Using the ingredients I have on hand to throw this together. I bought a sack of 2 row and a brick of yeast, so there is no reason at all to buy extra ingredients for this bitter. It will be fine. I will be mashing at 154 F. I have read that some brewers mash at 158 F, but I am not doing that for now. I did go to 156 F for awhile because I don't want a thin beer. I don't really expect a lot out of this as I used 2 row. But, Brew Dudes did a side by side brew using 2 row and Maris Otter. They said there was not a big difference between the 2 of them. All about the specialty malts and the hops I guess. I will keep buying 2 row as it is the cheapest malt around. This stuff is very expensive. The high prices are definitely stopping me from brewing more styles of beer as the ingredients and shipping are just too high. It can sit on the shelf forever for all I care. I bought my sack and brick of ale yeast and that is what I am using for the rest of 2023. Well, not quite. I bought some lager yeast as I want to brew a lager for Les and English Bob in late July.
Ingredients
10 lbs. Rahr
8 ozs. Crystal 120
7 ozs. Brown 90
28 g US-05
35 g Challenger at 60 min.
15 g Challenger at 15 min.
15 g Challenger at 1 min.
Mash Water - 5 gallons
Sparge Water - 5 gallons
Mash and Boil
Mash ( 154 F )
Gyp - 1.2 g
CI - 1.8 g
Eps- 1.9
1.1 g Baking Soda
Boil
Gyp - 1.2 g
CI - 1.8 g
Eps - 1.9 g
Sparge Lactic Acid - .2 ml
Water Profile - Amber Balanced
O.G. - 1.043
F.G. - 1.010
% - 4.3
SRM - 10
BU - 32
PH - 5.50
BREW DAY NOTES
Nothing to report, an uneventful brew day which is good. Added rehyrdrated yeast at 1 PM.
Day 2 - Going good. 64 F.
Day 3 - Had to turn the fridge on. Too warm. Didn't check it before bed. 66 F.
Day 4 - Turned on heater in the pub room where I carried this in. I forgot about it for a few hours and it got up to 72 F. Well, it did finish off the fermentation. No activity as of Feb. 23.
KEG ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1ST.
Fine. No funny, odd or astringent taste which is everything. Still unsure what sack of malt to buy. Most likely Pils malt because summer beers is what I enjoy the most. Will sample on March 11 and if somewhat clear I may use a 2 L pop bottle for a carbed sample. Of course it will need 2 more weeks to see how it will really taste. Do not save this beer for the summer as I will only be brewing one beer and that is a Helles.
ADDED GELATIN ON SUNDAY, MARCH 5
I will transfer to another keg once it is cleared. This needs to be drinkable as my stout and IPA are getting low. I like the stout, the IPA needs sulphates but too late for that now. Cleared up bright.
A SAMPLE ON MARCH 10
Very good. Totally surprised. No astringency, no stale or odd taste which I get now and then. Mashing at 154 F to 156 F did wonders for this beer. ( mashed at 154 f for 30 min. and mashed at 156 F for the last 30 min. No idea if that did anything. The srm is spot on, a nice golden amber. Brewing this again soon.
Racking to another keg on Monday, March 13. Will use 2 PET bottles to take down to Dorchester on April 1st.
TASTE AFTER CARBING UP
Fine. Needs Maris Otter and a touch more of specialty malts. It tastes kind of lite, but that is not a bad thing because I don't want that stale, odd, funny and pastey malt taste I got 2 - 4 years ago with around 5 batches in a row. All of those batches were bought from OBK specialty malts that were not bought from a 55 lb. sack. Must of sat there for awhile, never again. I am not brewing this style again. Lagers for now on. I have picked one style to brew and will keep at it until it gets to where I really like the end product. Waiting for May to get here so I can brew 42 L at once.
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