Thoughts on this extract Bitter recipe?

[Endovelico]

4.2 lbs --- Light extract (4L) --- 82% of the grist
0.46 lb --- Aromatic Malt --- 9% of the grist
0.46 --- Caramalt (60L) --- 9% of the grist
0.97 oz --- Brewers Gold (60 min) --- 27 IBU
0.26 oz --- Challenger (15 min) --- 4 IBU
0.34 oz --- Challenger (0 min)

London Ale Yeast III

OG: 1.037
ABV: 3.6
IBU:31

Thoughts? Never really brewed a bitter so i'm not sure if it fits the style completely.

EDIT: My main doubt is regarding the choice and ammount of steeping grains.

 

[david_42]

Other than the Aromatic, you're fine for an Ordinary Bitter. It's not a grain typically used in a Bitter. Since this is your first Bitter, I'd recommend leaving it out or cutting it to 3-4%.

 

[Netflyer]

The recipe fits nicely into the 8A - Standard/Ordinary Bitter. The gravity (OG and FG), Color, and IBU's all fit.

As for the steeping grains, my only question would be the Aromatic Malt. It isn't crystalized, therefore it needs to be mashed. I'm not sure of your kettle size and stuff so I can't give you the very close approximation of how much water to use and stuff but I'll give you one based on an assumption that you have a 6 gallon capacity pot...

From Beer Smith:
Endov's Bitter​

Taste Rating (50 possible points):

35.0

Brew Type: ​

Partial Mash Date: 01/16/2010

Style: ​

Standard/Ordinary Bitter Brewer: Endov...

Batch Size: ​

5.00 gal Assistant Brewer:

Boil Volume: 4.08 gal Boil Time: 60 min

Brewhouse Efficiency: ​

70.00 %

Brewing Steps

Check Time Step
01/16/2010 Clean and prepare equipment.
-- Measure ingredients, crush grains.
-- Prepare 6.19 gal water for brewing
--
Prepare Ingredients for Mash
Amount Item Type
0.46 lb Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain
0.46 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain
-- WARNING: Preheat Mash Tun - No equipment adjustments
made!
2 min Mash Ingredients
Mash In: Add 1.15 qt of water at 165.9 F
60 min - Hold mash at 154.0 F for 60 min
-- Sparge with 4.15 gal of 168.0 F water.
-- Add water to achieve boil volume of 4.08 gal
-- Estimated Pre-boil Gravity is: 1.051 SG with all grains/extracts
added
Boil for 60
min
Boil Ingredients
Boil Amount Item Type
60 min 4.00 lb Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM) Dry
Extract
60 min 0.97 oz Brewer's Gold [8.00 %] (60 min) Hops
15 min 0.26 oz Challenger [7.50 %] (15 min) Hops
0 min 0.34 oz Challenger [7.50 %] (0 min) Hops
-- Cool wort to fermentation temperature
-- Add 1.75 gal water (as needed) to achieve volume of 5.00 gal
-- Siphon wort to primary fermenter and aerate wort.
01/16/2010 Measure Original Gravity: ________ (Estimate: 1.039 SG)
01/16/2010 Measure Batch Volume: ________ (Estimate: 5.00 gal)
4 days Ferment in primary for 4 days at 68.0 F
01/20/2010 Transfer to Secondary Fermenter
7 days Ferment in secondary for 7 days at 68.0 F
01/27/2010 Measure Final Gravity: ________ (Estimate: 1.010 SG)
-- Bottle beer at 60.1 F with 3.8 oz of corn sugar.
4.0 Weeks Age for 4.0 Weeks at 52.0 F
02/24/2010 Sample and enjoy!
End-BeerSmith Recipe​

So you would need to do a partial mash. You can use DeathBrewer's method and do this very easily. If you go to the all grain forum his method is one of the 'pinned methods' at the top of the forum. Basically you put your mash water in a largepot, in your case it doesn't need to be large at all, you can use a 4 qt saucepan. Just get your water up to where beersmith said and put your grains in a nylon grain bag and put them in the mash water. Leave it for 60 min. Remove the grain bag and keep that sauce pan filled with a few cups of wort. You then have a second pot with the 'sparge' water, it tells you how much in the recipe above... you put the grain bag into the sparge water pot for 10 min or so and dunk it a few times like a tea bag... you then combine your original sauce pan of wort and the sparge water into your boiling kettle (it can be the same pot you did the sparging in), and start your boil. When you get boiling just proceed as usual, add your malt extract and your first hop and your on your way... partial mashed and good.​

Notice to keep your OG in line I had to reduce your extract down to 4lbs, that's not really necessary but to keep the recipe in the 8a category it is. When you partial mash you get better efficiency.​

Again, check out deathbrewers pinned topic in the all grain forum for details and pictures about that stove top mashing method.​

I also agree with David 42 about the Aromatic malt... this doesn't mean you can't experiment and use it... personally I use victory malt (7-8% of the grain bill) in my extract bitters and it is a wonderful addition to the beer giving it a biscuit like taste and a nice aroma...

Good Luck and let us know how it turns out!​

​

 

[Endovelico]

Other than the Aromatic, you're fine for an Ordinary Bitter. It's not a grain typically used in a Bitter. Since this is your first Bitter, I'd recommend leaving it out or cutting it to 3-4%.

Thanks for the input. I took the idea (to use aromatic) out of Radical Brewing where theres a Bitter recipe that actually uses Biscuit/Aromatic. I thought it was a bit odd (shall i say radical?), but interesting nonetheless.

 

[Endovelico]

The recipe fits nicely into the 8A - Standard/Ordinary Bitter. The gravity (OG and FG), Color, and IBU's all fit.

Yeah thats the subgenre i was aiming at.

As for the steeping grains, my only question would be the Aromatic Malt. It isn't crystalized, therefore it needs to be mashed. I'm not sure of your kettle size and stuff so I can't give you the very close approximation of how much water to use and stuff but I'll give you one based on an assumption that you have a 6 gallon capacity pot...

I know what you mean about mashing Aromatic (i can't for the time being) but like i mentioned before Mosher actually has a recipe which calls for Aromatic/Biscuit steeping so i kinda assumed that the steeping extracts some sort of flavor/aroma?

snip

I have BS aswell mate, thanks anyway

So you would need to do a partial mash. You can use DeathBrewer's method and do this very easily. If you go to the all grain forum his method is one of the 'pinned methods' at the top of the forum. Basically you put your mash water in a largepot, in your case it doesn't need to be large at all, you can use a 4 qt saucepan. Just get your water up to where beersmith said and put your grains in a nylon grain bag and put them in the mash water. Leave it for 60 min. Remove the grain bag and keep that sauce pan filled with a few cups of wort. You then have a second pot with the 'sparge' water, it tells you how much in the recipe above... you put the grain bag into the sparge water pot for 10 min or so and dunk it a few times like a tea bag... you then combine your original sauce pan of wort and the sparge water into your boiling kettle (it can be the same pot you did the sparging in), and start your boil. When you get boiling just proceed as usual, add your malt extract and your first hop and your on your way... partial mashed and good.​

Yeah i'm familiar with the process, but i'm waiting for some stuff and hopefully start partial mashing the next brew. So i either drop the aromatic, or use it as a steeping grain...

Notice to keep your OG in line I had to reduce your extract down to 4lbs, that's not really necessary but to keep the recipe in the 8a category it is. When you partial mash you get better efficiency.

I see what you mean, but i wasn't thinking of mashing aromatic so i'm still within the limit

Again, check out deathbrewers pinned topic in the all grain forum for details and pictures about that stove top mashing method.

I have, hard to miss that thread being a 1+ year forum lurker.

I also agree with David 42 about the Aromatic malt... this doesn't mean you can't experiment and use it... personally I use victory malt (7-8% of the grain bill) in my extract bitters and it is a wonderful addition to the beer giving it a biscuit like taste and a nice aroma...
​

I know its mainly used as a base malt, but i'm not really interested in using it that way to be honest. I can't see a reason why steeping the grains DOESN'T contribute some flavor and/or aroma.

Good Luck and let us know how it turns out!​

Sure will! Cheers.

​

 

[Yooper]

Well, if you "steep" aromatic malt at 150-155 degrees for 45 minutes, you've done mashed it!

Aromatic malt can convert itself, so there is no problem with putting it in a grain bag, along with the crystal, using 1.25-2 quarts of water per pound of grain, and mashing it (steeping it) in the 150s for 45 minutes.

Since you have a pound of grain, I'd use 2 quarts of water and bring that to 160-163. Add the grain bag, dunk it really well, and make sure the grain is wetted. Let it sit in the 150s for 45 minutes, then lift the grain bag out. Either rinse the grain bag over the pot by pouring 170 degree water over it, or dunk it thoroughly in a pot of 170 degree water to "rinse" it. That would be a very nice partial mash, and you'd get all the benefits out of the aromatic malt. And it's no harder than just steeping it.

Just steeping it WILL give you some flavors, but it'll also give you mostly starch instead of sugars. So, you'd have a starchy haze from it instead of fermentable sugars.

 

[Endovelico]

Just steeping it WILL give you some flavors, but it'll also give you mostly starch instead of sugars. So, you'd have a starchy haze from it instead of fermentable sugars.

Ok, Thanks! Wasn't sure about this, seems like a good reason to PM. Cheers.

 

[Yooper]

Ok, Thanks! Wasn't sure about this, seems like a good reason to PM. Cheers.

Well, I don't think 1/2 pound will give you an incredible starch haze, or anything. But I'd go ahead and do the PM, since it's basically the same as steeping it but with more attention to water temperature and time.

 

[Netflyer]

I second the motion for conversion over just steeping, you CAN DO IT!

 

[Endovelico]

Well, i'm convinced i'll just go PM. Thank you all for the replies.