[hopfenundmalz]

An ester, so pitch at a higher temp and ramp up. Under pitch slightly for more esters. Open fermentation will give more esters.

[HopDen]

An ester, so pitch at a higher temp and ramp up. Under pitch slightly for more esters. Open fermentation will give more esters.

Good to know! I was going to under pitch as it stands. As far as an open fermentation, I have never attempted and honestly I know nothing about but will look into that.

[pjj2ba]

I've been using some home toasted pale malt in my Bitters. 0.5 lbs for a 5 gal. batch.  It adds more malt character and a touch of color, but not any sweetness.

I toast 2-3 lbs of malt on a sheet pan in the oven at 350F for 30 min. Every 10 min. I pull it out and dump into a bowl to mix it, then back onto the sheet pan and back into the oven.

[ynotbrusum]

Sounds like a similar process to home made Brown Malt.  My LHBS didn't have it in stock and I was instructed to make it myself in a fashion similar to what you were doing.  Sounds like it might impart a mellow brown malt hint.

[dannyjed]

Just catching up with this thread. Brewers from my club are brewing English Bitter for a style study and tasting. I just bought a bag of Warminster Maris Otter to mess around with. My goal is making a 3.5-3.9% ABV beer with flavor and not too thin. I will definitely use some of the suggestions like keeping carbonation down and mash high. I plan on this
92% Maris Otter
7% Crystal 40
1% Black Prinz
Progress and EKG hops
WLP 005


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BrewBama]

… I think that you may get higher efficiency, but using less grain equals less packed punch.

My observations are identical to yours.
I also mash high as safely possible.
Brewing a tasty low ABV brew is very challenging, and every ingredient/step/process is much more important than for a higher ABV.
Low ABV brews is all that I do, you can't follow the higher ABV herd.
I'm still learning.


Cheers

I believe I’m coming to the conclusion that using less grain to reach a lower ABV is not the answer. My logic said use the same percentages at lower weight and voilà, a session strength beer. Not so fast Scooter. Though my experience is limited in brewing session beers, I’m getting a thin, watery beer when I brew that way.

Now, I am starting to think that using the same weight of grain as say a 5-6% ABV beer but opening the mill gap to make that same grain bill achieve 3.5-4% session strength beer is the way to go.  I don’t think I’ve read this but it’s a conclusion I’m arriving at by trial and error.  (Lot’s of trial and error)

It’s taken several batches over several months to arrive at this point but I like my results lately. Like you say, I’m still learning.

Cheers!

[Fire Rooster]

… I think that you may get higher efficiency, but using less grain equals less packed punch.

My observations are identical to yours.
I also mash high as safely possible.
Brewing a tasty low ABV brew is very challenging, and every ingredient/step/process is much more important than for a higher ABV.
Low ABV brews is all that I do, you can't follow the higher ABV herd.
I'm still learning.


Cheers

I believe I’m coming to the conclusion that using less grain to reach a lower ABV is not the answer. My logic said use the same percentages at lower weight and voilà, a session strength beer. Not so fast Scooter. Though my experience is limited in brewing session beers, I’m getting a thin, watery beer when I brew that way.

Now, I am starting to think that using the same weight of grain as say a 5-6% ABV beer but opening the mill gap to make that same grain bill achieve 3.5-4% session strength beer is the way to go.  I don’t think I’ve read this but it’s a conclusion I’m arriving at by trial and error.  (Lot’s of trial and error)

It’s taken several batches over several months to arrive at this point but I like my results lately. Like you say, I’m still learning.

Cheers!

I only brew low ABV, carb, and IBU brews.
Very challenging, carb wrong = flat beer, OG too low = colored water.
Yeast, grain, hops, and process is less forgiving than for higher ABV/IBU brews.
I'm just starting to pay attention to attenuation percentages of yeasts.

My guess is that the learning never stops.

Cheers

[ynotbrusum]

For Ordinary Bitter, I have settled on a higher mash temp and lower attenuating English yeast to get adequate body with lower ABV.  It is a bit like dancing on the head of a pin.

But as a session beer brewer, I put up with an occasional thin beer in pursuit of the right balance.

[HopDen]

For Ordinary Bitter, I have settled on a higher mash temp and lower attenuating English yeast to get adequate body with lower ABV.  It is a bit like dancing on the head of a pin.

But as a session beer brewer, I put up with an occasional thin beer in pursuit of the right balance.

That will be my approach on mine. 155* mash and trying Pub A09 for the first time.
At what temp do you mash? I will assume it is a single infusion.

[ynotbrusum]

The bottom range for a bitter or Mild is 158F for me.  Then you can slowly ramp it up to 168 or so for a mash out, if you like.  I also tend to mash a bit longer with the session beers (75-90 minutes)

[HopDen]

The bottom range for a bitter or Mild is 158F for me.  Then you can slowly ramp it up to 168 or so for a mash out, if you like.  I also tend to mash a bit longer with the session beers (75-90 minutes)

Ok cool. Just a thought though. Won't a prolonged mash produce a more fermentable wort even at a higher mash temp?

[ynotbrusum]

Yes, I believe so, but my experience has been that it still lends more body by being just above the beta amylase range.  You can reduce the time and still get adequate conversion for these session beers. 

For session lagers, I will often go for mid-150's to get some beta action and use a 90 minute mash, especially if using a lesser modified malt base, such as floor malted pilsner malt.

[Fire Rooster]

For Ordinary Bitter, I have settled on a higher mash temp and lower attenuating English yeast to get adequate body with lower ABV.  It is a bit like dancing on the head of a pin.

But as a session beer brewer, I put up with an occasional thin beer in pursuit of the right balance.

My current thoughts, I say current because some things once taken as a fact are false.
There's an inverse relationship with mash temp and fermentable wort.  Mashing high gives more
body, but less fermentable wort.  I figure I get the body with mashing high at the expense of
less fermentable wort.  I'm currently using high attenuation yeast to sneak out more ABV.

Cheers 

[HopDen]

So I brewed this recipe this past Sunday. Recipe is exact as posted below except I raised the mash temp to 158 for 60 mins and the yeast used was Pub A09. All things considered I am optimistic for a quality tasting beer but, my FG is 1.008 and the est. was supposed to be 1.014. That is somewhere near 80% attenuation on a yeast that is supposed to be at or near 69-74% attenuation. The yeast ripped through fermentation in 3 days and on SG sample it is already clearing nicely. Impressive to say the least. Will definitely be collecting the slurry.

Temp gauges are calibrated and my grain mill has not been or needs adjustment. I don't miss my est. FG on proven recipes.

Other than the body being thin/watery the taste is good. Although it is not kegged and carbonated.

Any thoughts on why I had such a low FG?

[denny]

So I brewed this recipe this past Sunday. Recipe is exact as posted below except I raised the mash temp to 158 for 60 mins and the yeast used was Pub A09. All things considered I am optimistic for a quality tasting beer but, my FG is 1.008 and the est. was supposed to be 1.014. That is somewhere near 80% attenuation on a yeast that is supposed to be at or near 69-74% attenuation. The yeast ripped through fermentation in 3 days and on SG sample it is already clearing nicely. Impressive to say the least. Will definitely be collecting the slurry.

Temp gauges are calibrated and my grain mill has not been or needs adjustment. I don't miss my est. FG on proven recipes.

Other than the body being thin/watery the taste is good. Although it is not kegged and carbonated.

Any thoughts on why I had such a low FG?

What makes you think the FG estimate is correct? Have you made the exact same batch before?