Classic English Bitter: A Traditional Session Ale

Classic English Bitter: A Traditional Session Ale

Classic English Bitter

This traditional English bitter delivers everything you'd expect from a proper British session ale—gorgeous amber colour, subtle caramel notes, and that unmistakable earthy English hop character. It's the kind of beer that's dangerously drinkable.

Specifications

  • Batch Size: 23 litres
  • Expected ABV: 4.2%
  • Expected OG: 1.042
  • Expected FG: 1.010
  • Bitterness: 30 IBU
  • Colour: Amber

Ingredients

Fermentables

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

Hops

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

Yeast

  • 1 packet English ale yeast (such as SafAle S-04 or Nottingham)

Other

  • 1 Protofloc tablet or half teaspoon 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 stir thoroughly to avoid dough balls. Your mash temperature should settle around 66-67°C. Hold for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 2: Sparge

Heat 18 litres of sparge water to 76°C. Drain the mash slowly whilst gently adding sparge water over the grain bed. Collect approximately 27 litres of wort to account for boil-off.

Step 3: Boil

Bring wort to a rolling boil. Add the 60-minute hop addition immediately. After 45 minutes, add the Fuggles and Protofloc tablet. At flame out, add the remaining East Kent Goldings and let steep for 10 minutes. Total boil time: 60 minutes.

Step 4: Cool and Pitch

Cool the wort rapidly to 18-20°C using a wort chiller or ice bath. Transfer to a sanitised fermenter, leaving sediment behind. Aerate well by shaking or stirring vigorously. Pitch your yeast.

Step 5: Fermentation

Ferment at 18-20°C for 7-10 days until fermentation activity ceases. Check gravity readings over two consecutive days—if stable, fermentation is complete.

Step 6: Packaging

For bottle conditioning, add 100g of priming sugar dissolved in a small amount of boiled water. Bottle and condition at room temperature for 2 weeks before refrigerating. Alternatively, keg and force carbonate to 1.8-2.0 volumes CO2.

Brewing Tips

  • Water chemistry matters: English bitters benefit from harder water. If you have soft water, consider adding gypsum and calcium chloride to boost mineral content.
  • Don't rush it: Give this beer at least 3-4 weeks from brew day before drinking. The flavours meld beautifully with a bit of patience.
  • Temperature control: Keep fermentation temperatures steady. English ale yeasts can produce unwanted fruity esters if temperatures climb too high.
  • Freshness counts: Use the freshest hops you can source. English hop varieties lose their delicate character quickly when stale.

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This English bitter is a brilliant introduction to all-grain brewing and produces a genuinely satisfying pint. Cheers!

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