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Author Topic: Water profile for ordinary bitter  (Read 4580 times)

Offline 69franx

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Water profile for ordinary bitter
« on: January 12, 2015, 09:20:38 pm »
Name kind of says it all. I am planning on an ordinary bitter this weekend essentially as a starter for an English Barleywine. OG 1.034, IBUs between 20-25. I love my AIPA at Pale Ale Profile on Bru'NWater with pH of 5.4, but that cant be what I should looking for for an English ordinary bitter. The profile for Yellow Bitter seems like a better starting place. I have no experience with making British style ales and almost no experience with drinking them. I just thought this might be a good "starter" for the Barleywine from Experimental HomeBrewing. Any thoughts on the water profile or the idea of making an ordinary bitter as a starter for the English Barleywine. I will of course want to drink the bitter once finished so just looking for experienced opinions
Frank L.
Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!)
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In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)

Offline JT

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Re: Water profile for ordinary bitter
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2015, 04:15:34 am »
I use amber bitter, was thinking of trying amber balanced next.  You coming to the social Saturday?

Offline 69franx

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Re: Water profile for ordinary bitter
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2015, 05:11:12 am »
Yes I'm planning  on being there
Frank L.
Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!)
Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)

Offline mabrungard

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Re: Water profile for ordinary bitter
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2015, 07:06:57 am »
I agree that Yellow or Amber Bitter should be well suited for an English Bitter since it includes a very modest level of sulfate that provides only minor drying in the finish. I made a pale ale last year with only 100 ppm sulfate, down from my normal 300 ppm and found that the finish was definitely fuller and much less drying. That should be well-suited to the typical flavor I find in Bitters.
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Offline 69franx

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Re: Water profile for ordinary bitter
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2015, 07:08:12 am »
Martin, what kind of pH should I be looking for? 5.3-5.4?
Frank L.
Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!)
Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: Water profile for ordinary bitter
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2015, 08:22:24 am »
Martin, what kind of pH should I be looking for? 5.3-5.4?

5.2 to 5.4 is always the pH you want.

I would go with the Amber Bitter profile.  Or Yellow.  It's all good.
Dave

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Offline braufessor

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Re: Water profile for ordinary bitter
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2015, 01:09:45 pm »
I have played around with water profiles for Ordinary bitters quite a bit and am currently using something right in the ball park of Yellow Bitter profile.  I have been much happier with this than higher sulfate levels and pale ale profiles, as others have mentioned as well.  It is definitely a good range to be in for this style I think, and I plan on continuing to brew this beer with that profile.  I use about 85% RO water and end up settling in right around 5.3 on the pH.

Offline JT

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Re: Water profile for ordinary bitter
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2015, 07:52:06 pm »
Martin, what kind of pH should I be looking for? 5.3-5.4?

5.2 to 5.4 is always the pH you want.

I would go with the Amber Bitter profile.  Or Yellow.  It's all good.
5.2 to 5.5 is most often quoted as the ideal range.  I think the rule of thumb is lighter beers may benefit from the low side of this range, darker beers on the higher side.

Offline 69franx

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Re: Water profile for ordinary bitter
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2015, 07:55:05 pm »
I understand that is the range, I just know that a lot of people here specifically like 5.4 for AIPA, and wasn't sure if that was still where I wanted to be for an ordinary bitter. I pit some numbers together on Bru'NWater today and like the amber bitter at 5.3 so I will be running with that on sunday.
Frank L.
Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!)
Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)

Offline JT

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Re: Water profile for ordinary bitter
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2015, 08:06:49 pm »
Yeah honestly I haven't played with pH enough to be able tell you first hand tasting differences between 5.2 and 5.5 mash pH if everything else was equal.  I tend to shoot for the 5.3 to 5.4 mark most of the time, mainly because that gives me some room for error. 

Offline 69franx

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Re: Water profile for ordinary bitter
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2015, 08:08:24 pm »
As new as I am, I like room for error, thanks
Frank L.
Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!)
Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)