8B. Special/Best/Premium Bitter
Aroma: The best examples have some malt aroma, often (but not always) with a caramel quality. Mild to moderate fruitiness. Hop aroma can range from moderate to none (UK varieties typically, although US varieties may be used). Generally no diacetyl, although very low levels are allowed.

Appearance: Medium gold to medium copper. Good to brilliant clarity. Low to moderate white to off-white head. May have very little head due to low carbonation.

Flavor: Medium to high bitterness. Most have moderately low to moderately high fruity esters. Moderate to low hop flavor (earthy, resiny, and/or floral UK varieties typically, although US varieties may be used). Low to medium maltiness with a dry finish. Caramel flavors are common but not required. Balance is often decidedly bitter, although the bitterness should not completely overpower the malt flavor, esters and hop flavor. Generally no diacetyl, although very low levels are allowed.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body. Carbonation low, although bottled and canned commercial examples can have moderate carbonation.

Overall Impression: A flavorful, yet refreshing, session beer. Some examples can be more malt balanced, but this should not override the overall bitter impression. Drinkability is a critical component of the style; emphasis is still on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales.

History: Originally a draught ale served very fresh under no pressure (gravity or hand pump only) at cellar temperatures (i.e. "real ale"). Bitter was created as a draught alternative (i.e. running beer) to country-brewed pale ale around the start of the 20th century and became widespread once brewers understood how to "Burtonize" their water to successfully brew pale beers and to use crystal malts to add a fullness and roundness of palate.

Comments: More evident malt flavor than in an ordinary bitter, this is a stronger, session-strength ale. Some modern variants are brewed exclusively with pale malt and are known as golden or summer bitters. Most bottled or kegged versions of UK-produced bitters are higher-alcohol versions of their cask (draught) products produced specifically for export. The IBU levels are often not adjusted, so the versions available in the US often do not directly correspond to their style subcategories in Britain. This style guideline reflects the "real ale" version of the style, not the export formulations of commercial products.

Ingredients: Pale ale, amber, and/or crystal malts, may use a touch of black malt for color adjustment. May use sugar adjuncts, corn or wheat. English hops most typical, although American and European varieties are becoming more common (particularly in the paler examples). Characterful English yeast. Often medium sulfate water is used.

Vital Statistics:
OG FG IBUs SRM ABV
1.040 - 1.048 1.008 - 1.012 25 - 40 5 - 16 3.8 - 4.6%


Example Recipes are on their way. If you guys have any recipes you want to share or talk about then go for it!

so close!! I have my ESB fermenting right now.

That history is quite the dreck...

but anyway. I'm ferming a best bitter as we speak.

Throw up your recipe or a link to the recipe Bitter Bob.

Here's what I got cooking.
The Scottish yeast has become my house strain (for now). It's the 1st generation washed yeast.



Recipe: Bob's Best Bitter (2.0)
Brewer: Bitter_Bob
Asst Brewer:
Style: Special/Best/Premium Bitter
TYPE: All Grain


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 6.68 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.72 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 14.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 30.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.4 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7.90 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 93.0 %
0.34 lb Amber Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 2 4.0 %
0.26 lb Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.0 %

0.80 oz Cluster [7.70 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 24.0 IBUs
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 5 -
0.50 oz Fuggles [4.30 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 3.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.70 %] - Boil 10.0 Hop 7 3.3 IBUs
0.50 oz Fuggles [4.30 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.70 %] - Boil 0.0 Hop 9 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Scottish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1728) [124.21 Yeast 10 -

1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.70 %] - Dry Hop 7 Hop 11 0.0 IBUs


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 8.50 lb
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 11.00 qt of water at 158.7 F 148.0 F 75 min

I modify my water. It doesn't make sense to post that, since everyone's water will be different.

Oooh, excellent!

Here's Jamil's recipe from BCS, for reference:

6 gallon post-boil volume, 70% efficiency (if your efficiency is greater or lesser, adjust the amount of British Pale Ale Malt only)

9.5 lbs British Pale Ale Malt
8 oz Aromatic (20°L)
8 oz Crystal 120
4 oz Special Roast (50°L)

151° 60 minute mash

60 minute boil
1.2 oz Kent Goldings (5% AA) @ 60 minutes
.5 oz Kent Goldings @ 20 minutes
.5 oz Kent Goldings @ 1 Minute

Ferment at 68° with White Labs WLP002, Wyeast 1968 or Fermentis Safale S-04

For extract, sub 6.8 lbs English Pale Ale LME for the Pale Ale malt.

OG: 1.047
FG: 1.012
IBU: 30
SRM: 11

So maybe I'll have a 2nd go at my Special Bitter Recipe.

My working recipe for a Mr. Beer sized batch is:
4.0 lbs Maris Otter
0.5 lbs British Dark Crystal
0.25 lbs British Extra Dark Crystal
0.2 oz each Bramling Cross & EKG @ FWH
0.2 oz each Bramling Cross & EKG @ 60
S-04 yeast

Suggested ABV is 4.5
Suggested IBU is 35

nice. have an ESB in the fermenter as we speak. bottling this upcoming weekend.

Keep Calm And Brew On E.S.B.

FYI, I will accept ESBs as well as Ordinary/Standard Bitters (or really, any other type of beer you wish to send) for evaluation. I'll even do a side by side (by side by side...etc, as needed) video review!

If anyone wants to send any, PM me your address.

I did order the stuff for the Special Bitter but FedEx ground is screwing up the delivery. I should have received it Wednesday, now I'll be lucky to get it by Monday.

EDIT: Finally received the package almost one week late.

Here's what I put together last weekend for the ROTM. My OG is a little high, but here it is.
----
Brewer: xs400
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
Batch: 2.25 gal Extract

Characteristics
---------------
Recipe Gravity: 1.052 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 27 IBU
Recipe Color: 11° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.013
Alcohol by Volume: 5.0%
Alcohol by Weight: 4.0%

Ingredients
-----------
Briess DME - Golden Light 1.00 lb, Extract, Extract
Briess DME - Sparkling Amber 1.00 lb, Extract, Extract
Carared 0.50 lb, Grain, Steeped
MrB. Booster 0.40 lb, Sugar, Other

Cascade 0.50 oz, Pellet, 40 minutes
Tettnanger (U.S.) 0.50 oz, Pellet, 10 minutes

Nottingham 1.00 unit, Yeast,

Notes: fermenting at 64

Looks like the final version of the Special Bitter will be something like:

3.75 lbs Crisp Marris Otter
0.5 lb Crisp Dark Crystal
0.25 lb Crisp Extra Dark Crystal
0.6 oz EKG Whole Hops @ FWH
0.5 oz Brambling Cross @ FWH
S-04

That squeeks me in at close to the top of all catagories.
OG 1.047
ABV 4.5
IBU 38
SRM 16

Looking good, Prof!

I must say, I enjoy your posts of ingredient pics...maybe I should liven up my recipes by doing that.

Then again, I'm really lazy, so that's unlikely to happen on any kind of regular basis...though at some point, maybe I'll document my low-rent AG brew process for everyone.

mmmm maris otter. i put a few of my ESBs in the fridge to take to the next beer club (a group of coworkers that homebrew and/or enjoy craft beer)... i'll let you know how it goes over.

And remember, everyone...you're supposed to send a sample of your RotM to this month's brewer of the month (aka Me!).

Samples of other brews also accepted, and I'll review any and all beers sent to me. If you want, I'll even do a video review!

Oops, looks like I have an ESB on my hands with an OG of about 1.058.

Did you overshoot efficiency, or undershoot volume?

http://www.mrbeerfans.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/256622/Bewitched_Bitter.html#Post256622

There's what I put together...just dry hopped it yesturday with. 5 oz Fuggles. Love it.

For one I forgot to take any Marris Otter out of the 4lb bag, the brewing software showed I should have taken out at least 1/4lb.

Nice krausen on the top by this morning. And I did already taste a small sample. It's hard to even distinguish what the flavors are but it is bursting with them.

You're not gonna complain that it's an ESB rather than an SB?

Nope! All varieties of bitters beers will be accepted!

Jon turn down a homebrew...yeah right. He'll even drink a Stout!

I'll even try beers people think are dumpers!

Apparently I'm off to a late start for this ROTM, but here's what I'm thinking about for tomorrow:

Batch Size: 5.25 gal
OG: 1.045 (4.3% ABV)
IBU: ~30
SRM: 10

6.5 lb Maris Otter
1 lb Carastan
0.5 lb Special Roast

1 oz 4.7% Kent Goldings @ 30 min
1 oz 4.7% Kent Goldings @ 20 min
1 oz 4.7% Kent Goldings @ 10 min
1 oz 4.7% Kent Goldings @ 0 min

1 tsp Irish Moss @ 10 min

Not sure what yeast I will try yet, probably WLP005 British Ale but since I just used that for the Ordinary Bitter I'm drinking the last of, I might try WLP029 Scottish Ale for something different...

I'm a really big fan of Wyeast 1968, which is the same strain as WLP002. Can't reccomend it enough!

if you do use it, be super careful to keep temps VERY stable otherwise it will floc out before it finishes its business. that said, i like what i've seen so far from it.

This is very true. I like to agitate the fermentor gently and warm things up after it SEEMS to have finished fermenting.

You could also always rack it to a secondary instead of agitating the fermentor.

and a nice, long, warm, PBW soak to break up the concrete-like trub... like an old man into a bath.

I've used WLP002 on a lot of batches, I like it too. Love its esters, and it flocs like crazy. I've also used WLP007 which is very similar. But the style guide says "low to medium maltiness with a dry finish" which sounds sort of in between WLP002 and WLP007 to me, attenuation-wise.

I didn't get to brewing this weekend but I picked up the grains for this today and did decide to go with WLP005 and take out the 0-min hop addition, brewing it right now. Will see how it all turns out!

Edit: Brew day went well, I hit Qbrew's estimated OG exactly at 1.045 (75% eff). SWMBO even said the house smelled good afterward, usually she can't stand brew days.

I am finally bottling up the ESB this afternoon.
I also did a QC tasting. The small taste from the shot glass seemed pretty good so I got about 1/4 of a glass from the spigot to really sample it. I really like the all FWH. There is no bitterness at first, a light smooth bitterness to the finish with a slightly more bitter aftertaste. I hope it stays this good after carbing.

in my experience, beers like this get a little more bitter with the bite from the carbonic acid...though if you carb this one to style, it won't be that heavily carbed, so that bite should be minimized.

FWH beers or English Bitters?

Highly hopped beers, like English Bitters, APAs and IPAs.

So, how's everyone's recipe coming along? Anyone with bottles almost ready to ship off to February's BotM?

Actually, if anyone is going to ship me any beer, I'd say wait a bit. Thorn and I are (likely) moving April 15th, and it'll make things a lot easier if you just ship it to my new address, once we're moved.

I am drinking one of my "conditioning" ESBs tonight.

With an earlier taste I thought there might be an off flavor and was worried about it.

Today I like it. It seems to have a fruity bitterness (is that from the all FWH?).

I may have to make sure Jon gets one of these just to see what he thinks.

I support that idea.

I just about forgot this was in the closet which means it should be ready to drink. Gonna throw one in the fridge to see - Jon when you're settled at your new address I will send one out. My first time shipping beer so any advice is welcome. It'll be in a PET bottle, so at least not much concern about breaking it.