Brewing up an Ordinary Bitter

Hey all. I've got an ordinary bitter in the works and would welcome any advice you all have to offer.

Here it is: 5 gals
6lbs MO
.5lb Cara Pils
.25lb Caramel 40
.5lb Special B
1oz Willamette @ 60
.5oz fuggles @ 30
.25oz fuggles @ 15
.25oz fuggles @ 5
IBU: 30
Est OG: 1.040 Est FG: 1.010
Est ABV: 3.9%
SRM ~9-10

For yeast I have either US-04 or Wyeast 1028 london ale.

Here's the kicker, if I use 1028 for this, I can rack the Olde Ale that I have planned on the yeast cake... What do you guys think for yeast? From what I gather US-04 will give some nice fruity english complexity, while 1028 is maltier and drier. I like the sound of good esters in such a low grav beer to keep things lively... does 1028 give off good or bad esters @ 70-75 degree ferm temps? Thoughts, Questions, Suggestions?

Thanks

Seems like too much Special B, I don't think of Bitters as have a bit dark fruit character. Otherwise it looks like a solid recipe.

Wyeast lists 1028 as optimal from 68-72, in such a low gravity beer a degree or two higher shouldn’t be a big issue (although I’ve never tried it). That said, are you talking 70-75 ambient? The fermentation will add a few degrees to the fermenter above the ambient which would put you in the mid-high 70s, which could be an issue.

i agree with too much special B, but it's your brew.

i'm also a fan of more malty bitters. hopping seems like a lot for a 1.040 beer. i would do williamette at 60 then .5oz fuggles at 1min. just my opinion.

never used 1028, sorry. good luck, i love bitters.

If i switched the quantities of the C40 and Spec. B around do you think that would be better? .25lb spec B and .5lb C40? For some reason I want to put special B in this... I think it might play well. and 70 will be ambient during most of the time and it will sit on a tile floor which keeps my ferms a few degrees cooler. 70-75 will be expected internal temps, might jump a bit higher in the middle of a hot day, but will cool off at night. Just the way it is in my apartment. Thanks for the help

Strave19 said:

If i switched the quantities of the C40 and Spec. B around do you think that would be better? .25lb spec B and .5lb C40? For some reason I want to put special B in this... I think it might play well. and 70 will be ambient during most of the time and it will sit on a tile floor which keeps my ferms a few degrees cooler. 70-75 will be expected internal temps, might jump a bit higher in the middle of a hot day, but will cool off at night. Just the way it is in my apartment. Thanks for the help

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Sounds reasonable to me, .25 lbs Special B should be fine. Might be worth draping the fermenter with a wet t-shirt to keep mid day temps in line. If you can chill to 65 before pitching, that will help as well.

looks great, let us know how it turns out.

swamp cooler is your friend.

I kind of agree with the people that are saying it is too much Special B, but if you like it malty, it is still solid. I use half that amount, and am thinking of upping the special B again because I am using a low amount of MO (Slightly less than you) to keep the alcohol down.

If you like a malty bitter, I see no real reason why you shouldn't go with that recipe, it looks solid. Maybe just #.4 Special B though?

I might be in the minority here, but I'd drop the carapils, totally don't need it, just mash higher.

I think drop the carapils and special B because its really out of place in an english beer. The crystal 40 will be ok, but for authenticity, use some Simpsons, Bairds or Thomas Fawcett english crystal.

Jimmeh said:

I think drop the carapils and special B because its really out of place in an english beer. The crystal 40 will be ok, but for authenticity, use some Simpsons, Bairds or Thomas Fawcett english crystal.

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i agree.

fyi, my bitter is two grains: 88% MO and 12% Simpsons Medium, mashed at 154. It's the best beer I make.

yeah, +1 to authentic ingredients. Swap out the carapils and C-40 for Carastan (~30L), drop the Special B, and (if you like) add 3 or 4 oz of Simpson's Extra Dark (~150L)

Thanks for all the feedback from everyone. Staying in guidelines or keeping it authentic is not a top priority for me, but keeping it recognizable as an ordinary bitter is, so cant stray too far.

I've revised the recipe a bit, and still wont have a chance to brew for a week or two because I'm moving next week.

Heres the revised edition:

6.5lb crisp MO
.5lb crisp Caramel 60
.25lb special B
(.25-.5lb flaked barley - If I can get my hands on some, might sub .25-.5lb flaked oats or wheat instead...undecided on this)

1oz Willamette @ 60
.25oz Fuggles @ 40, 20, and 5

Wyeast 1028 so I can rack my Old Ale onto the cake in a few weeks

28IBU
1.040FG

Looks good! Don't let the naysayers sway you too much, bitter style is open to a lot of interpretation. I've drank it all my life. One thing about buying a pint of bitter in England is that you can easily be surprised by the differences between breweries, especially between northern and southern pints. Hell, depending on how the pub keeps it, the same brand can be different from pub to pub.

You are right to brew it how you like it.

+1 on the flaked barley, stick about 5% of my grain bill for an ordinary bitter as flaked barley, helps with mouthfeel and head retention.