Ordinary Bitter Pride of Raubsville

[bengerman]

Just finished sparging on todays version, the "Summit of Mt. Hood"

 

[Bob]

Thanks, guys! I'm glad you're enjoying it.



Bob

 

[Ply318ci]

Brewed this as my second ever brew loved it. I unfortunately didn't filter my water so I got that bad water taste. It was totally my fault I thought the water tasted fine but not so much in a home brew. Will do it again soon this time with filtered water. Here is a pic from the last one I drank.

Edit: the first pic on the left got posted on accident it is the one on the right.

 

[Bob]

Lookin' good!

Bob

 

[duckmanco]

First no sparge brew with my batch sparge setup, first bitter ever, and first go round with Wyeast 1469 West Yorkshire, and now first night it came on line, 3 pints in, this is excellent. Given my inexperience as mentioned above, it's hard for me to give any opinions against other bitters, but what I do know is that this stuff tastes great!!

Pears/Apricots nose, apricot stone fruit esters into malt flavors with hops finishing... Dry, dry, ever drinkable dryness with such low alcohol. Can't wait to see what this does in the keg as it ages and mellows out somewhat. Thanks again Bob, I can feel an obsession with English Ales coming on.
:rockin:

 

[Bob]

Glad to hear it! May your obsession be fruitful!

Bob

 

[RyGuy]

Hey Bob,

I'm looking forward to making this on the weekend.

A question about yeast:

Is S-04 much different than Nottingham? I've heard they are similar and I've got a few packs of Nottingham on hand so I was thinking of using that. Though I see you recommend using Windsor, so maybe Nottingham wouldn't be the best to use. What do you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[Bob]

I really can't recommend Nottingham because it attenuates too fully. This beer needs some residual body or it'll end up too thin. Also, Notty tends toward a neutral flavor profile. Some yeast esters add an essential part of the flavor profile.

This is not to say you can't use Nottingham. It's only that I strongly advise against it. You really need a relatively under-attenuating, full-flavored yeast for this beer to be its best.

You dig?

Bob

 

[RyGuy]

Yeah, I figured it would be something along those lines. I'm pretty sure the local shop has s04, so I think I'll give that a try. I know they have Windsor, so I'll use that as a back up.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Bob]

Sure! Good luck.

Bob

 

[ido50]

Got a batch of this (the extract version) in two party pigs. Turned out very well. Just finishing the first pig.

 

[elkdog]

I just want to bump this recipe, as it got me where I wanted to be in terms of brewing a good English bitter. I had an involuntary hiatus from brewing (had a kid, moved, job, etc.), and am now returning. An ESB based on Bob's ratio is the first beer out of the gate, probably the 5th or sixth time I've used his ratio (80% pale malt, 10% Crystal, 10% Sugar, and roughly 0.7 IBU/SG), and that's because this nails the flavor profile and character I want in a good ESB; as close as I can get to a fresh English cask ale without buying a plane ticket.

Anyway, you can tinker with different crystal malts or yeast varieties. I play it a little conservatively and keep everything English, but that's because I love a good English bitter. Stick with the basic ratio, or at least close to it, and you'll be fine.

I suppose my real point is that the ratios Bob laid out here really will serve you well. Of course there's room for creativity and doing your own thing; it's brewing, after all. But this right here is the perfect antidote to the kitchen sink/kid in a candy store methodology that is so tempting when putting together a recipe. Simple and delicious. Thanks, Bob.

 

[Bob]

I pitch KISS very strongly.

I've been brewing since 1993. In that time, much has changed. Yeast has gotten fantastically better. Ingredients have expanded. The knowledge base has increased exponentially. Equipment has improved immeasurably.

However, one thing remains constant: Brewers just get too &^%$#! complicated. They insist on adding all manner of things to a recipe, making it resemble Tolkien's description of a tree - encompassing three or four pages of dense text - instead of "Here is a tree." The overwhelming majority of the time, there is no need to be so complicated. It is needless, for simple is just as good.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[loeks]

Sugar in the Raw is Turbinado which, in my experience, is only slightly different than Demerara. In the proportions specified, it shouldn't make a bit of difference.

If an American hops variety must be substituted, I don't think you could make a better choice.

Yeah, I do pitch the 80/10/10 a bit strongly, don't I?

Anyway, I wish you all the success in the world. Kindly let me know how it works for you, preferably in this thread.

Cheers!

Bob

Hey Bob... Been wanting to do something like this for a bit. I've had this thread bookmarked for months. Question - would it make sense to sub in flaked maize as the complete 10% adjunct instead of sugar? Do you think that would have any negative effects?

 

[Bob]

Hey Bob... Been wanting to do something like this for a bit. I've had this thread bookmarked for months. Question - would it make sense to sub in flaked maize as the complete 10% adjunct instead of sugar? Do you think that would have any negative effects?

None I can foresee. Brewers maize is often used by British breweries in Bitter.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[loeks]

None I can foresee. Brewers maize is often used by British breweries in Bitter.

Cheers!

Bob

Thanks for the reply! I have used your recipe/ratios as the basis of my first personal recipe that I have brewed twice with a lot of changes to your original super-simple recipe.

Here is what I am trying to do FWIW... I had a cask conditioned pub style ale about a year ago and I loved it. It had a bit of a corn flavor to it though. So my theory is to take your original recipe and just swap out the invert sugar for flaked maize and see how it turns out. I'll post back with results.

 

[Bob]

Thanks for the reply! I have used your recipe/ratios as the basis of my first personal recipe that I have brewed twice with a lot of changes to your original super-simple recipe.

Here is what I am trying to do FWIW... I had a cask conditioned pub style ale about a year ago and I loved it. It had a bit of a corn flavor to it though. So my theory is to take your original recipe and just swap out the invert sugar for flaked maize and see how it turns out. I'll post back with results.

I look forward to it!

 

[beergolf]

Hey Bob, I brewed this up recently and it is one very fine recipe. I love the simplicity. Too many recipies throw the kitchen sink in them.

I was in a rut with the styles I was brewing and needed something else to put in the rotation.

I will definitely try this again. What do you think about putting on nitro? I have a nitro tap and it seems like it would be pretty good.

 

[Bob]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

I've never tried it on nitro, because I've never played with nitro. I'm sure it couldn't hurt anything. Might call it "Bobbingtons" in that case.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[beergolf]

Maybe for the next batch I will try half on nitro. I have some 2 1/2 gallon kegs. If I do I'll let you know how it works.

 

[Bob]

Please do!

 

[beergolf]

Hey Bob. I bottled half of a batch and put the other half in one one my .2 1/2 gal kegs. I forgot about it for a while but I have to say that it is awesome on nitro. Hily recommended.

I usually rotate a stout, and Irish red on my nitro tap, but this may have to go into the rotation. Good stuff.