How To Brew Ordinary Bitter: Celebrate the Simplicity of this Mild Malt, Perfect Pint

Ordinary Bitter closes out our exploration of the BJCP category 11. While researching the style, I came across what Paul Jones of Cloudwater Brew Company in Manchester, England once said about English Bitter beers. I’m paraphrasing here and add my own spin to it.

There are some beers that you actually talk about, such as a great hoppy IPA or a complex Sour that mixes graininess and just the right amount of sourness that hits your jowls. Then there are beers that you just talk over.

It’s good, it tastes like beer. Instead of talking about the simplicity of the beer, let’s continue talking about the hassles of e-learning.

Easy Drinking 

The beauty of the Ordinary Bitter is the drinkability of this beer. Being in the 3% abv ball park, it is easy to order four or five while sitting in a pub and still be able to conduct yourself like a well-adjusted person in society.

This beer’s drinkability is both a blessing and a curse.

Brewing an Ordinary Bitter is not as easy as it seems. With such a low abv, the importance of quality grain, hops, yeast, and water is paramount with this style and other styles that do not hide behind excessive hops or adjuncts.

Cask Conditioned Beer

In England since the early 19th century, the term “bitter” has been used to describe pale ale. Customers in the pubs would ask for a bitter as a way to differentiate from mild ale. By the end of the 19th century, brewers began to use the term as well.

Traditionally Bitters were cask conditioned and either dispensed by gravity through a tap in a cask or by a beer engine.

Pulling the beer at the right temperature is very important. Cellar temps of 55 °F (13 °C) is usually what will give you ability to pick up the interesting flavors and aromas of an Ordinary Bitter.

Style Profile for OrdinaryBitter

Appearance

Pale amber to light copper color. Brilliant to good clarity. Low to moderate white to off-white head. Low carbonation results in little head retention.

Aroma

Low to moderate malt aroma. Low to medium-low caramel aroma. Bready, biscuit, or light toast complexity is very common with the style. Mild to moderate fruitiness. Hop aroma can range from medium-low to medium.

The hop aroma that may arise will be floral, earthy, resiny, and or fruity character. Usually no diacetyl is detected. Some examples of the style can have low sulfur and/or alcohol notes.

Mouthfeel

Medium-light to full body. Low carbonation, but some packages versions have moderate carbonation.

Taste

Mid- high bitterness. Moderately low to moderately high fruity esters.

Moderate hop flavor, usually earthy, resiny, fruity, and/or floral. Low to medium maltiness with a very dry finish. The malt profile is bready, biscuity, or lighty toasty. Low to moderate caramel or toffee flavors may exist.

Food Pairing

The toasty, lightly sweet caramel notes pair well with an English Cheddar. Traditionally speaking, a classic Fish and Chips pairs wonderfully with the batter of the fish.

The sweet caramel characteristics of the beer will add a nice contrast to the malt vinegar usually used in this dish. Roasted chicken or duck will also pair nicely with a nice Ordinary Bitter.

Tips for Brewing your own Ordinary Bitter

Grain

Usually a good Ordinary Bitter starts and ends with a good British pale malt. In this case Maris Otter as your base malt is your best choice. Maris Otter lends itself to the biscuit flavor that you should be after with this beer.

After your base malt, a British crystal malt should be also considered. Dark crystal will give the caramel and toasty/roasty tones while lighter crystal malt will give sweeter caramel character.

Keep the crystal malts in the 5-10% range. Also keep the lovibond from 10 to 150L. Going any darker will make the beer too heavy and sweet. Just another note on speciality malts.

Biscuit, Victory and light colored Roast malt can all be considered. Special roast malts can be used to darken the beer up a lit. If using dark malts, keep it at a minimum.

Hops

When considering the hops, you need to forget the American notion of a “bitter beer.” 30-50 IBU for this beer should be plenty. Using English hops would only be proper. Hops such as Fuggle, East Kent Golding is what you should consider.

Yeast

Researching your yeast will really pay off in the end when it comes to brewing your own Ordinary Bitter.

Some British yeast strains can be neutral and others can be more estery, others ferment dryer, and some leave some residual sweetness. Some yeast to consider include:

• Wyeast 1275 Thames Valley Ale
• Wyeast 1318 London Ale III
• White Labs Burton Ale ALP023

Water

Beer purists will say an ESB is an ESB due to the Burton-upon-Trent water. Sulfates do enhance the bitter perception of the beer.

Knowing your water profile can really help you to determine what water treatments you should add to your beer.

No matter where you start, keep in mind the breakdown of Burton-upon-Trent water profile:

• Calcium — 295.0 ppm
• Chlorine — 25.0 ppm
• Sodium — 55.0 ppm
• Sulfate — 725.0 ppm
• Magnesium — 45.0 ppm
• Bicarbonate — 300.0 ppm

Ordinary Bitter By the Numbers

• Color Range: 8 – 14 SRM
• Original Gravity: 1.030 – 1.039 OG
• Final Gravity: 1.00 7- 1.011 FG
• IBU Range: 25 – 35
• ABV Range: 3.2 – 3.8%

Ordinary Bitter Recipe (2.5 gallon)

Grain

• 86% 3 lbs Maris Otter
• 7% 4 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt – 80L
• 7% 4 oz Victory Malt

Hops

• 0.50 oz East Kent Goldings EKG Pellets – Boil 60.0 min
• 0.50 oz Fuggle Pellets – Boil 20.0 min

Yeast

• 1.0 pkg London Ale III WYeast #1318

Directions

1. Mash at 152°F (66°C) for 60 mins
2. Boil for 60 mins

Save this for Later

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes an Ordinary Bitter different from other English Bitters?

Ordinary Bitter is a style of beer that originates from the UK, characterized by its moderate bitterness and lower alcohol content.

While other English Bitters like Best Bitter or Extra Special Bitter (ESB) have a higher alcohol content and often a more robust flavor profile, Ordinary Bitter is known for its sessionable nature and mild bitterness which is well balanced with malt flavors.

The Ordinary Bitter Recipe outlined in the provided URL showcases the typical ingredients and brewing processes to achieve this traditional English style.

What is the ideal water profile for brewing an Ordinary or English Bitter?

The best bitter water profile for brewing an Ordinary or English Bitter would have a balanced sulfate to chloride ratio, which is crucial in highlighting the bitterness while not overpowering the maltiness.

A water profile with higher sulfate levels will accentuate the hop bitterness, making it a crucial factor to control in order to achieve the desired taste in your homebrew bitter.

How can one achieve a brew that’s both bitter and fruity as described in the Ordinary Bitter Recipe?

Achieving a brew that’s both bitter and fruity entails a delicate balance between the hop bitterness and the fruity esters generated during fermentation. The Ordinary Bitter recipe suggests a specific blend of hops and malt along with a suitable yeast strain that can produce these fruity esters.

Following the recipe and ensuring a controlled fermentation process will help in achieving a brew that embodies both the bitterness characteristic of an English Bitter and the fruity nuances to add complexity to the flavor.

What could be the reason if my homebrew bitter is excessively bitter compared to the expected flavor profile of an Ordinary Bitter?

If your homebrew bitter turns out excessively bitter, there could be several factors at play. It might be due to over-hopping, an imbalance in the water profile—particularly high sulfate levels—or even an extended boiling time which can extract more bitterness from the hops.

It’s important to follow the Ordinary Bitter recipe accurately, and consider adjusting the hop addition or examining the water profile to correct the bitterness in future brewing attempts.

What is the difference between a hoppy flavor and bitterness, and how does this distinction play out in the brewing of an Ordinary Bitter?

Hoppy versus bitter: understanding the difference is crucial in brewing. While both attributes come from hops, hoppy refers to the aromatic and flavor compounds, whereas bitterness is derived from iso-alpha acids that are produced when hops are boiled.

In brewing an Ordinary Bitter, a moderate level of bitterness is aimed for, without overshadowing the maltiness and other flavor profiles of the beer.

This delicate balance is achieved by following the brewing process outlined in the Ordinary Bitter recipe, ensuring that the hop addition and boiling time are controlled to produce a well-rounded beer.