First Brew in 2 Years: Will This Classic British Ale Turn Out?
Brew #50 English Ordinary Bitter
Welcome to the Brewing Channel! I'm Glen, and this is Brew number 50—a big milestone as I revive the channel after a long break. If you're new here, I also have a cooking channel called "Glen and Friends Cooking" and an aviation channel "Glen's Hangar," where I fly my restored 1961 Cessna 172. Check out the links in the description!

Today, I'm brewing an "Ordinary Bitter" using Simpsons Golden Promise, DRC, and Golden Naked Oats—grains that add unique flavours and mouthfeel. It's been a while since I brewed, so I'm excited to keep things simple but tasty.

I'm working with a single-vessel, electric 240-volt brewing system using the brew-in-a-bag method. After mashing at 151°F, we’ll use classic British hops: East Kent Golding and Fuggles to achieve a traditional English bitter character.

This brew is meant to be an English Ordinary Bitter, typically served from a cask, with a natural carbonation around 1.5 to 2 volumes—light, low carbonation, and just the right colour. We're kegging for convenience, aiming for great results with balanced flavour.

The brew day wasn't without its quirks—using double bags due to some wear and tear—but everything came together well. The final gravity readings were slightly above what was expected, giving a bit more ABV, and the beer fermented beautifully in about 5 days before moving into a keg.

Stick around for the taste test where Julie and I sample the results! It's got a smooth mouthfeel and just enough bitterness, which makes it a satisfying English ale. If you brew your own bitter, let me know what ingredients you use. Also, drop your suggestions for future brews in the comments!

Check out some recipes that we cooked with this beer:
Shin of Beef Stew:    • How To Brew English Ordinary Bitter Beer  
Coq au Bière:    • Before Coq au Vin - There Was Coq à l...  


For my brew:

30L Strike water (Toronto tap) @153ºF
1 Campden tablet
6 mL Lactic acid

2.9 Kg (85.3%) Golden Promise
300g (8.8%) Simpsons DRC
200g (5.9%) Simpsons Golden Naked Oats

60 minute mash @151ºF
15 minute mashout @171ºF

Pre boil gravity 1.032
Pre boil volume 29L

28g EKG (6% acid) at 60 minutes for 23 IBU
10g Fuggles (5% acid) at 30 minutes for 5.3 IBU
Whirlfloc @15 minutes
Yeast nutrient @15 minutes

Post boil gravity 1.039

Chilled to 61ºF
21L into ferment
Pitched 1 pkg WLP 013 London Ale

Fermented 5 days to a Final gravity 1.008
ABV 3.7%

I ended up a bit darker than the guidelines - but to me that just doesn’t matter.

0:00 Brewday Setup
1:16 Welcome back to the channel
5:37 Mash in
7:12 Gravity reading
8:00 Bag lift
9:33 Hop Spider? Yes or No?
10:24 Cleaning or Brewing
12:09 Into the ferment
13:10 Kegging
17:05 Tasting




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