Hawthorn Special Bitter Beer Recipe | All Grain Strong Bitter | Brewer's Friend
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Hawthorn Special Bitter

134 calories 12.3 g 12 ml
Beer Stats
Method: All Grain
Style: Strong Bitter
Boil Time: 120 min
Batch Size: 15 liters (fermentor volume)
Pre Boil Size: 23.16 liters
Post Boil Size: 17 liters
Pre Boil Gravity: 1.030 (recipe based estimate)
Post Boil Gravity: 1.041 (recipe based estimate)
Efficiency: 77.7% (brew house)
Source: James Eaton-Brown
Hop Utilization: 98%
Calories: 134 calories (Per 12ml)
Carbs: 12.3 g (Per 12ml)
Created: Sunday August 24th 2025
1.041
1.008
4.3%
31.5
19.7
5.4
n/a
 
Fermentables
Amount Fermentable Cost PPG °L Bill %
1.70 kg Crisp Malting - Best Ale1.7 kg Best Ale 37.5 3 69.3%
200 g Crisp Malting - Torrefied Wheat200 g Torrefied Wheat 36.8 3 8.2%
150 g Crisp Malting - Dark Crystal Malt 240150 g Dark Crystal Malt 240 33.1 122 6.1%
78 g Crisp Malting - Black78 g Black 34.5 600 3.2%
143.50 g GB - Invert Sugar #2143.5 g Invert Sugar #2 - (late boil kettle addition) 36 25 5.9%
180 g Brown Sugar180 g Brown Sugar 45 15 7.3%
2,451.50 g / £ 0.00
 
Hops
Amount Variety Cost Type AA Use Time IBU Bill %
12 g Barth-Haas - Wye Challenger12 g Wye Challenger Hops Pellet 7.5 Boil at 100 °C 120 min 19.1 37.5%
12 g Barth-Haas - Fuggles12 g Fuggles Hops Pellet 4.2 Boil at 100 °C 120 min 10.7 37.5%
8 g Barth-Haas - East Kent Golding8 g East Kent Golding Hops Pellet 5.5 Boil at 100 °C 5 min 1.71 25%
32 g / £ 0.00
 
Mash Guidelines
Amount Description Type Start Temp Target Temp Time
8.64 L Strike 67 °C 67 °C 120 min
14.61 L Sparge 72 °C 67 °C --
Starting Mash Thickness: 3.2 L/kg
Starting Grain Temp: 17 °C
 
Other Ingredients
Amount Name Cost Type Use Time
7 ml Lactic acid Water Agt Mash 2 hr.
0.40 g Calcium Chloride (dihydrate) Water Agt Mash 2 hr.
1.70 g Gypsum Water Agt Mash 2 hr.
5.30 g Chalk Water Agt Mash 2 hr.
20 g AEB Fermobrew-Zn Other Boil 5 min.
 
Yeast
AEB - AEB - Fermoale AY3
Amount:
1 Each
Cost:
Attenuation (custom):
77%
Flocculation:
High
Optimum Temp:
-18 - -18 °C
Starter:
No
Fermentation Temp:
18 °C
Pitch Rate:
0.75 (M cells / ml / ° P) 115 B cells required
£ 0.00 Yeast Pitch Rate and Starter Calculator
Priming
Method: dme       Amount: 26.1 g       Temp: 20 °C       CO2 Level: 1.02 Volumes
 
Target Water Profile
Light colored and malty
Ca+2 Mg+2 Na+ Cl- SO4-2 HCO3-
100 5 10 50 100 0
Mash Chemistry and Brewing Water Calculator
 
Notes

Gale's HSB used as inspiration, with hawthorn syrup added to the fermenter (see at 'Invert Sugar': I have no idea how to add the haws as an ingredient to Brewer's Friend even though I know how much sugar is in them, so have had to up the final ABV with DME) Let's see what comes out!

Things to consider:

Haws are quite bitter, so how much do we need to add for taste? And how do we then adjust the bittering hops to suit the IBU for style?

Do we need aroma hops or are the haws sufficient? We don't want to overpower the haws: omit the aroma hops?

Brown sugar used to hit a 'target' gravity as I only have so much malt. In the future this will be replaced by base malt.

Finings and a cold crash are required to deal with haze.

Recipe Picture
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  • Public: Yup, Shared
  • Last Updated: 2025-09-12 12:23 UTC
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