Old Oak Common

By James Cross

Recipe is part of Recipe Index

BJCP 2021 Style 11B Best Bitter

The WLP013 yeast gives a characteristic oaky flavour and ordinary strength beers are sometimes referred to a 'common', hence the name. Also a reference to the bucolic-sounding rail depot in West London.

The recipe is based on Five Points bitter, which uses whole dried Fuggles. I used Challenger for bittering and home-grown green Fuggles for late boil/ hop stand.

The bottled version cleared quickly and had a good aroma and flavour; initially too bitter but this subsided with conditioning.

Awards

CAMRA’s Champion Home Brewer of the Year 2024

1st - Session Bitters

Measures

• IBU 36
• ABV 4.2%
• OG 1.042
• FG 1.012
• EBC 20
• 24.5 litres at end of boil.
• 23 litres into fermenter.

Ingredients

Water

Aimed for light coloured and hoppy (Brewer's Friend)

Ca: 59 Mg: 5 Na: 10 Cl: 42 SO4: 124 HCO3: 0

Malt

• 4 kg Maris Otter Pale 84.2%
• 250g Pale Wheat 5.3%
• 250g Amber 5.3%
• 250g Dark Crystal 240 5.3%

Hops

• 30g Challenger pellet AA 8.5 at 60 minutes
• 300g green Fuggles at 15 minutes
• 300g green Fuggles hop stand at 80 degC

Yeast

• White Labs London Ale WLP013

Process

Mash

• 60 mins at 67 degC

Boil

• 60 minute boil
• Protafloc and yeast nutrient at 15 mins

Ferment

• Pitch at 17 degC, adding Brausol and ALDC.
• Allowed to rise to 19 degC during the first 3 days of active fermentation
• Ramped up to 22 degC for the remainder.

Serving

Green-racked a few bottles after 3 days when a couple of points above FG. Remaining bottles (used for competition) racked after 12 days, primed for 2 vols CO2. Conditioned for 3-6 weeks. No obvious difference between green-racked and primed bottles.