Special bitter with whirlpool hops

[dave_h]

Hi everyone,

Ive been brewing for a number of years and I'm getting pretty close to a good English Ale but I still feel im lacking in flavor so Im looking at trying whirlpool hopping for the first time.

Can I get some tips on the following recipe?

Im looking at an easy to drink special bitter.

4.00 kg Maris Otter (Crisp) (7.9 EBC) Grain 1 90.9 %
0.20 kg Crystal 150 (170.0 EBC) Grain 2 4.5 %
0.20 kg Wheat Malt, Pale (Weyermann) (3.9 EBC) Grain 3 4.5 %

10.00 g Challenger 6.1 [6.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 6.6 IBUs
30.00 g Challenger 6.1 [6.10 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 60.0 min Hop 5 9.9 IBUs
30.00 g Goldings, East Kent 5.1 [5.10 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 60.0 min Hop 6 8.3 IBUs
20.00 g Challenger 6.1 [6.10 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 7 0.0 IBUs
20.00 g Goldings, East Kent 5.1 [5.10 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs

1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) [23.66 ml] Yeast

I was planning on chilling the wort straight after the boil to 80 C and then hold that for 40 mins and add the whirlpool hops then. Dry or keg hop if it needs it.

I was thinking of adding some cafafa III for colour and maybe a little caramunich II for the caramel (I bought it thinking it was interchangeable for English crystal malt which I now believe it is not).

Below is the rest of my inventory in case I have anything else that might add to it?

Thanks

Dave


Name Type Color Inventory
Carafa III (Weyermann) Grain 1034.3 0.39
Candi Sugar, Dark Sugar 541.8 0.5
Special B (Dingemans) Grain 290.6 1.5
Crystal 150 Grain 170 0.02
Caramunich II (Weyermann) Grain 124.1 2
Caraamber (Weyermann) Grain 70.9 1
Biscuit (Dingemans) Grain 44.3 0.45
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L Grain 39.4 0.5
Carahell (Weyermann) Grain 25.6 2
Munich Malt Grain 17.7 0.5
Maris Otter (Crisp) Grain 7.9 12.5
Swaen Pale Grain 6.5 6
Vienna Malt (Weyermann) Grain 5.9 1.5
Carafoam (Weyermann) Grain 3.9 1.3
Wheat Malt, Pale (Weyermann) Grain 3.9 3.5
Pilsner Malt Malz Grain 3.3 2
Belgian Abbey Yeast - 1
Cascade 7.7 Hop - 120
Cascade 7.8 Hop - 200
Cascade 9 Hop - 20
Cascade pellets 5.7 Hop - 25
Centennial 9 Hop - 60
Challenger 6 Hop - 300
Challenger 6.1 Hop - 35
Corn Sugar (Dextrose) Sugar 0 0.6
Forbidden Fruit Yeast - 3
Golding, U.S. Hop - 100
Goldings, East Kent 5.1 Hop - 165
Hallertauer Mittelfrueh Hop - 5
Hallertauer Mittelfrueh Homegrown Hop - 50
Perle Hop - 35
SafAle English Ale Yeast - 1
Safale American Yeast - 1
Styrian Goldings 7.4 Hop - 10
Viking Caramel Pilsner, Carapills Grain 1.5 0.28
Yeast Nutrient Other - 15

[seymour]

Looks fantastic as-is. Happy brewing!

[dave_h]

So no Carafa III or caramunich II?

[orlando]

No. If you want to adjust colour but keep the flavour profile of the recipe use Sinimar from the Malt Miller.

[WalesAles]

dave,
If it was mine, I would put in 2 Tablespoons of everything you have there!
Go on, You know you want to!

WA

[seymour]

So no Carafa III or caramunich II?

No, both of those would contribute immediately recognizable German attributes to your English-style ale.

[dave_h]

I just realised I have not replied, better late than never, so here goes!

I went with the following recipe.

Bitterness: 31.2 IBUs
Est Color: 19.5 EBC
Measured Original Gravity: 1.045 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.6 %

4.00 kg Maris Otter (Crisp) (7.9 EBC) Grain 2 91.1 %
0.15 kg Crystal 150 (170.0 EBC) Grain 3 3.4 %
0.04 kg Carafa III (Weyermann) (1034.3 EBC) Grain 4 0.9 %
0.20 kg Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (2.0 EBC) Sugar 5 4.6 %
20.00 g Challenger 6.1 [6.10 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 6 14.3 IBUs
20.00 g Fuggles 5.7 [5.70 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 7 12.2 IBUs
0.29 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 8 -
20.00 g Fuggles 5.7 [5.70 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 4.4 IBUs
15.00 g Fuggles 5.7 [5.70 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 10 0.3 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04)

It tasted quite nice out of the fermenter but tasted quite metallic from the keg. I think this is because I over carbed it (forced shaking), it took ages for the taste to go and never went fully.

It was an ok beer but seemed to be lacking in that nice smooth ale taste.

Thanks for the replys

[Robwalkeragain]

I would put that down to the yeast to be honest, I find s-04 quite sharp fruity and pear droppy and lacks the nice bready vanilla flavours you get in the bitters round here. If you're after a proper regional bitter then yeast is king. No need for sugar or carafa 3 imo, try caramel 20, Munich or caramunich to beef it up, up to 10% is fine, 3% is next to nothing.

[dave_h]

I would put that down to the yeast to be honest, I find s-04 quite sharp fruity and pear droppy and lacks the nice bready vanilla flavours you get in the bitters round here. If you're after a proper regional bitter then yeast is king. No need for sugar or carafa 3 imo, try caramel 20, Munich or caramunich to beef it up, up to 10% is fine, 3% is next to nothing.

I still think the metallic taste was due to over carbing, Ive had it before but now as pronounced, probably as the style was less intense so it was easier to pick out. It got better after a couple of weeks.

Agree with the sugar, it was not planned on being in there but I messed up with draining the mash and my SG was too low so I topped it up. Beer was not too thin luckily.

Carafa 3 was only 40g and was to adjust the colour a little without adding any flavor, I didnt want to use any caramunich as I thought it was too far from UK crystal.

I take it you use Munich or caramunich in your ales? Ive got lots of caramunich I, II, carared and munich and would love to use them instead of buying yet more grain.