Building a British bitter from the bottom up

[z987k]

I agree with all of this. Unfortunately, we can't easily get Marris Otter in Vancouver. Gambrinus is a very good maltster though, and their ESB is the closest thing we've got at LHBS. (Ordering grains via mail can be a b!tch, in cost and timing. The closest place I know is in Toronto. US web suppliers don't ship here cheaply)

North American Malting co-op is in Vancouver. They carry Thomas Faucett and Bairds. Both make a variety of English pale malts including Marris Otter.

http://www.northamericanmalt.com/

 

[Nugent]

North American Malting co-op is in Vancouver. They carry Thomas Faucett and Bairds. Both make a variety of English pale malts including Marris Otter.

http://www.northamericanmalt.com/

Cheers. I'll check that out.

 

[WorryWort]

North American Malting co-op is in Vancouver. They carry Thomas Faucett and Bairds. Both make a variety of English pale malts including Marris Otter.

http://www.northamericanmalt.com/

They service homebrewers?

 

[Nugent]

They service homebrewers?

I'll look into it and PM you, WorryWart, if you like.

 

[z987k]

They service homebrewers?

they should. Their chicago location will let you buy anything by the sack. That is, minimum order is a 25kg sack.

 

[mithion]

The wyeast 1098 is definitely not the right yeast for a bitter. I've used it twice and both time the beer fermented bone dry with and almost tart like finish. The recommendation of using the 1275 sounds like a great idea. I'm currently fermenting an ESB with the 1968 strain which basically the Fuller strain which is used in the classic english bitter of the same name. We'll see how it turns out.

 

[z987k]

I like the 1968 strain. Sometimes it drops out really quickly and I get a bit of diacetyl with it though. S-04 also seems to work well.

 

[Nugent]

The wyeast 1098 is definitely not the right yeast for a bitter. I've used it twice and both time the beer fermented bone dry with and almost tart like finish. The recommendation of using the 1275 sounds like a great idea. I'm currently fermenting an ESB with the 1968 strain which basically the Fuller strain which is used in the classic english bitter of the same name. We'll see how it turns out.

Having tried a sample of my now-fermented beer when racking to secondary with the 1098, I found it clean, but lacking and, as you said, bone dry. I deliberately used the 1098 for its description of allowing the malt and hops to shine through the yeast esters. At this stage, it has done what it promised to do. I'll report back when I keg/carb it in the next two weeks.

1275 and 1968 are definitely on my list. Does any one use 1318? I've used it for an English IPA, but not a bitter.

 

[mithion]

Yeah, sorry about the ranting about the 1098. I just hate that yeast with a passion. That yeast cost me close to 80$ worth of ingredients and two months of my time for two pretty terrible batches of beer. But in answer to your question, I think both London strands, the 1028 and the 1318 are also good choices for a bitter.

 

[Nugent]

Yeah, sorry about the ranting about the 1098. I just hate that yeast with a passion. That yeast cost me close to 80$ worth of ingredients and two months of my time for two pretty terrible batches of beer. But in answer to your question, I think both London strands, the 1028 and the 1318 are also good choices for a bitter.

No problem. I hate it too when that one thing make a batch "less than memorable", shall we say.

 

[kinnasst]

I'm planning on brewing several British-style beers in the spring. This thread is really good reading. thanks.

 

[Nugent]

AG ESB malt/Goldings SMaSH

OG: 1.042
SRM: 5.6
IBU: 37.4
Batch size: 5.5 gals.
Mash: 60 mins. @ 154F (68% eff.)

8.5 lbs. of Gambrinus ESB malt
1.0 oz. Goldings (whole) (5.0%) @ 60 mins.
1.0 oz. Goldings (whole) (5.0%) @ 30 mins.
1.0 oz. of Goldings (whole) (5.0%) @ 10 mins.

1.0 tsp. Irish moss

Wyeast 1098

Water: Very soft Vancouver water - pH 6.7 (similar to Portland, OR, but even less dissolved solids)

We'll I'm quaffing my inaugural pint. Malty - yes, but a bit boringly so; no real complexity (not surprisingly, though). Nice bitterness - bitter backbone with some hop flavour, followed by a lingering bitterness. Besides that, though, pretty dull.

Oh well, I guess that it has done what I wanted it to do - taste the base malt, taste the hop additions and not taste the yeast. Check, check and check.

Good thing it's 3.9% and I can pound it to get though it. Made another bitter today with a Crystal 60L addition and used 1275 with a starter.

 

[Gremlyn]

You should add in some biscuit malt next time...mmmm

 

[Nugent]

You should add in some biscuit malt next time...mmmm

Great idea! I love Biscuit.

 

[Gremlyn]

I did 1/2 lbs on my last, I'm thinking I will bump it to a full pound next time. The recipe I did is in my sig. I'm also thinking about bumping the crystal to a higher lovibond and using less. I'd like a little more caramel in there.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

When I started all grain, my first adventure toward a bitter was to make two SMaSHes. One MO with fuggles, the other MO with EKG......They taught me a couple of things I needed to know, but yeah, I didn't enjoy them.

I found that after I decided on the preffered late addition hop (EKG) it was all about the grist. I find I lean toward using both a crystal and a biscuit in the bill. Bitter has such a strong malt base that I feel that is the area that needs the most attention to complexity......I don't think I'll be making a SMaSH again any time soon though!

 

[ChemE]

I just did a Special/Best Bitter with:

86% Maris Otter
9.4% Biscuit
3.1% Crystal 55 (Simpson's)
1.6% Special B

1.0 oz Styrian Goldings (FWH)
1.0 oz Styrian Goldings (20 min)

Wyeast 1968 (1L starter on stirplate)

And after two days the smell and taste are incredible. I'm a huge believer in 2% SpecB in bitters.

 

[Gremlyn]

When I started all grain, my first adventure toward a bitter was to make two SMaSHes. One MO with fuggles, the other MO with EKG......They taught me a couple of things I needed to know, but yeah, I didn't enjoy them.

I found that after I decided on the preffered late addition hop (EKG) it was all about the grist. I find I lean toward using both a crystal and a biscuit in the bill. Bitter has such a strong malt base that I feel that is the area that needs the most attention to complexity......I don't think I'll be making a SMaSH again any time soon though!

Aw don't tell me that, I'm just about to do those exact two SMaSHes!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Aw don't tell me that, I'm just about to do those exact two SMaSHes!

It was a good idea, and still is.....Just don't do large quantities. I said I learned a couple of things from those, but the real learning comes on the following brews when you find out how the biscuits, caramels etc alter the basic ingredients.

It was a very valuable excercise is what I'm saying.

 

[flyangler18]

Aw don't tell me that, I'm just about to do those exact two SMaSHes!

If you look at the latest issue of Zymurgy, there is an article on bitter. There is at least one commercial example of 'summer or golden bitter' that is entirely MO.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

If you look at the latest issue of Zymurgy, there is an article on bitter. There is at least one commercial example of 'summer or golden bitter' that is entirely MO.

A very light bitter of good quality is a bloody hard ask though of someone just getting acquainted with the style. It's way easier to start big and scale down to the "Summer" beers. Having said that, i still think the SMaSHes are a good start.

 

[flyangler18]

A very light bitter of good quality is a bloody hard ask though of someone just getting acquainted with the style.

I'm next going to brew a bitter with 100% oat malt

 

[Gremlyn]

Alas, I don't have an AHA membership yet

 

[Nugent]

Thought that I'd chime in and provide an update to my quest for a house British style bitter. Have realised a few things during this experiment since we last discussed this topic:

1. Better to start in the best bitter range, gravity wise, and dial back, rather than starting low. It is challenging to make a great low gravity (1030s) beer.

2. Achieving balance can be hard, but is absolutley worthwhile in this type of beer. What I loved about many of the ales that I had in the UK were balanced enough to let everything standout, even in a maltier or hoppier beer.

Anyway, here is my latest incarnation, which is currently on the gas (but very lightly).

Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 67.00
Measured Original Gravity: 1.044 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.30 %
Bitterness: 35.2 IBU
Est Color: 9.7 SRM
Mash Time: 90 mins

Ingredients

8.50 lb Gambrinus ESB Malt (Pale Malt) (4.0 SRM) 87.18 %
0.50 lb 70-80 deg. L - Crystal/Caramel (75.0 SRM) 5.13 %
0.50 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) 5.13 %
0.25 lb Wheat Malt (2.0 SRM) 2.56 %

1.20 oz Whole - Northern Brewer [7.20 %] (60 min) 31.7 IBU
1.00 oz Whole - Williamette [4.80 %] (10 min) 3.5 IBU
1.00 oz Pellet - Fuggles [4.70 %] (Dry Hop 7 days)

1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)

1 Pkgs Thames Valley II (Wyeast Labs #1882) [Starter 1000 ml]


Comments (flat out of secondary):

- Might have dry-hopped a bit heavily, but everything is present in the flavour - a nice, toasty maltiness, firmly bittered and the slight fruitness that the 1882 promised.
- Not sure how the carbonation will affect things, but I certainly feel that this beer is getting closer two what I'm looking for.

Any thoughts or pearls of wisdom?