Bitter

BITTER

 Modern terminology has betrayed this beer. The Bitter, a traditional pub ale designed for utilitarian purposes, has been kicked to the side in recent years. Drinkable, easy to make, and beloved by generations, the Bitter is a beer for the people. A drinking person's drink. 

The Bitter took over for the Mild as the go-to for British pub goers some time in the 18th century. It's popularity bloomed along with the growing use of hops in beer. The Bitter was lighter and crisper that the mild, and the hops provided a different aesthetic altogether. In the latter stages of the 1800's, Bitter's popularity surged to the point of it being considered the "National Drink of England."

The Bitter hasn't gone away, either. Today, it has evolved into Session Ales in the United States, and is still produced in great volumes in its home island. Contrary to the popular mythology surrounding English beer, the Bitter is not generally served at room temperature. Especially in the modern era, it's drank cold, like the Session Ales in America. 

As for the beer itself, the Bitter is the smallest of the traditional English pub ales (check out our post about the ESB for more about the largest). The Bitter lives in the 3-5.5% ABV range, which for a beer of its nature is a bit of a gap to aim for. It is balanced, clean, and finishes dry, all of which creates a very drinkable beer. Casked versions promoted by the Real Ale Campaign are lightly carbonated, however, bottled or canned variants can have a stronger carbonation. Any hop aromatics come from English hops, which contribute resiny and piney notes a moderate hop bitterness. 

OUR RECIPE

7lbs 2-Row Pale Ale Malt
1/2lb 40L Caramel Malt
1/2lb Flaked Corn

2oz East Kent Goldings Hops

S-04 Dry English Ale Yeast

1tsp Irish Moss

Malts We Use
2-Row Pale Ale Malt: A basic base malt, this won’t impart too much color and very little flavor. It is a pretty clean, crisp malt that works well with specialty grains and pretty much any style of beer. American varieties are generally less starchy and lighter than English breeds.

40L Caramel Malt: This specialty malt will contribute not only a fair amount of sweetness, but also a beautiful color that makes this beer stand out from its mellower cousins. 40 is a mid range Caramel malt, with lower numbers (10, 20, etc) being much milder and higher being stronger flavored and darker. 

Flaked Corn Corn was used to impart more alcohol to beer without having to use more expensive barley. It doesn't add much color, but it does contribute to the overall sweetness of the beer while also adding some body and mouthfeel to the final product. 

Hops We Use

East Kent Goldings: An English hop variety from the 18^th century, this traditionally aromatic British hop is widely used across all styles of homebrewed beer. Slightly sweet, earthy, and floral, East Kent Goldings are generally considered to be the quintessential English hops.

Yeast We Use

SafAle S-04: A basic English dry yeast strain that works well across all styles but really thrives in malty and dark ales. Top fermenting and reliable, S-04 dry yeast can handle most low to medium ABV beers, it ferments quickly and creates a tight sediment base, increasing the clarity of lighter English ales while still retaining the hearty characteristics of pub beer.

Adjuncts We Use

Irish Moss: We use Irish Moss as a clarifying agent. These negatively charged seaweed particles attract proteins and other free radicals in your boil kettle and drag them to the bottom once cooled, thereby removing haze from your final product. Whirlfloc tablets are another option for this process. Regardless of your preferred methods of clarity, it is important that beers of this style are clear. Lagering can do this as well, but most home brewers don't have that capability, so adding Irish Moss (or something similar) can work wonders for cleaning up the beer.