The Style of the Quarter competition for the Bay Area Mashers was English Bitter.  After the recent run of Porters and more, we needed something more drinkable

Brewer’s Notes

This recipe is pretty much directly out of Clone Brews.

The brew was uneventful, mash was 150F +- 5F.  Hops have more bittering than recipe calls for, but the target IBU for the recipe and the Beersmith IBU were very different, so more bitterness is probably good.  SRM seems a bit light, and suspended solids fell out quickly.  Added 2 gallons to make 5 gallon batch. Exceptionally clear wort.  Light taste, but should fill out.

OG:1.046 @ 80F, target 1.048
FG: 1.010@ 66F, target 1.010

Fermenting Notes

Primary

Target Temperature range: 68F
Average: 68.31F
Standard Deviation: 0.94

courage_bitter_primary

2.7.2015 – 1.010 @ 66F – Racked to secondary.  Flavor is malt-forward as expected, since dry-hop still needs to go in. Has dried out well, light apple flavor? Estery. Some astringency.  Generally tastes young and needs the time in secondary.

Secondary

Target Temperature range: 68F
Average: 68.03F
Standard Deviation: 0.17

courage_bitter_secondary

2.10.2015 – Added .5oz Styrian Goldings.

2.17.2015 – Removed dry hop

2.19.2015 – Started carbonation @ 14psi

2.21.2015 – Bottled

Tasting Notes

2.21.2015 – Dropped beer off to competition.  It is very lightly carbonated, but that is reasonably to style. Still malt-forward and extremely drinkable.  One could have a few pints of this easily.

4.19.2015 – Beer is almost all gone.  Leaving bottles in the laundry room has contributed to the acetaldehyde flavors, this beer was best fresh and cold.  However, results were good, as it placed 3rd in the Bay Area Mashers Style of the Quarter.

Judge’s Notes

Recipe