Couple of bitters - with invert sugars &/or maize

[Gadjobrinus]

Bitters, pales, IPA's. I've never used sugar, nor have I used corn before. I've used wheat very sparingly from time to time in bitters, and flaked barley as well, for what I like to call a "fresh fields" quality, a touch of graininess. I've used all kinds of malts from all over in playing, and it's been fun over the years.

For now, I've been prowling around here today, reading Real Ale Drinker's Almanac, as well as some others here and there, over the last several weeks since envisioning my new brew rig as I'm dreaming of it. When I get back in, I would like to go back to what really drove me, a love of the bitters we enjoyed on a trip to England years ago.

Just looking for your thoughts on a best bitter, and a strong bitter, employing invert sugar I'll make at home; and the use of maize, which feels odd to me but I'm trying to loosen up old ways. Bitters as they are made and taste, smell, drink with a strong allegiance to the English approach.


Presume a system efficiency of 75%.

"Invert No. 1," presume 15 L; "Invert 2," 33 L.

Bottle conditioned. If I could know I'd move the beer before it lost its condition, these would be cask conditioned. I need a few friends on a very good, or a very bad, night.

Best Bitter:
Anticipated OG: 1.041
Anticipated Terminal Gravity: 1.008
Anticipated ABV: 4.33%
Anticipated IBU: 32.7
Anticipated Color: 10.9 SRM

12 Gallon brewlength
Single Infusion Mash: 151 x 60 min. to conversion, 170 x 15 min.

Fermentables:

Maris: 14 lbs (82.9%)
De-Bittered Black: 2 oz. (.7%)
Invert Sugar No. 1 1.5 lbs (8.9%)
C 77: 1 lbs (5.9%)
Flaked Maize: 5 oz. (1.8%)

Hops:

Challenger: 1.8 oz. 60 minutes
Styrian: 1.75 oz. 15 minutes
First Gold: 2.50 oz. knockout, which is a total of 40 min. steep with rest, whirlpool, and settling, before cooling begins.

No dry hopping.

*****

Strong Bitter:
Anticipated OG: 1.053
Anticipated Terminal Gravity: 1.010
Anticipated ABV: 5.66%
Anticipated IBU: 41.7
Anticipated Color: 15.5 SRM

12 Gallon brewlength
Single Infusion Mash: 154 x 60 min. to conversion, 170 x 15 min.

Fermentables:


Maris: 22.25 lbs (88.3%)
De-Bittered Black: 2 oz. (.5%)
Chocolate 475 1 oz. (.3%)
Invert Sugar No. 2 1.5 lbs (6%)
C 77: .75 lbs (3%)
C 120: .40 lbs (2%)

Hops:

Challenger: 1.5 oz. 60 minutes
Northdown: .75 oz., 60 minutes
First Gold: 2.00 oz., 10 minutes
EKG: 2.00 oz. knockout, which is a total of 40 min. steep with rest, whirlpool, and settling, before cooling begins.
EKG: 2.25 oz. Dry hop; slurry method, 3 days, rack.

Thanks.

 

[Bosh]

Have tried to make darker invert syrup at home but haven't found a reliable method, either it doesn't darken at all or it becomes full-on caramel. What method are you using?

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Have tried to make darker invert syrup at home but haven't found a reliable method, either it doesn't darken at all or it becomes full-on caramel. What method are you using?

I've never made invert, so this could be a complete flop. But I'm a former chef, and am at home with a lot of different syrups. We'll see with this one. Sorry I can't offer more, but all I can tell you is that being slow is a virtue, especially when dissolving the sugar (and be sure to constantly get in to all the "corners" of whatever pan you're using), and - you probably know this - but it's not a linear reaction. Caramelization goes from nothing to speeding in a matter of seconds. That's why I keep the flame well controlled.

I plan to use this book - and ironically, I only viewed it on google books. It's in my cart and I will buy it.

This I think is good advice. Not anymore a "pure" invert but it does help quite a bit to avoid crystallization.

Brave souls and purists can stop there, but I strongly recommend adding about 4 tablespoons of corn syrup or Lyle’s Golden Syrup as added protection against crystallization.

Good luck!

Edit: Just happened to read the book's recipe further, and wanted to point up, "Heat slowly - the slower the better." And the fact this is a sustained hold at a given temp for different periods of time. Looking forward to this. Though with anywhere from a hold of 20 minutes to 2 hours, this is when I could have used my old PID controller in place!

 

[bierhaus15]

I've made a lot of invert syrup over the years and brew bitters regularly. Incidentally, I brewed my 4th Harvey's Sussex Best clone over the weekend and that beer contains both invert and flaked maize.

My general take on invert is that while the low and slow traditional method works well, the flavor impact is pretty minor compared to the fast and easy molasses method, if using No. 1 and 2 inverts. When you start to get up to the 3 and 4 levels, there is a noticeable difference and it is better to use the slow method. These days I mostly make my invert from turbinado sugar, inverted with lactic, and I'll add either molasses or brewers caramel to hit my color. Some may think this is cheating, but having done side by side tests in fermented beer, the flavor differences are pretty minor. Interestingly, a number of well known UK breweries are using Ragus BruBlocks for their sugar additions, which are 80% fermentable invert sugar, ranging from no 1-3. Made from cane sugar and molasses/caramel.

As for adjunct use, flaked corn is often used to lighten body and can be nice in some bitters. Corn flavor ins't an issue for use up to to 10%, although I find it can subdue the flavor contribution of your base malt in large amounts. It can be useful when you are using a lot of crystal malt and want to get the crystal flavor but don't want to risk making the beer heavy/sweet. My preferred grain adjunct is torrified wheat. For northern style bitters, 5-10% usage helps with head retention and provides some light toasty-wheat notes.

I see in your recipe that you have a very small percentage of dark/roasted malt for color adjustment. While that is common, sometimes you can get an ashy/black tinge to the beer, especially in lighter versions. It is very common for UK breweries to instead adjust color with brewers caramel.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Utterly helpful, fantastic, thanks, Bierhaus. I've never used torrefied wheat but have used wheat malt in fair amounts, and flaked grains from time to time. This is a pretty exciting venture because I've never broken from an all-malt perspective. As I say in another thread, I'm going in blind and this is both really helpful and quite exciting.

Cheers.

 

[McKnuckle]

I see in your recipe that you have a very small percentage of dark/roasted malt for color adjustment. While that is common, sometimes you can get an ashy/black tinge to the beer, especially in lighter versions.

Good advice! I just brewed a bitter with only 2% pale chocolate (207L). Even that tiny amount leaves just a tinge of burnt toast on the far back end of the finish. It doesn't ruin the beer, but it's not desirable, and it has taught me to avoid dark roasted malts in my bitters from now on. The burnt character interferes with the light caramel/malt character of the primary grain bill.

So... nothing roasted higher than a Victory/Biscuit type malt shall be added to my bitters from now on!

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Yeah, great post. So - not sure if either of you ever had it - but Goose Island's Honker's Ale falls into this area, for me. Though it's received a lot of awards, I've never enjoyed it, really, as a pale ale. On the other hand, their IPA, 100% MO and a blend of citrusy American and traditional English hops, is gold, to me.

I don't know where I read it - something I'd not thought of before - but raw "color" doesn't take in to account hue. The same SRM can be copper, or red, at its heart.

Avoiding the harsh "ash" quality is why I rely on the de-bittered black, as opposed to black patent, or the like. I've also used the Carafas to good effect. I think I've got enough changed up that I'll brew these out, and begin to go after variables one by one. Have had no problem using Munich in the past either, but I'm trying to be very loyal to a history, a style's history, here. I'd love to replicate the beautiful color and aroma of a Jennings Cocker Hoope, Shepherd Neame Spitfire, Adnams. All different, of course, but all loved, and all carrying that beautiful hue and great balance.

 

[kevin58]

If you are going to delve into the world of English bitters, pale ales and such I suggest reading Ron Pattinson's blog, Shut up about Barclay Perkins... http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/

It's a rather large collection of articles so to find one about a specific topic use the search box at top or scroll down the page for a list of key words.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Yeah, thanks Kevin. I read him pretty regularly. Just read him today, actually - on the subject of using sugar in English bitters...