Style Of The Week 9/8/06 - Bitter

[Effect]

Brewing a bitter this weekend, west yorkie is on the stir plate.

Havent used Simpsons med xtal yet but after chewing on some i am quite excited, more toffee/caramel flavour than the bairds xtals.

My bitters are becoming simpler by the batch.

Plan is 90% TF Maris otter, 5% simpsons med xtal and 5% torrified wheat.

OG mid 40s
All bramling cross to about 30-35 BU (i normally go 1g/L at 20 and 1.5g/L at FO)

Salts - not 100% sure yet but prob a combo of CaCl2/CaSO4 and CaCO3 with the aim of balancing the malt and hops (and yeast). How hard could that be?

My little bro (in age only) is bring his new wife and her parents back from the UK and i am hosting his Oz wedding bash. Since his wife and her parents are poms (her old man sounds exactly like Geoffrey Boycott) thought what better chance to test out my bitter brewing skills than on a yorkshireman fresh off the plane

Will probably brew a low gravity bitter as well but use ringwood for that.

Cheers
DrSmurto

has the wedding bash taken place?

how did they like the beers?

 

[drsmurto]

has the wedding bash taken place?

how did they like the beers?

No, 3rd weekend in October.

The bramling x bitter is waiting for an empty keg. Will brew a TTL as well with hopes that the handpump which my bro is bringing back is able to be setup for the day.

 

[warrenlw63]

No, 3rd weekend in October.

The bramling x bitter is waiting for an empty keg. Will brew a TTL as well with hopes that the handpump which my bro is bringing back is able to be setup for the day.

Hey smurto. I've got a Bramling Bitter on tap. Do you find you have a love/hate with the hop? One week I enjoy it's difference only to find I'm smelling something that a tomcat has pissed in and added some Ribena by about the 3rd pint. :unsure:

I reckon if I use this hop again I shall blend it with something more traditional. Reminds me a bit of Progress though not as bad.

Warren -

 

[drsmurto]

Hey smurto. I've got a Bramling Bitter on tap. Do you find you have a love/hate with the hop? One week I enjoy it's difference only to find I'm smelling something that a tomcat has pissed in and added some Ribena by about the 3rd pint. :unsure:

I reckon if I use this hop again I shall blend it with something more traditional. Reminds me a bit of Progress though not as bad.

Warren -

Only used bramling x once before and loved it and its was a single hop bitter too.

I have wound back the late hopping a touch this time but am yet to keg it. Out of primary the blackcurrant was quite subtle. Will let you know, hoping to have it on tap ready for the weekend.

 

[Steve]

Hey smurto. I've got a Bramling Bitter on tap. Do you find you have a love/hate with the hop? One week I enjoy it's difference only to find I'm smelling something that a tomcat has pissed in and added some Ribena by about the 3rd pint. :unsure:

I reckon if I use this hop again I shall blend it with something more traditional. Reminds me a bit of Progress though not as bad.

Warren -

Used with it once a couple of years ago.......Ribena is a very good description matched with sweat fruity Windsor ale yeast. Didnt like it at all.
Cheers
Steve

 

[buttersd70]

Only used bramling x once before and loved it and its was a single hop bitter too.

I have wound back the late hopping a touch this time but am yet to keg it. Out of primary the blackcurrant was quite subtle. Will let you know, hoping to have it on tap ready for the weekend.

back to what, 0.75g/L -ish?

Warren, I've used bramling a lot in Muckeys Red/Amber/whatever it is, that has (from memory) around 0.7g/L at both 15 and at 5. Always get blackcurrant, but it's usually fairly subtle, or at least not overpowering.

Have also used it in 100% GP bitter, as the sole hop. ~0.68 bu:gu, 1/2 g/L at 15. very subtle on the blackcurrent, maybe too subtle (hence a discussion with smurto over a couple of pints, making me think I'll up it to 0.75g/L next time I do it). Muckey has a best bitter of my design on tap atm, bramling to bitter, finished with bramling and styrian, 0.75g/L between them, at 15. very nice combo. Just about to pitch the same again, but have upped the late addition to 1/2g/L of each hop.

I did get overpowering blackcurrent once, when I dry hopped with bramling. That one really stood out like dogs wotsits (but personally I liked it).

 

[rude]

Ive done a bitter BB ale malt touch of crystal with Thames Valley yeast by far my best AG so far 4.3%

Doing a mild with ringwood now so will use a cup of this slurry to do another bitter

Will use bairds marris otter ,crystal 60L ,& might try torrified wheat like I have seen Dr Smurto is going to use

Will the ringwood yeast be ok for this style ?

 

[rude]

Forgot the hops got, target challenger fuggles & styrian goldings in the freezern what do yas recon

Used ekg & styrian goldings last time really liked it

cheers all

 

[buttersd70]

Ringwood is excellent yeast choice for a mild due to it's low attenuation, but is just as good in a bitter. Just don't mash too hot. As for the hops...it's all 2c. Try fuggle to bitter, to ~0.65bu:gu, 0.5g/L styrian @20...that's (one of) my personal fav combo. If it's a best bitter, push it to ~0.7 bu:gu, and up the end to 0.75g/L.

 

[drsmurto]

Forgot the hops got, target challenger fuggles & styrian goldings in the freezern what do yas recon

Used ekg & styrian goldings last time really liked it

cheers all

All challenger (he says with his nose stuck in a bag of challenger plugs)! :icon_drool2:

Fuggles and styrians are another great combo.

 

[warrenlw63]

Fuggles and styrians are another great combo.

Yep I would almost say my most fave combo at that. Lovely. :chug:

Hey butters I was probably a little harsh of my comments of Bramling X. Just a different hop that's for sure. I'll probably use it again but will blend it with others.

Warren -

 

[Effect]

I've been reading up a bit on bitters and milds, as I have always been wanting to brew one...but then I remembered I did warren's styrian special bitter back in the day...

What a cracker!!!

Will be brewing that one again. /me puts it into the 'to brew' folder in beersmith. Lovely marmelade flavour. I like all hops, except for late addtions of fuggles, but styrian goldings would have to be my number one hop.

If I were to get a hand pump, this is the first one to go through it.

Cheers
Phil

 

[Katherine]

I love challenger.... styrian is still growing on me probably didnt help I overhopped my bitter with it! Very perfumey.

 

[Effect]

I love challenger.... styrian is still growing on me probably didnt help I overhopped my bitter with it! Very perfumey.

just read on the craftbrewer website

Lovely hop for english ales. Challenger hops are spicy, strawlike, with marmelade undertones.

I like the marmelade flavour of the styrians...so might have to give challenger ago. And since craftbrewer has some plugs... why not?

What would a challenger and styrian bitter be like?

Cheers
Phil

 

[warrenlw63]

What would a challenger and styrian bitter be like?

I think it should make you happy Phil. :icon_cheers:

Warren -

 

[Katherine]

Its l a great combo. I do think the challenger has more of the marmalade flavour.

From memory I used the challenger for bittering and a combo of them both for flavour and styrian for the aroma.

Challenger is up there for one of my favourite hops!

 

[buttersd70]

Yep I would almost say my most fave combo at that. Lovely. :chug:

Hey butters I was probably a little harsh of my comments of Bramling X. Just a different hop that's for sure. I'll probably use it again but will blend it with others.

Warren -

I didn't percieve it as harsh, warren. Everyone has different tastes and different perceptions of what they do taste. Personally, for me, my perception is more mixed berries, rather than blackcurrant per se. Muckey, on the other hand (another bramling fan) percieves a lot more spiciness to it, and equates it to christmas pudding.

I think if you were to blend it, particularly with styrian, you'd be a happy camper.

I like all hops, except for late addtions of fuggles,

Phil, have you ever tried a beer with late additions of fuggle that have been done with a light touch? Like in the region of 0.3-0.5g/L ? imo, one of the reasons that people don't like fuggle as a late addition is because they are too heavy handed with it. It can be quite grassy, but not if it's treated right....it's one of those things where 'less is more'. Next time I brew a pale beer (read bitter) with late fuggle, I'll save you a sample. (you too, DrS. ^_^ )

 

[Katherine]

Next time I brew a pale beer (read bitter) with late fuggle, I'll save you a sample. (you too, DrS. happy.gif )

I hate fuggles

 

[buttersd70]

I hate fuggles

Yes, but you're a bit of a hophead, aren't you Katie? Trying to get you to be subtle with hop additions is like banging your head against a brick wall whilst autoerotically strangling yourself with a biab bag.
bwaaah. :lol:

The lower rates that I was referring to are more suited to bitter (as opposed to best, or extra best...I refuse to use the insulting classification of 'ordinary' or it's slightly less offensive cousin, 'standard'. It's just bitter).

 

[Bribie G]

For a knockout combination try a basic bitterer like Target or Challenger, not more than 20g, then Northdown for flavour and some more bitterness, and a late addition of Styrian Goldings. My Mild that picked up first at the BABBs was 15g Northdown and 10g Styrians but my latest SuperLandlord is Challenger/Northdown/Styrians and is complex to the nth degree, IMHO.

How'd you get on with the tasting Butters / Muckey ? :icon_cheers: :icon_cheers:


Edit: if we are talking ordinary bitter here, as Butters has pointed out in the past, the difference in hoppiness between a mild and an ordinary bitter can be a very fine line indeed and easy to step over, especially with some of the more malt driven beers such as in Wales.