My first attempt at a "Best Bitter"

[Ceejay]

Been playing with this for a while, and for my second brew, I thought I'd have a go at formluating a recipe.

I've tried to keep it within known parameters of the style and having had a look at some other recipes and doing a bit of guess work, this is what I've come up with:

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/recipeview.php?recipe_id=860

My aim is a well balanced, clean tasting, refreshing best bitter with a hoppy aroma. Used a "traditional" mix of fuggles and EKG.

Could someone pick this apart and tell me if I'm on the right tack? For instance is the gravity drop from 1053 to 1017 going to result in a beer that's too sweet and chewy? Should I therefore swap half the crystal out for a much smaller qty of roasted barley, whilst keeping the SRM the same?

 

[Wendy1971]

looks ok when do you add your ekg to the boil

 

[Ceejay]

Ah, yes - it doesn't say does it!?

50g EKG 90 mins
30g fuggles at 15 mins from end
20g fuggles steeped at "lights out"

 

[rickthebrew]

I would drop the amount of crystal a little, maybe around 250 - 350 g, then add some choc or roasted barley for colour and flavour, hops look good as does the yeast choice :thumb: Wez`s Big Kenny recipe is a really well balanced bitter recipe and you could use your hop choice with the grain bill,
recipeview.php?recipe_id=35

i would stick with your yeast choice though or wlp023 :thumb:
http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.ph ... oductId=97

good luck with it

 

[Ceejay]

Cool, thanks RTB. I like the sound of that Burton Ale Yeast - think I might try that, and I'll take the crystal right down. Having looked at a few recipes, 1017 isnt where this beer wants to end up. Far too sweet.
I've seen good things about "Big Kenny". Will have a butchers

EDIT: Added some roasted barley and reduced the crystal to 300g. Couldn't find Burton Ale Yeast in the ingredients so I added London Ale Yeast, which also sounds rather nice.

 

[rickthebrew]

Sounds good.... I`ve just recieved some of the burton ale yeast which i`m going to split for an abbot ale clone and an oatmeal stout If a yeast type isn`t in the recipe section you can request it to be added or work out the expexted final gravity by using the attenuation calculator
calculators.php#ATTENUATION

the yeast will have an attenuation range (normally on the sellers website) just input the average to give you a good idea where it will end :thumb: