brēowanthorpe

The Homestead of Beer

Best Bitter

By thomas #30 Minute Boil, #Barley, #Beer, #Best Bitter, #BIAB, #Bitter, #British, #British Bitter, #Flagship, #Helter-Skelter, #Homebrew, #Hops, #Mountain Portage, #One Gallon, #Recipe, #Sparge, #Water, #Yeast

Codename : Mountain Portage Best Bitterthorpe (2025)

This specific recipe started as a happy accident back in 2022, and it turned out so well, I have kept it going with great success, really only adjusting the recipe slightly for the hops and yeast I have in stock.

More evident malt flavour than in an ordinary bitter; this is a stronger, session-strength ale.

https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/11/11B/best-bitter

Ingredients

  • 11 oz Maris Otter (1.8L)
  • 8 oz light Munich malt (6.9L)
  • 4 oz Amber malt I (27.9L)
  • 3 oz Light Crystal malt (39.4)
  • 1/4 Campden tablet when preparing strike water (optional)
  • 0.1 oz Lumberjack hops at 30 minutes
  • 0.2 oz Minstel hops at 20 minutes
  • 1/4 tsp Irish Moss (optional) at 15 minutes
  • 0.2 oz Willamette hops at 5 minutes
  • 3 ml Windsor dry ale yeast

Vital Stats

  • BJCP Style : Best Bitter
  • Anticipated ABV : 4.1%
  • Anticipated IBU : 33
  • Anticipated SRM : 12
  • Pre-boil SG : 1.032
  • Post-boil SG : 1.042
  • Original SG : 1.042
  • Target SG : 1.011
  • Carbonation : 2
  • Water profile : Special Bitter
  • Brewhouse (in)efficiency : 75%

Brew Day

  • Prepare 4.5L 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, 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

  • This recipe was adjusted on the fly, as in by the time the boil was to start, I had achieved the post-boil gravity, so the sugar I was going to add, was withheld.
  • This sparging routine seems to have increased my BHE by 5%, so I will use 75% going forward.
A carboy containing fermenting best bitter beer.
The bitter will ferment for approximately 7 days.

Brew day : 29-May-2025