Bitter

Tasting Notes

Bitter, a principal style of ale sold in Britain, is usually served on-tap and is usually called "bitter" or "best bitter." Its taste is rather mild to assertive, with medium or even low alcohol content. The beer is usually amber, often with a reddish tinge, but it can be golden in color. The dominating flavor of this beer is hop bitterness, which is accentuated by the low original gravity. Hop aroma is medium to high, but this is secondary. As opposed to mild and pale ale, Bitter should certainly be dry. Some styles will have a rich creamy head, while others are less carbonated. They are very similar to pale ales, and sometimes are identical. Traditionally, pale ales were bottled, while bitters were in casks or kegs. Nowadays, even this separation is no longer in use. Today, the major difference between a pale ale and a bitter is the name. Bitters are generally available in three strengths: ordinary, special and extra special bitter (or ESB). Pale ales are usually around the ESB strength, though some fall into the area of special bitter.

Ingredients

The sugars are usually used in amounts not exceeding 15%. Northern Brewer, Fuggle, and Brewers Gold are good bittering hops. Fuggle, East Kent Goldings, and Hallertauer are the choices for dry hopping. Bitter is brewed with water that is extraordinarily hard.

Brewing Techniques

Unlike pale ales, which are generally bottled, bitters are often dry hopped at the time the beer is racked into the cask. The cask is usually stored in the brewery for 7 to 10 days between 13 and 16ºC. Cask-conditioned draught bitters have a low carbonation from 0.75 to 1.0 volumes, while keg versions are from 1.3 to 2.0 volumes.

The information on this page was provided by beer-brewing.com (http://www.beer-brewing.com).