brēowanthorpe

The Homestead of Beer

Ordinary Bitter

By thomas #30 Minute Boil, #Ale, #Barley, #Beer, #BIAB, #Bitter, #British, #British Bitter, #Homebrew, #Hops, #Mountain Portage, #One Gallon, #Ordinary Bitter, #Recipe, #Sparge, #Water, #Yeast

Codename : Mountain Portage Ordinary Bitterthorpe (2025)

Brewing operations have resumed at the Mountain Portage, the inaugural batch is this low gravity Ordinary Bitter. I chose this one, as I have tweaked brewhouse efficiency to 70%, and this smaller grainbill was a good match for experimenting. Spoiler alert, it worked as desired. A little about the bitter

The lowest gravity member of the British Bitter family, typically known to consumers simply as “bitter” (although brewers tend to refer to it as Ordinary Bitter to distinguish it from other members of the family).

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

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Maris Otter (1.8L)
  • 3 oz Crystal malt I (45L)
  • 2 oz Golden naked oats (7.3L)
  • 1 oz Double Roasted Crystal (113L)
  • 1/4 Campden tablet when preparing strike water (optional)
  • 0.1 oz Lumberjack hops at 30 minutes
  • 1 oz Turbinado at 20 minutes
  • 0.2 oz Pilgrim hops at 15 minutes
  • 1/4 tsp Irish Moss (optional) at 15 minutes
  • 3 ml Windsor dry ale yeast

Vital Stats

  • BJCP Style : Ordinary Bitter
  • Anticipated ABV : 3.4%
  • Anticipated IBU : 32
  • Anticipated SRM : 11
  • Pre-boil SG : 1.025
  • Post-boil SG : 1.035
  • Original SG : 1.035
  • Target SG : 1.009
  • Carbonation : 2
  • Water profile : Ordinary Bitter
  • Brewhouse (in)efficiency : 70%

Brew Day

  • Prepare 4.4L strike water at 152F.
  • Add the milled grains to the bag.
  • Place the bag in the hot water, set the timer for 90 minutes, and maintain the temperature at 152F.
  • It is acceptable if the temperature varies a little.
  • Stir occasionally.
  • With approximately 15 minutes remaining, heat 2L of sparge water to 170F.
  • Calibrate the refractometer, aka 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.
  • Pour the sparge water over over the grain bag, this should help extract even more sugar
  • Bring up to a boil, 212F, set the timer for 30 minutes. Add hops, sugar, 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.
  • Pitch the yeast to the carboy.
  • Transfer the wort to the carboy, splash the wort around to aerate the contents.
  • Put the airlock on the carboy.
  • Store in a cool dark place for primary fermentation for 7 days.

Bottling Day

Brew Notes

  • I got the lumberjack hops on a really good sale, they might not normally be used in British ales, but this is my beer, I will add whatever I like.
  • The water requirements along with brewhouse efficiency have been adjusted with good success, sparging seems to have made a big difference.
A carboy containing British Ordinary Bitter ale.
Allow the bitter to ferment for about one week.

Brew day : 22-May-2025