Best Bitter Best Bitter - Clod and Pebble Ale (award-winning)

4 lb Vienna 43.2%
4 lb Pale 2-Row 43.2%
8 oz Victory 5.4%
8 oz Wheat Malt 5.4%
4 oz Acidulated Malt 2.7%
9.13 lb Total

154 degree single-infusion, 75 minutes (in my mash tun, the temp has dropped 3 degrees by the end)

Hops
0.5 oz Northern Brewer - First Wort
0.5 oz Northern Brewer - 15 min
0.5 oz Northern Brewer - Whirlpool 0 min
1 oz Willamette Whirlpool 0 min

70 mg/l Ca+ 9 Mg+ 44 Na+ 84 CL+ 121 S04-

Not a traditional recipe, frankly it's not to style, but it won its category against 23 other English Pale Ales (son of brewzilla competition, 2014). This recipe started from a Vienna / Northern Brewer SMaSH. I like crystal malts, but my palate gets tired of them quickly. This is a nice alternative, more refreshing, it's becoming my house beer. The S-04 keeps the body high and gives lovely fruity esters if you keep the temperature low at first. (I tried this with nottingham, but it finished too dry and stripped the hop flavor).

pH came out to 5.1, lower than I intended, but perhaps that's part of what makes it drinkable. I might play with that the next time around. The balance of the beer is excellent but it may be worth trying some malts from different countries, see what works best.

 

Here's a picture -

 

I'm surprised by you entering it as an English Bitter with Vienna and Acidulated Malt. Of course, things with styles nowadays is that people are not using the traditional grains associated with that style. Congrats.