Stoopsitters Brewing BrewBlog > BrewBlogs > First Bitter [Special/Best/Premium Bitter]

BrewBlog: First Bitter

Specifics

Style:

Special/Best/Premium Bitter — BJCP Style Information

Category:	English Pale Ale
Number:	08B

A flavorful, yet refreshing, session beer. Some examples can be more malt balanced, but this should not override the overall bitter impression. Drinkability is a critical component of the style; emphasis is still on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales.

Commercial Examples: Fuller's London Pride, Coniston Bluebird Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Adnams SSB, Young’s Special, Shepherd Neame Masterbrew Bitter, Greene King Ruddles County Bitter, RCH Pitchfork Rebellious Bitter, Brains SA, Black Sheep Best Bitter, Goose Island Honkers Ale, Rogue Younger’s Special Bitter.

Brewer:

Lon Chubiz

Brew Date:

January 15, 2013

Yield:

4 gallons

Color (SRM/EBC):

14/27.6

Bitterness (Calc):

48 IBU (Daniels)

BU/GU:

1.26

Calories:

123 (12 ounces)

Conditioning:

Bottles

ABV:

4.3%

ABW:

3.3%

Bottling ABV:

4.8%

Batch No:	3
OG:	1.038
OG (Plato):	9.51° P
Target OG:	1.060
Reading 1:	1.006 (18 days)
FG:	1.006
FG (Plato):	1.54° P
Target FG:	1.010
Real Extract:	2.98° P
App. Atten.:	83.8%
Real Atten.:	68.6%

General Information

Method:	All Grain

Method:

All Grain

First BIAB run. Special bitter.

Theoretical extraction: 7 lb / 4 gal * 34 pppg = 59.5

Actual extraction: 38

Efficiency: 64%

Brewhouse Eff: 58% (using calculator)

----

Primary fermentation looks about done 1/24 evening (48 hrs). Racked to secondary to finishing fermenting off the cake. Looks and smells great!

Scale Recipe

Enter desired final yield (volume):

gallons

Malts and Grains

6.00 pounds

Rahr Pale Malt (2-Row)

Color (L):	1 °L
Info/Use:	Smooth, less grainy, moderate malt flavor. Basic malt for all beer styles.

85.7% of grist

1.00 pounds

Crystal Malt 60L

Color (L):	60 °L
Info/Use:	Sweet, mild caramel flavor and a golden color. Use in amber and brown ales.

14.3% of grist

7.00 pounds

Total Grain Weight (Water Amounts

Water Amounts

Target Final Boil Volume:	4 gallons
Evaporation Rate:	0.44 gallons per hour
Boil Time:	70 minutes
Runoff Volume Needed:	4.7 gallons	4 gallons (final boil volume) ÷ 0.96 (cooling) + 0.5 gallons (boil evaporation)
Grain Amount:	7 pounds
Grain Absorbtion:	1.5 gallons
Total Water Needed:	6.4 gallons	4.7 gallons (runoff) + 1.5 gallons (grain absorbtion) + 0.25 gallons (equip. loss)
Mash Water Needed:	2.3 gallons	based on 1.33 quarts per pound of grain
Sparge Water Needed:	4.1 gallons	6.4 gallons (total water) – 2.3 gallons (mash water)

)

100% of grist

Hops

1.50 ounces

Williamette

Region:	United States
AAU Range:	4 - 7%
Notes:	Mild, spicy, grassy, floral aroma.
Typical Use:	Aroma, finishing, dry hopping.
Substitution:	Fuggle
Example:	English-style Ale, Porter, Stout; Sierra Nevada Porter, Ballard Bitter, Anderson Valley Boont Amber

Pellets @ 60 minutes
Type: Bittering and Aroma
Use: Boil

1.00 ounces

Williamette

Region:	United States
AAU Range:	4 - 7%
Notes:	Mild, spicy, grassy, floral aroma.
Typical Use:	Aroma, finishing, dry hopping.
Substitution:	Fuggle
Example:	English-style Ale, Porter, Stout; Sierra Nevada Porter, Ballard Bitter, Anderson Valley Boont Amber

Pellets @ 10 minutes
Type: Bittering and Aroma
Use: Boil

2.50 ounces

Total Hop Weight

Boil

Total Boil Time:	70 minutes

Total Boil Time:

70 minutes

Yeast

Name:	NB NeoBrittania
Manufacturer:	Wyeast
Product ID:	1945
Type:	Ale
Flocculation:	High
Attenuation:	72-77%
Temperature Range:	66–74°F
Amount:	50 ml

Equipment Profile

5 Gallon/19 Liter Kettle

Batch Size:	5.00 gallons	Boil Volume:	4.00 gallons
Evaporation Rate:	9.00% per hour	Mash Tun Dead Space:	0.25 gallons
Efficiency:	72%	Mash Tun Weight:	5.00 pounds
Hop Utilization:	100%	Mash Tun Volume:	5.00 gallons
Loss:	0.25 gallons	Mash Tun Specific Heat:	0.12 Cal/gram per °C

Water Profile

Brookline, MA

Calicum:	3.7 ppm
Bicarbonate:	10 ppm
Sulfate:	5.4 ppm
Chloride:	17.5 ppm
Sodium:	28.5 ppm
Magnesium:	0.8 ppm
PH:	7.9%
Notes:	From Massachusetts Water Resource Authority - Nov. 2012

Procedure

Brew-in-a-bag Method: 7 lb of grains added to 4 gal 162F water. Kettle removed from heat, bag inserted, and grains added. Corrected mash temp to 154 with a small amount of cold water. Wrapped kettle in towels. Temp maintained well at 152F for 70 minutes. Removed bag, drained and transferred to 2 gals of 170F water. Steeped for 5 minutes (simulated mash-out). Added secondary extract to main wort. Brought 5 gal to boil with 1000W heater + stove. Maintained boil for 70 minutes. No lid. Hop additions at 70 min and 60 minutes. Sterilized wort chiller at 60 minutes. Added Irish moss and yeast nutrient (1 tsp each) at 60 minutes. Chilled wort to 76F. Siphoned to fermenter. Pitched Wyeast 1945 and sealed air-lock.

Brew-in-a-bag Method:

7 lb of grains added to 4 gal 162F water. Kettle removed from heat, bag inserted, and grains added.

Corrected mash temp to 154 with a small amount of cold water.

Wrapped kettle in towels. Temp maintained well at 152F for 70 minutes.

Removed bag, drained and transferred to 2 gals of 170F water. Steeped for 5 minutes (simulated mash-out).

Added secondary extract to main wort.

Brought 5 gal to boil with 1000W heater + stove.

Maintained boil for 70 minutes. No lid.

Hop additions at 70 min and 60 minutes. Sterilized wort chiller at 60 minutes. Added Irish moss and yeast nutrient (1 tsp each) at 60 minutes.

Chilled wort to 76F. Siphoned to fermenter. Pitched Wyeast 1945 and sealed air-lock.

Fermentation

Primary:	3 days @ 69° F
Secondary:	19 days @ 69° F

Tasting Reviews

	2 Reviews		Submit a Review		Refresh Page

2 Reviews

Submit a Review

Refresh Page

	45-50 = Outstanding		30-37 = Very Good		14-20 = Fair
	38-44 = Excellent		21-29 = Good		00-13 = Problematic

Review by

Aroma:	/ 12
Appearance:	/ 3
Flavor:	/ 20
Mouthfeel:	/ 5
Overall Impression:	/ 10
Cumulative Score:	0 / 50	Problematic

Review by Lon (The Brewer)

Aroma:	5 / 12	Lacks malty aroma of the style. Willamette hops may have been a poor choice. No bite.
Appearance:	2 / 3	Beautiful amber color. Minor chill haze. Clear at appropriate drinking temperature.
Flavor:	10 / 20	Caramel notes from the C20L malt comes through, but the fermentation was too dry. Also, due to mild overcarbonation, the beer was slightly sour taking away from any malt flavor remaining. When warmed, and decarbonated a bit, the malty tones can be had.
Mouthfeel:	3 / 5	Thin, and a bit dry.
Overall Impression:	5 / 10	Quaffable first pass at a bitter. Use EK Golding or Nugget hops next time.
Cumulative Score:	25 / 50	Good

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