Classic British Bitter: A Traditional Cask-Style Ale

Classic British Bitter: A Traditional Cask-Style Ale

Classic British Bitter

There's nothing quite like a well-made British bitter. This recipe delivers a traditional cask-style ale with wonderful malt complexity, subtle fruity esters, and that characteristic English hop character. At around 4.2% ABV, it's perfectly sessionable.

Ingredients

Malt Bill (for 23 litres)

  • 4kg Maris Otter pale malt
  • 300g crystal malt (60L)
  • 200g biscuit malt

Hops

  • 30g East Kent Goldings (60 minutes)
  • 20g Fuggles (15 minutes)
  • 15g East Kent Goldings (flame out)

Yeast

  • 1 packet Safale S-04 English ale yeast

Other

  • 1 tsp Irish moss (15 minutes)
  • Brewing water treated for medium hardness

Method

Step 1: Mash

Heat 12 litres of water to 74°C. Add all grains and stabilise at 66°C. Mash for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. This temperature produces a medium-bodied beer with good fermentability.

Step 2: Sparge

Heat 18 litres of sparge water to 76°C. Slowly sparge over 45 minutes, collecting approximately 27 litres of wort in your kettle.

Step 3: Boil

Bring wort to a rolling boil. Add the first hop addition and boil for 60 minutes total. Add Fuggles and Irish moss at 15 minutes remaining. Add the flame-out hops when you turn off the heat, steeping for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Cool and Pitch

Cool wort rapidly to 18-20°C using a wort chiller or ice bath. Transfer to a sanitised fermenter, leaving sediment behind. Pitch yeast and seal with an airlock.

Step 5: Fermentation

Ferment at 18-20°C for 7-10 days until activity subsides. The S-04 yeast will produce subtle fruity esters that complement the malt beautifully.

Step 6: Conditioning

Transfer to a secondary vessel or bottle directly. For bottle conditioning, add 80g of priming sugar dissolved in boiled water. Condition for at least 2 weeks before drinking.

Expected Results

  • ABV: 4.0-4.2%
  • Colour: Deep amber
  • IBU: 28-32
  • Ready to drink: 3-4 weeks

Brewing Tips

Water chemistry matters: British bitters benefit from harder water with higher calcium and sulphate levels. If you have soft water, consider adding gypsum to enhance hop bitterness perception.

Temperature control: Keep fermentation steady at 18-20°C. Too warm and you'll get excessive fruity esters; too cool and fermentation may stall.

Cask-style serving: For the most authentic experience, serve this bitter lightly carbonated at cellar temperature (11-13°C). The flavours really open up compared to serving it cold.

Freshness counts: This style is best enjoyed fresh. The delicate hop character fades over time, so aim to drink within 2-3 months of brewing.

Recommended Products

Find everything you need for this recipe at BrewCo:

This British bitter makes an excellent introduction to all-grain brewing and produces a genuinely rewarding pint. Once you've mastered this recipe, try adjusting the crystal malt percentage or experimenting with different English hop varieties to make it your own. Cheers!

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