quality of the beer. Others arose due to economic or similar reasons, e.g., odd tax laws, and have not a thing to do with making better beer. In the current case, of thick mashes at lower temps for British pale ales, I don't really know why these practices are the way they are. Perhaps someone with better knowledge on the subject can chime in. Anyway, it strikes me as a good question to ask before trying to emulate old practices like this.

For my own part, I have tried extra thick mashes a couple of times, and haven't really noticed a large difference. While I do get slightly better efficiency and usually very good attenuation when mashing thinner (1.25-1.5qt/lb), the overall taste and experience of the beer isn't that much different. I have settled on mashing at around 1.15qt/lb for most all my beers no real reason other than it keeps my process consistent. I always have good conversion, efficiency, and usually fine fermentations, so I've focused on changing other aspects of my brewing.