Weets Best Bitter

Classification: pale ale, bitter, all-grain

Source: Peter Neave (peter@weets.demon.co.uk), r.c.b., 10/8/95

This recipe should give (depending on extraction rates) a premium best bitter with an O.G. of between 1050 to 1055. The mash system I use gives extraction rates of around 80% with an O.G. around 1055. If higher extraction rates are acheived the malt may have to reduced.

An excellent strong mild can be achieved by dropping the pale malt to 11 pounds, adding 0.5 pound of wheat malt and 0.5 pound of chocolate malt. To reduce the bitterness replace the Target with Fuggles or Willamette hops.

Ingredients:

12 pounds of pale malt. Marris Otter if possible.
1 ounce Target hops (boil 60 minutes)
1.5 ounces East Kent Goldings or Mount Hood (boil 30 minutes)
0.5 ounce East Kent Goldings or Mount Hood added after boil has finished for a ten minute hot soak
ale yeast, a Wyeast culture would be fine, in my case a pet yeast strain from a local brewery

Procedure:

Mash at 150 F for 90 minutes. Sparge with 5 gallons at 180 F. Boil for 60 minutes. Cool to 70 F and pitch an ale yeast.

Specifics:

OG: 1050-1055