USA brewer looking for that "best" english bitter

[homebrewdude76]

This is my beer engine
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=75922

I am looking for that magical english bitter recipe.

I am an all grain brewer for over 10years, so I am good with technique.
I have brewed many pale ales and bitters in the past.

But I figure I would ask the experts for something authentic!

And so far, it seems I am a "no-sparkler" guy!

[brew like a dog]

If you are familiar with a youtube homebrew channel called 'chop and brew', Michael Dawson brewed a low gravity session bitter which he called 'boat bitter'. It was close to being a SMASH. It used marris otter malt and First Gold hops. Also he burtonised the water. I can not remember the yeast but one of those 'true' top fermenting british yeasts should be good. If you wish to check it out, it is episode 10.

Over and above that, there is a blog called 'shut up about Barclay Perkins' that might give you some historical perspective. Hope this helps

[gobuchul]

There is no answer to this question!

However, I did a St Peters Bitter clone a few weeks ago and it was very good.

IMO if you use pale malt, with 5% to 10% crystal malt and use some English hops for an IBU of between 30 and 40 then you can't go too far wrong.

My St Peters recipe for 21 litres was:

3.5 kg Pale Malt
0.4 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (240.0 EBC)
0.1 kg Wheat, Torrified (4.0 EBC)
30.00 g First Gold [7.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
25.00 g East Kent Goldings [5.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min

I added wheat for a bit of head retention and I also serve it a bit colder than is usual for a bitter, at about 6C - 8C, so I'm no purist!

There are some very good, simple bitter recipes in "Home Brew Beer" by Greg Hughes. Very good starting points.

[Fil]

Timothy Taylors Landlord is the quintessential bitter imho, of the TTL recipes ive followed Graham wheelers has provided the best results for me..

[orlando]

I am looking for that magical english bitter recipe.

You and me both. The simplest of recipes and yet the most elusive complexity of almost any style; an enigma. I think there is one insurmountable (?) problem/difference between commercial breweries and home brewers, quite simply scale. 25 litres of the same recipe just does not ferment in the same way as 2,500 litres. Another challenge is the yeast, it appears to me that dual strain yeasts bring some of the complexity to the party and finally cask conditioning, another mysterious and yet magical ingredient to the riddle. So far not very helpful then, but getting close is possible, however you might have to ignore some of the US "experts" on the approach to water treatment. The prevailing view there can be summed up in the phrase "over mineralisation" (c.f. Gordon Strong). The brewing tradition over here has not been afraid of "high" calcium levels and a fair dollop of sulphate and chloride. Add into the mix the growing use of invert sugar in the 20th Century and you begin to uncover the path that leads to brewing Nirvana, the classic British Bitter.

If you crack it please let me know.

[MTW]

This is my beer engine
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=75922

I see you've got your sparkler ready! You're half way there.

[orlando]

This is my beer engine
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=75922

I see you've got your sparkler ready! You're half way there.

...to ruining the lovingly crafted condition.

[brew like a dog]

if you use pale malt, with 5% to 10% crystal malt and use some English hops for an IBU of between 30 and 40 then you can't go too far wrong.

I've done this many many times and my father who is in his late 80s says it takes him right back to when he used to drink in the pubs which have long since gone. Personal testimony like this should indicate that you will be in the 'right ball park' if not bang slam in the center of it lol

[AnthonyUK]

For me, a hint of Diacetyl is a good thing which goes against most US brewing dogma so choose your yeast and fermation profile accordingly.
Nottingham is reliable but too boring in this regard so one of the many liquid strains available such as WLP002 would work.

[simple one]

I would say if you haven't given the Big Kenny recipe a go, then that's definitely worth a try.

I believe it was big in the other forum before it changed hands.

[Dennis King]

You and me both. The simplest of recipes and yet the most elusive complexity of almost any style; an enigma. I think there is one insurmountable (?) problem/difference between commercial breweries and home brewers, quite simply scale. 25 litres of the same recipe just does not ferment in the same way as 2,500 litres. Another challenge is the yeast, it appears to me that dual strain yeasts bring some of the complexity to the party and finally cask conditioning, another mysterious and yet magical ingredient to the riddle. So far not very helpful then, but getting close is possible, however you might have to ignore some of the US "experts" on the approach to water treatment. The prevailing view there can be summed up in the phrase "over mineralisation" (c.f. Gordon Strong). The brewing tradition over here has not been afraid of "high" calcium levels and a fair dollop of sulphate and chloride. Add into the mix the growing use of invert sugar in the 20th Century and you begin to uncover the path that leads to brewing Nirvana, the classic British Bitter.

What he said.

But would add WLP002 would be your best yeast bet. Graham Wheelers clone book is good place to start for recipes.

[orlando]

You and me both. The simplest of recipes and yet the most elusive complexity of almost any style; an enigma. I think there is one insurmountable (?) problem/difference between commercial breweries and home brewers, quite simply scale. 25 litres of the same recipe just does not ferment in the same way as 2,500 litres. Another challenge is the yeast, it appears to me that dual strain yeasts bring some of the complexity to the party and finally cask conditioning, another mysterious and yet magical ingredient to the riddle. So far not very helpful then, but getting close is possible, however you might have to ignore some of the US "experts" on the approach to water treatment. The prevailing view there can be summed up in the phrase "over mineralisation" (c.f. Gordon Strong). The brewing tradition over here has not been afraid of "high" calcium levels and a fair dollop of sulphate and chloride. Add into the mix the growing use of invert sugar in the 20th Century and you begin to uncover the path that leads to brewing Nirvana, the classic British Bitter.

What he said.

But would add WLP002 would be your best yeast bet. Graham Wheelers clone book is good place to start for recipes.

And that.

[Hanglow]

Yeah there is no right answer. They can be dry, sweet, have hints of toffee, have a clean fermentation profile or have lots of fruityness from the yeast, can be rather hoppy and/or bitter or not at all. .they can go from 100% pale malt to having things like corn and invert in them, along with wheat and all the crystal malts etc

[MTW]

The WY1469 gives a great diacetyl character if you want to go the Landlord/Northern/Yorkshire way.

[Kyle_T]

I have a bitter on at the moment that very nearly hits the spot, a modified version of the 1970 Abbot recipe I have it has turned out very well, using both adjuncts and Invert Sugar.