Homebrew recipe: Best Bitter
The old heartly original British dry ale. Brewed to an original gravity of the mid- to upper 1040s.
Ingredients:
The following ingredient quantities are based on 5 gallon(s) of beer being made.
| Item |
Quantity |
Comment |
| black patent malt |
2.5 ounce(s) |
|
| crystal malt |
0.5 pound(s) |
|
| goldings hops |
5 ounce(s) |
|
| malt extract |
2 pound(s) |
|
| sugar |
5 pound(s) |
|
| yeast #1098 british ale (wyeast) |
|
As per instructions on packet |
Instructions
To make best bitter…
- Place the crstal and black malt in 1.5 pints of hot water and warn at 65.5 degrees celcius for 2 hours.
- Boil 4 ounces in 6 pints of water for about 30 mins and combine this with malt solution. Sparge the malt container with very hot (not boiling water) and add the hops, simmer for 30 mins.
- Place 1 pound of sugar and the same of malt extract in a fermentation bin and strain in 2 pints of the hopped liquid. Stir until dissolved amd then add cool water to reduce the temperature to 21 degrees celcius.
- Repeat this technique ading sufficien hot water at each stage, until about 4 gallons of wort is created, then ad te remaining hop liquid and 2 pounds of sugar.
- Add the yeast and cover the fermentation bin with a clean cover or linen. Place in a warm place 60-70 degress celcius (NB: ensure temperature does not dip below 55 or go above 80).
- Ad the remaining 1 pound of sugar dissolved in 0.5 gallons of water after one day. Wait a further 2 days, skim away the yeast and top up wth warm water up to 5 gallons.
- Wait until fermentation is complete then check the gravity is between 0.066 and 1.000.
- Siphon the beer into bottles or your barrel, priming with sugar as desired (usually a teaspooon/ 4.5 grams per 750ml bottle OR 140 grams / 4 oz dissolved in hot water for a 5 gallon batch).
- Shake bottles or stir your barrel solution to dissolve the sugar.
- Store at 50-60 degrees celcius for at least three weeks before drinking. Enjoy your best bitter!
Beer making equipment
See our detailed list of beer making equipment (covers basic essentials and more advanced equipment for the experienced homebrewer).