Noel Blake says this about the beer: This recipe won best of show at the 2nd annual Mill Creek Classic. The judges loved the recipe, saying that it was a true English-style Bitter. They would have liked slightly lower hops and a bit more F.G., but it scored a 37 just the same. The hops are assertive but not aggressive, and the beer is very refreshing.
(He is being a little modest there. I spoke with one of the Best of Show judges, he stated that the BOS judges kept coming back to the beer and could not find a fault with it.)
Malt: 7 lbs. English pale malt 1/2 lb. flaked barley 1/4 lb. biscuit kilnamber (26L) 1/4 lb. biscuit aromatic (15 L) 1.5 oz. British chocolate (425L) 1.5 oz. Special 'B' (250L) Hops: 1.5 oz. Kent Goldings, pellets 4.5% 60 min .25 oz. Kent Goldings, pellets 4.5% 30 min .25 oz. Liberty, pellets 4.5% 30 min .25 oz. Kent Goldings, pellets 4.5% 15 min .25 oz. Liberty, pellets 4.5% 15 min .33 oz. Kent Goldings, pellets 4.5% 30 sec .33 oz. Liberty, pellets 4.5% 30 sec .33 oz. Styrian Golding 30 sec 1 oz. Kent Golding, pellets 4.5% Dry hopped for 5 days Yeast: Wyeast #1275 (Thames Valley) Starting Gravity: 1.050 Final Gravity: 1.010 Yeild: 4.5 GallonsBrewer's Specifics:A step mash was used with rests at 132 degrees for 30 minutes and 152 degrees for 75 minutes. Water was treated with 1/4 teaspoon Gypsum in the mash and sparge water and 1/2 teaspoon Gypsum and 1/4 teaspoon Calcium Carbonate in the boil. (note: this beer was brewed in Portland, OR. Our city water is very soft, close to the profile of Pilzen) A 1/4 teaspoon of Irish moss was used for 20 minutes of the boil.
Primary fermentation was for 4 days at 66 degrees and secondary fermentation was for 5 days at 63 degrees.
If you'd like you can send feedback to brewer Noel Blake or return to the OBC Home Page or the recipe index.