#12 - Tain't Bitter

(A collaborative English-style Bitter by Contraband Brewhouse and Dirt Star Enterprises)

Specialty Grains:

0.125 lb. Crystal Malt 40L

0.25 lb. Dark Crystal

0.125 lb. Black Malt

Fermentables:

6 lb. Golden Malt Syrup

Hops:

1 oz. Fuggles, 4.5 % AA, plugs (60 min)

0.5 oz. Kent Goldings, 4.0% AA, plugs (60 min)

0.5 oz. Kent Goldings, 4.0% AA, plugs (15 min)

0.5 oz. Willamette, 4.8% AA, pellets (15 min)

0.5 oz. Willamette, 4.8% AA, pellets (dry hop, 2 days)

Yeast:

Wyeast #1275 Thames Valley

(1/2 tablet of Whirlfloc @15min)

Batch Size: 5 gal.

Wort Boil: 1/23/2010

Lag Time: 12 hrs

Dry-hopped (no bag): 3 days (2/7 – 2/10)

Bottled: 2/11/2010

Yield: 50 bottles (12 oz.)

Original Gravity: 1.042

Final Gravity: 1.010

ABV: 4.3 %

31 IBU

FERMENTING NOTES:

- (1/24): Deep amber/mahogany color in carboy with chalky white krausen foam, streaked with tawny and brown sediment. Steady airlock bubbles every 1.5 seconds. 67F. Blowoff tubing fitted at midnight.

- (1/25): Almost no blow-off; foam has resided. Krausen has turned pale brown in color, creamy in consistency. 69F.

- (1/30): Removed blow-off apparatus; replaced airlock.

- Avg. temp = 66F

PRE-BOTTLING TASTING NOTES (2/10):

COLOR - A deep red/brown in the carboy. In the tasting glass, it's lighter than I thought it might be. Good for the style: dark golden.
NOSE - Earthy, almost woody nose. I even pick up a little cedar alongside the musky floweriness of the English hops. Slight bit of caramel malt.
TASTE - Sweet early on (mostly caramel, a little fruit?), then dries out with (again) those flowery, woody flavors. Nice dry taste left on the tongue, worthy of the bitter name. A surprisingly warming alcohol feel; no boozy taste at all though. This is delicious uncarbonated and at 66F! I'm interested to see if she changes in the bottle.