Best Bitter Recipe Advice

[Hefty]

Hey guys,
I've come up with a really simple, kit based recipe for a best bitter. Pending good sanitation etc I know it will make a decent beer:

Coopers Draught tin (21 IBU in 20L)
900g LDM
300g Medium Crystal
Fuggles 18g @ 40mins
Fuggles 15g @ 20mins
Fuggles 10g @ flameout
total IBU about 31.5
Still deciding between Nottingham and S-04. Suggestions? Opinions?

I'm keen to learn more about styles so I've intentionally stuck fairly closely to style in terms of numbers (IE og, ibu, ebc) but what I'm wondering is will the timings of these additions give something fairly close to style in terms of amount of hops flavour and aroma for balancing with overall bitterness and malt flavour?

Cheers!
Jono

Edit: fixed mistake in recipe

 

[ianh]

Looks good, although might just be a bit weak for a best bitter. Might need an additional 200g of LDME.

Can't help with the yeast, I just try doing the recipe twice once with each yeast

 

[Bribie G]

English bitters aren't really all that bitter, paradoxically. If I was doing it I'd go maybe 25 g Fuggles 60 mins and 25g Styrian Goldings 10 minutes. Some people find all-Fuggles beers to be a bit 'grassy' in flavour. I don't know as I only use Fuggles early in the boil. Styrians (or EKG) would be my choice for late hopping.

Either yeast sounds fine, although the Nottingham will produce a drier less fruity beer.

Also I'd be tempted to put in 500g dex or white sugar to up the alc a bit. :icon_cheers:

 

[chappo1970]

G'day Hefty,
I agree with ianh and up the LDME to 1.1kg

I would also drop the medium crystal a tad to 200grs. Too much medium crystal can be over powering and drive the malt too far IMHO. Best bitter needs balance.

And the hops I would drop the 40mins and make it 30mins and drop to 20mins to 15mins. So something like this.

Fuggles 18g @ 40mins
Fuggles 15g @ 15mins
Fuggles 10g @ flameout (not completely convinced here either but I like the idea)
EKG could be used as well?
Edit: What BribieG said!
I would definitely go the Notto if not then S04 would be the next choice. If going the Notto I would change the flame out to dry hopping after 4 day primary as Notto will just strip the flavour in the end.

Cheers

Chappo

 

[Hefty]

G'day Hefty,
I agree with ianh and up the LDME to 1.1kg

I would also drop the medium crystal a tad to 200grs. Too much medium crystal can be over powering and drive the malt too far IMHO. Best bitter needs balance.

And the hops I would drop the 40mins and make it 30mins and drop to 20mins to 15mins. So something like this.

Fuggles 18g @ 40mins
Fuggles 15g @ 15mins
Fuggles 10g @ flameout (not completely convinced here either but I like the idea)
EKG could be used as well?
Edit: What BribieG said!
I would definitely go the Notto if not then S04 would be the next choice. If going the Notto I would change the flame out to dry hopping after 4 day primary as Notto will just strip the flavour in the end.

Cheers

Chappo

How would 1kg LDM and 250g medium crystal sound? would I notice the extra 50g? I'm just wondering because these amounts would be alot easier for ordering and splitting into two batches.
I'll take your advice on the addition times.

@Bribie: Yeah, I like EKG, my best beer to date was made with them, but at the moment I'm doing (almost) all my beers with single hops to learn about their characteristics and Fuggles is the next Brittish hop on my list.

Cheers guys!
HABAHAGD :icon_cheers:
Jono.

 

[chappo1970]

How would 1kg LDM and 250g medium crystal sound? would I notice the extra 50g? I'm just wondering because these amounts would be alot easier for ordering and splitting into two batches.
I'll take your advice on the addition times.

@Bribie: Yeah, I like EKG, my best beer to date was made with them, but at the moment I'm doing (almost) all my beers with single hops to learn about their characteristics and Fuggles is the next Brittish hop on my list.

Cheers guys!
HABAHAGD :icon_cheers:
Jono.

You'll be fine. I will stand naked in King George Square if you noticed the difference in 50grs. All looks good to me. :icon_cheers:

I have to agree hefty I did about 10 brews with single hops additions to grab and understand their aroma and flavouring characteristics. The reason for the addition timings is to bring the aromas and flavours forward whilst contributing little to bitterness but be mindful if your no chilling then this will need to be thought out again. Let us know how this one turns out.

Cheers


CHappo

Edit: Gramarararaaa!

 

[Hefty]

Will do Chappo. I hope to put this down Friday night.

Cheers boys! I'll keep you posted.
Jono.

 

[Gavo]

You'll be fine. I will stand naked in King George Square if you noticed the difference in 50grs. All looks good to me. :icon_cheers:

I'd like to see that... Please don't Chappo. :lol:


Go the Nottingham it's a cracker for the Best Bitter. Hop schedule looks fine, I'm a lover of EKG for the best bitter ATM. If you like em dark add 50 grams of Carafa T1. :icon_drool2:

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[Hefty]

I'd like to see that... Please don't Chappo. :lol:


Go the Nottingham it's a cracker for the Best Bitter. Hop schedule looks fine, I'm a lover of EKG for the best bitter ATM. If you like em dark add 50 grams of Carafa T1. :icon_drool2:

Cheers
Gavo.

You've sold me Gavo.
Nottingham it is and I'll change the flame out addition to dry hopped at 4 days.

Cheers boys!

 

[Hefty]

Laid this one down on Friday night. OG 1048, pitched at 21*C. By Saturday morning there was already a decent layer of krausen. Notto really goes off!

If I'm racking to cold condition, should I hold off the dry hopping until after racking or still just add them to the primary vessel?

HABAHAGD! :icon_cheers:
Jono.

 

[mwd]

I would dry hop in the primary when the initial fermentation dies down after about 3-5 days. Then leave until end. I presume you are just racking to secondary to cold chill for a few days to get clearer beer so not much point adding hops to that.

 

[Bribie G]

Are you using Fuggles pellets or NZ Fuggles flowers ?
If using the pellets then as Tropical Brews says.
However if you have the flowers, or the UK plugs (compressed flowers) another thing you can do is to make up about half a litre of hop tea (boil a kettle and pretend the hops are tea leaves), let it sit for 20 mins and strain that into secondary a few days before bottling. Adds pure hop aroma :icon_drool2: without putting extra vegetation into the fermenter. That's the reason I only buy pellets as a last resort and prefer to buy nearly all NZ hop flowers or Euro plugs .

 

[leroy_brown]

Hmm this is great, I was wanting to do a Bitter for my next brew! I'll give the same recipe a go and maybe use the S-04 yeast to see how it goes? Is the Nottingham yeast is liquid? Not at all familiar with these as yet...

 

[chappo1970]

Hmm this is great, I was wanting to do a Bitter for my next brew! I'll give the same recipe a go and maybe use the S-04 yeast to see how it goes? Is the Nottingham yeast is liquid? Not at all familiar with these as yet...

It's a dry yeast.

Chappo

 

[Bribie G]

Nottingham:
S-04:

 

[Scruffy]

Nottingham:
S-04:

Ahhh... just read the Nottingham blurb...

They never told me all that tecno stuff in Blighty - no wonder the beer tasted of anchovies (not really, but I stopped using Nottingham)...

Might give it another (careful) go (in the absence of 1469... )

 

[Hefty]

Are you using Fuggles pellets or NZ Fuggles flowers ?
If using the pellets then as Tropical Brews says.
However if you have the flowers, or the UK plugs (compressed flowers) another thing you can do is to make up about half a litre of hop tea (boil a kettle and pretend the hops are tea leaves), let it sit for 20 mins and strain that into secondary a few days before bottling. Adds pure hop aroma :icon_drool2: without putting extra vegetation into the fermenter. That's the reason I only buy pellets as a last resort and prefer to buy nearly all NZ hop flowers or Euro plugs .

Yeah, using pellets for now. I'm just changing one variable at a time. I'll follow Tropical Brew's advice for this one.

OT: how different/difficult is it using flowers or plugs in terms of measuring accurate weights etc Do you just break them apart or cut them up or round up to the nearest whole flower/plug?

HABAHAGD! :icon_cheers:
Jono.

 

[Hefty]

Hey guys,
I'll be dry hopping the bestie tonight but I don't have anything specifically used for holding hops for dry hopping and I won't be able to get to the shops tonight.
I do have a large grain steeping bag (Craftbrewer 24"x24" mesh bag).
If I were to put the hops in this with something to weight it down and then tie it shut with some string so they were fairly well contained in the bottom of it, would this work?

Opinions, people?
Cheers!
HABAHAGD :icon_cheers:
Jono.

Edit: Missed a space.

 

[mwd]

Just sling the pellets in. The crud just sinks and settles into the yeast trub on the bottom. You may notice a green scum on the surface for a day or two but it all sinks eventually.

I have a stainless Tea Ball but to be honest it makes bugger all difference and I have never racked to secondary yet.

 

[Bribie G]

Yeah, using pellets for now. I'm just changing one variable at a time. I'll follow Tropical Brew's advice for this one.

OT: how different/difficult is it using flowers or plugs in terms of measuring accurate weights etc Do you just break them apart or cut them up or round up to the nearest whole flower/plug?

HABAHAGD! :icon_cheers:
Jono.

If you have scales accurate to a gram then you can easily go to the right gram (say 25) no problems with either flowers or plugs. I think that plugs are 12g from memory but you can rip bits off them no worries. Plugs just disintegrate into flowers when you begin to boil them anyway. The reason that plugs are plugs is:

• They are the exact size to go through the spile hole of a UK real ale cask, for dry hopping
• Compressing them exposes them to less oxygen and keeps the resins and aromatic oils 'sealed in' better than loose flowers