brēowanthorpe

The Homestead of Beer

Ordinary Bitter

By thomas #30 minute boil, #Ale, #Barley, #Beer, #BIAB, #Bitter, #British, #British Bitter, #Flaked Corn, #Flaked Maize, #High Gravity, #Homebrew, #Hops, #No-sparge, #one-gallon, #Ordinary Bitter, #Water, #Westfort, #Yeast

Codename : New Year Bitterthorpe 2024

This is the first batch of the new year, I decided I would keep it very simple with an ordinary bitter. A little blurb about this British bitter.

Low gravity, alcohol, and carbonation make this an easy-drinking session beer. The malt profile can vary in flavour and intensity, but should never override the overall bitter impression. Drinkability is a critical component of the style.

https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/11/11A/ordinary-bitter/

Ingredients

  • 1 lb 1 oz Maris Otter malt (3.8L)
  • 2 oz Amber malt (128L)
  • 2 oz Crystal medium (67L)
  • 2 oz Flaked maize (0.8L)
  • 0.20 oz Cascade hops at 25 minutes
  • 0.20 oz Bramling Cross  hops at 15 minutes
  • ¼ tsp Irish Moss (optional) at 15 minutes
  • 0.20 oz Bramling Chross  hops at 0 minutes
  • 3 ml Nottingham dry ale yeast

Vital Stats

BJCP Style : Ordinary Bitter
Anticipated ABV : 3.5%
Anticipated IBU : 32
Anticipated SRM : 17
Pre-boil SG : 1.035
Post-boil SG: 1.049
Original SG : 1.036
Target SG : 1.009
Brewhouse (in)efficiency : 70%

Brew Day

  • Prepare 5.1L strike water, 152F. 
  • Add the milled grains to the bag. 
  • Place the bag in the hot water, set the timer for 75 minutes, and maintain the temperature at 152F. It is acceptable it the temperature varies by a couple of degrees either direction.
  • Stir occasionally.
  • Calibrate the sonic screwdriver.
  • Lift the bag out of the water, and allow it to drip into the pot. Every bit of sugar that can be extracted will benefit the end ABV.
  • Bring up to a boil, 212F, set the timer for 30 minutes. Add hops and Irish moss, as prescribed above.
  • Sanitise everything required for fermentation.
  • Cool to room temp, an ice-bath or a snowbank work effectively.
  • Prepare the yeast mixture, per manufacturers directions.
  • Pitch the yeast to the carboy
  • Transfer the wort to the carboy, splash the wort around to aerate the contents.
  • Add one litre of water for the top-up to the carboy.
  • Put the airlock on the carboy.
  • Store in a cool dark place for primary fermentation for 10-14 days.

Bottling Day

Brew Notes

  • The gravity came in higher than expected, almost achieving the equivalent BHE of 75%. Anticipated ABV 3.8%
  • I added the second hops 5 minutes ahead of schedule, so I updated the recipe to reflect this little mistake.
Ferment the bitter in a carboy for 7-10 days.

Brew day : 5-Jan-2024