Northdown Bitter

[malt_shovel]

With new arrival due soon, and home renovations demanding more time, I am planning a large batch of session ale to see me through the coming months.

It is a english best / premium bitter.

94% M.O (Barids)
3.75% Brown Sugar
2.25% Home made Heritage Crystal (using Barids M.O.)

OG:1.042

Mash around 67/68

Hops
Northdown bittering to about 25IBU
Northdown flavour to about 5 IBU (15 min addition)
Challenger Aroma (at flameout)

Wy1469PC 4 Litre starter cultured from top-crop.

FG: 1.011ish

Anyone played with Northdown/Challenger and 1469?

Not planning to dry-hop, but could be swayed...

Cheers
:beer:

 

[barls]

Got one on tap ATM that's all northdown, it's bloody lovely

 

[Synthetase]

Mmm, that looks very tasty. I think I'll have to brew another bitter.

I haven't used it exclusively with 1469 because I haven't been able to get my hands on the yeast. It goes well with 1968, though and from what I hear about 1469, it's likely to be great.

 

[RdeVjun]

Sounds quite feasible to me. Challenger is renowned for marmalade characteristics and 1469 for stonefruit, I've tried the two together and the result was pretty good, while Northdown is a solid bittering hop that's served me well in comps too. Personally I wouldn't dry hop, just the late kettle hops in the English Bitter is sufficient IMO, but there's varying opinions on the matter of course.
Top crop a few consecutive batches would be my advice, maybe a bit of variation between them with the hops schedule just in case it doesn't end up quite how you like it, sometimes these things are hard to predict. I say that after sampling 5 different batches of ESB in the last few days to pick one for the state comps, what looks good on paper doesn't necessarily translate into a great beer.