special bitter feedback

[dfj]

the recipe
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i've also use safeale s04
fermenting at 68 f

My tasting says too much breadniess with both mangove jack liberty bell and safeale 04
thinking of cutting the marris otterto 3.5# and using 2 row pale american 3.5#
Nothing like fuller London pride which does not have the bread taste

 

[J A]

Recipe looks fine, though I don't know why you have sugar in there. No need to thin out a light beer like this...just add a little more base malt. I use a mix of Pilsner and either Maris or Pale malt. Works nicely for getting a malty flavor. I get more fruitiness out or S-04 these days - not really thrilled with that. I think it really depends on fermentation temp with that yeast and a much larger pitch helps. I always have better results pitching a big, healthy slurry than hydrating a single pack for even a low-gravity beer. I'm on the hunt for a better English yeast to use.

 

[dfj]

Recipe looks fine, though I don't know why you have sugar in there. No need to thin out a light beer like this...just add a little more base malt. I use a mix of Pilsner and either Maris or Pale malt. Works nicely for getting a malty flavor. I get more fruitiness out or S-04 these days - not really thrilled with that. I think it really depends on fermentation temp with that yeast and a much larger pitch helps. I always have better results pitching a big, healthy slurry than hydrating a single pack for even a low-gravity beer. I'm on the hunt for a better English yeast to use.

Sugar was not planned. failure in grinding the grains led to low SG so I added sugar to hit target sg.

 

[J A]

Makes sense^^^...
Not a bad idea to keep some DME around for those situations. I've saved a few batches that way.

 

[thehaze]

I don't really brew low ABV beers, but I brew Strong Bitters and usually over 5% and going upwards of 6.5% ABV. I only use Maris Otter with some sort of Crystal malt or a combo of two Crystal malts ( no more than 4-8% - colour / recipe dependent ). As for yeast, I like Windsor and Nottingham.

Nottingham attenuates great and will easily get you 80-82% AA. Clean, crisp, agressive, fast and it does clear very good in the keg/bottle/can.

Windsor is estery and can use some time to develop full flavours. It does stick quite OK at the bottom of bottles, although a bit powdery when resuspended. Attenuation: you'll find plenty of threads with brewers that only get 60-65% AA. I never got under 70% with Windsor and I usually get 72-73%. I treat it right to get it there: low and long mash, simple sugars in the boil, fermentation starting at 68F in the first day and second day, with ramping up from the third day. Windsor usually finishes fermentation in 2-3 days. Beers fermented with Windsor are ready to keg / bottle in 10-11 days. The same applies to Nottingham.

Cheers!