Classic English Bitter - A Perfect Session Ale

Classic English Bitter - A Perfect Session Ale

Classic English Bitter

This quintessential British ale showcases the best of English brewing tradition. With its biscuity malt backbone and subtle hop bitterness, this bitter is ideal for both newcomers and experienced brewers alike.

Ingredients (23 litres)

Malt

  • 3.5kg Maris Otter pale malt
  • 300g crystal malt (60L)
  • 150g amber malt

Hops

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

Yeast

  • 1 packet Safale S-04 English ale yeast

Other

  • Half a Campden tablet (treating water)
  • Irish moss or Protafloc (15 minutes from end of boil)

Method

Step 1: Preparation

Heat 12 litres of water to 74°C. Crush your grains if not already done.

Step 2: Mash

Add all grains to your mash tun and pour in the heated water. Stir thoroughly to eliminate dry spots. Target a mash temperature of 66°C. Rest for 60 minutes.

Step 3: Sparge

Heat 18 litres of water to 76°C. Drain the mash tun slowly whilst gently adding sparge water. Collect approximately 27 litres of wort.

Step 4: Boil

Bring the wort to a rolling boil. Add 30g East Kent Goldings at the start of the 60-minute boil. With 15 minutes remaining, add 20g Fuggle and your Irish moss. At flame out, add the final 15g East Kent Goldings and steep for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Cool and Ferment

Cool the wort rapidly to 18-20°C using a wort chiller or ice bath. Transfer to a sanitised fermenter, leaving sediment behind. Pitch your yeast and seal with an airlock. Ferment at 18-20°C for 7-10 days.

Step 6: Condition

Once fermentation is complete (stable gravity reading over two days), rack to a secondary vessel or proceed to packaging. For bottle conditioning, add 80g of priming sugar dissolved in a small amount of boiled water. Bottle and condition for at least two weeks at room temperature before refrigerating.

Expected Results

  • Original Gravity: 1.042
  • Final Gravity: 1.010
  • ABV: 4.2%
  • IBU: 30-35
  • Colour: Copper/amber

Brewing Tips

Water chemistry matters: English bitters benefit from water with moderate sulphate levels. If you're in a soft water area, consider adding a small amount of gypsum to enhance hop character.

Temperature control: Keep fermentation temperatures steady. S-04 works beautifully at 18°C, producing clean flavours with subtle fruity esters that complement the malt.

Patience pays off: Whilst drinkable after two weeks of conditioning, this bitter truly shines after four weeks. The flavours meld together beautifully with time.

Cask-style serving: For an authentic pub experience, consider using a pressure barrel with low carbonation rather than highly carbonated bottles.

Recommended Products

Find everything you need for this recipe at BrewCo:

Happy brewing!

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