OB Bitter anyone ?

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galaxian
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OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by galaxian » Sun Jun 17, 2018 9:01 pm

Hi, I'm looking to brew a standard bitter, and while looking for a suitable candidate a workmate asked if I could brew a batch of Oldham Brewery Bitter,
I have found out that the brewery was bought over a long time ago. As I have no idea what this tasted like, does anyone here remember, and maybe suggest a recipe ?

I found some info on The Home Brewer's Recipe Database https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2Cw ... ry&f=false


OB Bitter

og 1038

86% pale malt
6% crystal mail
8% cane sugar

Fuggles,goldings,styrian goldings - late goldings
32 IBU's

yeast ?

I could make a stab at a drinkable beer, but it may not taste anything like the original.

Thanks
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PeeBee
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by PeeBee » Mon Jun 18, 2018 9:19 am

I've dropped a line to "Edd" on another forum. He grubs around the northern brewery records (like in Manchester) looking for recipes to translate. See what he comes up with (if anything).
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

galaxian
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by galaxian » Mon Jun 18, 2018 9:33 am

Thanks PeeBee :-)
Brewing -
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In the pipeline -
Drinking - - Fullers Ported (BYOBRA)

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PeeBee
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by PeeBee » Mon Jun 18, 2018 12:35 pm

He came back pretty quick (as he does). His comments were:

Sadly I`ve not been able to locate any Oldham Brewery brewing info , and I`m pretty sure that there are NO brewing books in the archives @ Oldham or , at any other public archive source ; it could be that they were destroyed or fed to the boiler / skip when the brewery closed . I`ll keep my ears open though , and I`ll email Oldham Archives to see what they have from the brewery , (if anything) ,
Cheers ;

Edd

PS: Have you seen the Graham Wheeler CAMRA home brewing books , as I seem to remember that there`s one of the O.B beers in one of them (The last time I tried an Oldham Beer was on a visit to Burtonwood Brewery in the 1990`s (The Mild was being brewed under contract there)
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

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PeeBee
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by PeeBee » Mon Jun 18, 2018 1:15 pm

The recipe you have seems reasonably likely?

You might try this yeast: https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-bank/wl ... -ale-yeast

The recipe might not suit me but that would be personal preference - something a little less bitter, less attenuated and (therefore) no cane sugar in a session bitter for me, but the recipe is more in-line with that style of beer than my preferences.



(EDIT: In looking this stuff up I've found the Whitelabs info on yeast's "diastaticus" variation fascinating).
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

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Eric
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by Eric » Mon Jun 18, 2018 2:56 pm

It would appear the original recipe and brewing records are with Robinson's who own the rights. Some of the original financial and similar records are at the National Achives. What the original beer was like I wouldn't know, nor any versions brewed in other places as I've no recollection of even seeing it anywhere, but would think like so many others, none would likely match the original article.

Note the 86.5% English pale malt in the recipe here with crystal and #1 invert plus Goldings bittering and late from Ron Pattinson for a mild by Oldham Brewery. Seems a possible pattern.

As for yeast, possibly a Yorkshire Square type originally. Now likely something different, possibly even bottom fermenting used in a tall conical.
Without patience, life becomes difficult and the sooner it's finished, the better.

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PeeBee
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by PeeBee » Tue Jun 19, 2018 8:31 am

I can get out of here now as Edd has made an appearance on this site. I was just confusing the conversation acting as a mediary between forums. It was certainly confusing me! But worth it - I know about "saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus" now (and how to spell it!).
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

patto1ro
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by patto1ro » Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:21 am

Eric wrote:
Mon Jun 18, 2018 2:56 pm
It would appear the original recipe and brewing records are with Robinson's who own the rights. Some of the original financial and similar records are at the National Achives. What the original beer was like I wouldn't know, nor any versions brewed in other places as I've no recollection of even seeing it anywhere, but would think like so many others, none would likely match the original article.

Note the 86.5% English pale malt in the recipe here with crystal and #1 invert plus Goldings bittering and late from Ron Pattinson for a mild by Oldham Brewery. Seems a possible pattern.

As for yeast, possibly a Yorkshire Square type originally. Now likely something different, possibly even bottom fermenting used in a tall conical.
Oldham Bitter and Mild turn up in a 1980s Boddington brewing book. This is a recipe for 5 imperial gallons:

24th Feb 1988 Oldham BB
-----------------------
pale malt 75.20%
crystal malt 5.14%
No. 1 invert sugar 19.66%
Fuggles 90 mins 0.75 oz.
Goldings 30 mins 0.75 oz.
OG 1037
FG 1008.5
ABV 3.77
Apparent attenuation 77.03%
Mash at 152º F
Sparge at 158º F
Boil time 90 minutes

galaxian
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by galaxian » Tue Jun 19, 2018 11:40 am

Thats great stuff ! :D

Thanks Guys !
Brewing -
Conditioning - Exmoor Gold clone (BYOBRA)
In the pipeline -
Drinking - - Fullers Ported (BYOBRA)

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Eric
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by Eric » Tue Jun 19, 2018 11:52 am

It would seem my next brew has been decided.
Many thanks Ron.
Without patience, life becomes difficult and the sooner it's finished, the better.

galaxian
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by galaxian » Tue Jun 19, 2018 1:20 pm

Just need to get hold of some suitable yeast and I will brew this one too.
Brewing -
Conditioning - Exmoor Gold clone (BYOBRA)
In the pipeline -
Drinking - - Fullers Ported (BYOBRA)

galaxian
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by galaxian » Tue Jun 19, 2018 2:02 pm

How does this look ?

Any suggestions, objections ?


21 litres OB style Bitter

2.2kg pale malt
145g crystal malt
580g invert no1 (diy on the stove ?)

mash 67c for 60 mins

21g fuggles 60 min
21g goldings 30 min

West Yorkshire 1469 yeast (alternative suggestions maybe ?)
Brewing -
Conditioning - Exmoor Gold clone (BYOBRA)
In the pipeline -
Drinking - - Fullers Ported (BYOBRA)

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Eric
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by Eric » Tue Jun 19, 2018 2:10 pm

galaxian wrote:
Tue Jun 19, 2018 1:20 pm
Just need to get hold of some suitable yeast and I will brew this one too.
https://www.brewlab.co.uk/store/home-br ... d/p-107812
Without patience, life becomes difficult and the sooner it's finished, the better.

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PeeBee
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by PeeBee » Tue Jun 19, 2018 3:08 pm

galaxian wrote:
Tue Jun 19, 2018 2:02 pm
… West Yorkshire 1469 yeast (alternative suggestions maybe ?)
Lancashire bitters are commonly low gravity and high attenuation, so I'm not keen on the idea of "West Yorkshire #1469" for this. Last time I used #1469 I got 66.5% attenuation and even the brewing software I used suggested I'd only get 69%. Wyeast suggest 67-71%.

But Ron's info suggests you need 77%.

The sugar will help. But the trick of mashing at lower temperature (64C say) is deviating too far from the info provided.

My suggestion of "Manchester Ale" (WLP038) won't be easy to get hold of. Eric's suggestion of "Brewlabs" would definitely be worth a look, but yeast-slopes might terrify you? Grub about and see what's available but probably stay clear of #1469 (though I like it, but I don't make Oldham bitter. And I bet you'll need to buy a bigger fermenter; or else not mind clearing up the mess).
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

galaxian
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Re: OB Bitter anyone ?

Post by galaxian » Wed Sep 11, 2019 10:52 am

A quick update on this - now start of week 3 in the fermenter and will be bottled at the weekend :-)

Slight change in the recipie, cheated and used Tate+Lyle syrup instead of No1 invert due to time constraints, but interested to see how it comes out.

Will be asking my ex Oldham resident to give his opinion on wether it tastes anything like how he remembers the original ... Eeek !
Brewing -
Conditioning - Exmoor Gold clone (BYOBRA)
In the pipeline -
Drinking - - Fullers Ported (BYOBRA)

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