Recipe

Bone Idle Bitter

Bone Idle Bitter

(5 gallons/19L, all-grain)
OG = 1.040 FG = 1.012
IBU = 30 SRM = 40 ABV = 3.7%

This beer was named after the oafish character Onslow on “Keeping Up Appearances.”

Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Maris Otter pale malt
12 oz. (336 g) carastan malt (35 °L)
10 oz. (280 g) Victory® malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Blackprinz® malt
1.7 AAU US Golding hops (first wort hop) (0.33 oz./9.3 g at 5% alpha acids)
7.4 AAU UK Challenger hop pellets (45 min.) (0.83 oz./23.25 g at 8.9% alpha acids)
2 AAU US Golding hops (6 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 5% alpha acids)
½ tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
¼ tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
Safale S-04 or Wyeast 1099 (Whitebread Ale) yeast
2/3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
This is a single infusion mash. On brew day, mash the crushed Maris Otter, carastan and Victory® malt at a 1.5 quarts to 1 pound ratio of strike water (3.1 L/kg) at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes. Add the crushed Blackprinz® malt to the top of the mash and begin to vorlauf until wort runs clear. Sparge with enough water to collect about 6.25 gallons (24 L) of wort in the kettle. Boil for a total of 45 minutes, adding the hops, Irish moss, and yeast nutrients per the recipe.

Chill the wort to pitching temperature, rack to carboy, and pitch yeast. Ferment for 3 weeks in the 67–69 °F (19-21 °C) range. Then prime and bottle or keg and force carbonate as normal

Bone Idle Bitter

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.040 FG = 1.012
IBU = 30 SRM = 40 ABV = 3.7%

Ingredients
4.2 lbs.(1.9 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
12 oz. (336 g) carastan malt (35 °L)
10 oz. (280 g) Victory® malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Blackprinz® malt
1.7 AAU US Golding hops (first wort hop) (0.33 oz./9.3 g at 5% alpha acids)
7.4 AAU UK Challenger hop pellets (45 min.) (0.83 oz./23.25 g at 8.9% alpha acids)
2 AAU US Golding hops (6 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 5% alpha acids)
½ tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
¼ tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
Safale S-04 or Wyeast 1099 (Whitebread Ale) yeast
2/3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Heat 1 gallon (4 L) of water to 155 °F (68 °C) and add the crushed carastan, Victory® and Blackprinz® malt in a mesh bag. Steep for 20 minutes then remove the mesh bag and allowing the grains to drip back into the kettle. Add 3 gallons (11 L) of water, thoroughly mix in the malt extract. Once all malt extract is dissolved, return to heat source and top off kettle to 6.25 gallons (24 L) and bring to a boil. Boil for a total of 45 minutes, adding the hops, Irish moss, and yeast nutrients per the recipe.

Chill the wort to pitching temperature, rack to carboy, and pitch yeast. Ferment for 3 weeks in the 67–69 °F (19-21 °C) range. Then prime and bottle or keg and force carbonate as normal.

Issue: May-June 2017

A schwarz’ed version of an English bitter.