Since then I decided that the house Bitter would be named Big Boy Bitter.
Sunny with a high of 30 but COLD in the morning so I mashed indoors.
Mashing in. The aluminum tin is punched with small holes to make vorlaufing the initial runnings easier. Just pour them in and gently lower the tin into the mash.
My set up a 1500watt heater element in the keg, wrapped with insulation and a PLC controller, set it and forget it. 48qt mash tun with the SS braid and the boiling keggle.
Finally got me some Northdown (its a 12 gallon batch, those are the bittering hops)
PVC collar with a paint straining bag attached with a ss clamp for hop additions, works great and keeps the wort nice and clean. I get great extraction from the hops.
Boiling with the chickens eagerly awaiting the spent grains. We have had HORRID weather so far this Winter. Already at the annual snow fall average for the year and still have 2 months to go. About a storm a week the last few weeks with 6" to a foot each time. It'll drive a man to drink
Into the fermenters pitched at 60 degrees. This is a split batch.
Trying the 1469 West Yorkshire yeast as well as the old standby for the house bitters, S-04
Recipe below:
Big Boy Bitter 3
A ProMash Recipe Report
BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------
04-B Bitter & English Pale Ale, Special or Best Bitter
Min OG: 1.039 Max OG: 1.045
Min IBU: 20 Max IBU: 45
Min Clr: 6 Max Clr: 14 Color in SRM, Lovibond
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 12.00 Wort Size (Gal): 12.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 18.13
Anticipated OG: 1.045 Plato: 11.27
Anticipated SRM: 10.9
Anticipated IBU: 42.8
Brewhouse Efficiency: 85 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------
Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 14.12 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.039 SG 9.63 Plato
Formulas Used
-------------
Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.
Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager
Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %
Additional Utilization Used For First Wort Hops: -65 %
Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
76.6 13.88 lbs. Maris Otter Great Britain 1.036 3
8.3 1.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Belgium 1.030 3
5.5 1.00 lbs. Aromatic Malt Belgium 1.036 25
8.3 1.50 lbs. Crystal 45L Great Britain 1.034 40
1.4 0.25 lbs. Chocolate Malt Great Britain 1.032 350
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.50 oz. UK Northdown Pellet 7.20 2.6 First WH
1.00 oz. Fuggle Pellet 4.50 3.2 First WH
2.50 oz. UK Northdown Pellet 7.20 36.9 60 min.
1.00 oz. Fuggle Pellet 4.50 0.0 0 min.
1.00 oz. Fuggle Whole 4.75 0.0 Dry Hop
Yeast
-----
WYeast 1469 West Yorkshire Ale
Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Type: Single Step
Grain Lbs: 18.13
Water Qts: 22.66 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 5.66 - Before Additional Infusions
Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.25 - Before Additional Infusions
Saccharification Rest Temp : 154 Time: 90
Mash-out Rest Temp : 167 Time: 5
Sparge Temp : 210 Time: 0
Total Mash Volume Gal: 7.12 - Dough-In Infusion Only
All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.
Looks good and hopefully you can sit and enjoy the fruits of your brew somewhere warm. 
, well mine too.