Special Bitter #9

Source: Todd Enders (enders@plains.NoDak.edu) Issue #1032, 12/14/92

Ingredients:

• 7 pounds 2-row pale malt
• 1 pound crystal malt (60 L.)
• 1/2 pound wheat malt
• 1 ounce black patent malt
• 1 ounce Centennial hops (10.9% alpha)
• Wyeast 1028

Procedure:

I used the theoretical values in Miller's CHoHB, and the SG points avail- able from the grain bill were 290. Multiply 58 by 5 and be amazed as I was! Yes, I got 100% of theoretical extraction, and only sparged 5 gal.! How? I'll describe my sparge procedure this time, because I believe herein lies the key.

For lautering, I use the bucket in bucket tun. I'd suspect that it's the same as many other brewers use. It isn't insulated, or anything fancy. Sparge water was acidified with lactic acid ala Miller. Here's the difference. I recirculated the initial runoff for the equivalent of 6 gal. Then I began the sparge with 1/2 of the water heated to 170F and recirculated it once. I finished up with the last 2.5 gal., which was also recirculated once. Total sparge time was about 2.5 hours. The sparge was a good bit longer than usual, but those results!!! The runoff was reheated between recirculations, BTW. The last runnings had no preceivable tannic taste.

Specifics:

• O.G.: 1058