This is a beer I made along with a local brewery, Trans Canada Brewing Co. called MisBEEhavin’. I won a contest in 2020 that the brewery put on in which they hid a golden ticket in one of their mixed packs. The prize was to participate in the brewing process at the brewery from start to finish with a recipe of my choice. I chose an ESB with local buckwheat honey and first did three different trial beers at home to hone in the final recipe to be scaled up.

With Trans Canada, the process included creating and brewing a beer of my choice, designing the label (with help from their graphic artist), packaging it, then putting the cans for sale in their store and on tap in their taproom. The proceeds of the sales went to a charity of my choice and I chose one that helps low-income people get small businesses up and running named Local Investment Towards Employment (LITE) here in Winnipeg. We made a 264-gallon (1,000-L) batch that produced 1,750 12-oz. (355-mL) cans and a keg for the tap room (plus a 5-gallon/19-L keg for myself). The entire batch sold out in three weeks. They still get asked occasionally when they are going to brew the “honey beer” again. 

Trans Canada Brewing is a mid-size brewery here in Winnipeg that has been going for eight years. They produce a wide variety of core, seasonal, and limited edition beers that range from a light lager to barrel-aged and foeder-aged beers. So they are not afraid to try something a little out of the ordinary — like giving some stranger access to their brewery! That said, they were thrilled to have a homebrewer win the contest. The brewmaster, Scott Sawatzky (who did the brew with me), and all the staff were fantastic to collaborate with. They helped a lot with my brewing skills and took my brewing up a big notch. I still bring homebrews in for them to critique. Trans Canada has not re-run the contest; I guess I was their perfect winner! I still enjoy this beer and brew it at home occasionally. Below is the recipe.

This ESB is brewed using 100% second-use fresh hops for a mellow bitterness.

Strong bitter may not be the most familiar member of the British bitter family, but you likely know it by its other names: ESB (Extra Special Bitter) and English pale ale. These higher alcohol, more bitter ales have long been exported to the U.S. and elsewhere, so they tended to become more well known and popular. Fuller’s ESB is a unique product within the English market, but it served to create a craft beer style in the U.S., at least before IPAs became dominant.

Strong bitter is the strongest member of the bitter family of cask ales in the U.K., being greater than 4.5% ABV – still on the lower end of a standard-strength beer in the U.S. Many say English pale ale is simply the bottled version of a bitter, although that does somewhat ignore history as pale ales were created first. English pale ales were the inspiration for the American pale ale style, which clearly led to additional styles. In the early craft beer days in the U.S., it was quite common for brewpubs to have an ESB on tap — a malty, bitter ale with English malt, hop, and yeast flavors. The strong cask bitters in the U.K., the ESBs in the U.S., and the exported English pale ales all basically are described by the strong bitter style.

The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) prefers not to use ESB as a style name since it refers to a specific trademarked English product, and nobody in the U.K. thinks of it as a style. English pale ale is a better name, although bitter is the name associated with this type of draft or cask beer in its country of origin. Since most American drinkers think ESB means Extra Special Bitter as a generic name, maybe that is what is happening after all. Just understand that it will cause Brits to cringe if they hear ESB used this way. My personal reason to not use ESB as a style name is that it makes judges think of Fuller’s ESB, and rarely do other bitters approach that profile.

Strong Bitter is style 11C in the BJCP Style Guidelines, in Category 11: British Bitter. It shares the category with 11A Ordinary Bitter and 11B Best Bitter. The British Bitter category does share a common history and general profile, with the beers primarily being differentiated by alcohol strength.

History

Bitters in Great Britain are mostly a 20th century phenomenon, but they do trace back to earlier pale ales. Pale malt was invented in the 1600s, so pale beer was not really possible to make before then. Even so, it remained relatively expensive for the next century or two. Pale ale and pale beer existed in the 1700s but it really wasn’t like products today. Modern pale ale traces back to the highly hopped beers later known as IPAs sent to India from London starting in the late 1700s. 

This export pale ale didn’t become available in England until the 1830s, by which time it was being made more in Burton than in London. Railroads in the 1840s and 1850s helped it gain more local markets, and by the 1860s most breweries offered at least one. Before the 1900s, these tended to be higher in alcohol, aged, or keeping beers. Lower gravity unaged (also known as mild or running) pale ales called light bitters or light ales were developed in the late 1800s and are probably the most direct ancestors of modern bitters.

World War I caused gravities to drop in all beer styles, and the resulting compression of gravity ranges caused breweries to drop products that no longer were sufficiently differentiated. The lower gravity bitters became increasingly popular, and finally became the most sold style after World War II. Pale ales still existed but were positioned as a bottled, premium product, often for export, which is its current form.

Most authoritative writers on English beer (Michael Jackson, Martyn Cornell, Roger Protz, Ron Pattinson) agree that pale ale and bitter are basically synonyms. More nuanced views emerge as they discuss the products at different points in their evolution, with most agreeing that as of the second half of the 20th century, bitter was basically the draft or cask form, and that pale ale was a bottled product. Earlier usages of the term bitter (in the mid-1850s) existed, but not to describe a style as much as to literally differentiate the sweeter milds from more bitter beers.

Michael Jackson is the source of the term “strong bitter,” where he uses it to talk about the differences between them and ordinary and best bitters when breweries offered three products. Many would have only made an ordinary bitter and a best bitter, however. Naming clearly wasn’t standardized, so the separation of styles is similar to how the X system was used in the previous century. Remember that in the U.K., beer is priced based on alcohol content, so having ways of highlighting this is important to consumers.

Sensory Profile

Strong bitters are medium to medium-high bitter in the balance, but the malt backbone tempers the impact. Bitterness can rise with the alcohol level and final gravity, with some examples topping out around 50 IBUs (most are lower). The malt profile is British, with bready and biscuity flavors dominating, sometimes with light toast and caramel flavors. Americans tend to overemphasize caramel flavors, often due to their sampling of perhaps oxidized imports. Authentic bitters are generally more fruity than caramelly, which is one reason I recommend seeking out fresh, local examples of beer styles from other countries.

The alcohol level of strong bitter is larger than 4.5%, but stops short of strong ales, generally around 6%. There can be some overlap with English IPAs in gravity, with English IPAs being the classic Burton beer with sulfury notes and a marked hop and bitterness balance. Strong bitters have more of a malt presence. The color is in the amber to copper range, sometimes getting down into deep gold but it should stop short of brown. Clarity is good, and the head is typically low but is carbonation- and service-dependent. 

The yeast and hop character can give fruity notes, although the range of English hop characteristics can give floral and earthy notes in addition to fruity notes. I find apple and pear esters more from yeast, with orange and citrus coming more from hops. Stronger bitters can also be dry hopped, so having a fresh hop note. In better pubs, this can be done in the cellar by the publican. The flavor dimension of yeast and hops can exceed the aroma. 

The body of the beer can be medium-light to medium-full, with stronger versions often showing more body. Carbonation is lower on draft than in bottled products, but don’t expect cask levels of carbonation in bottles. A light alcohol warmth can sometimes be noted in examples in the 6% range, but it isn’t required.

The balance should lean bitter, but malt should not be in the background. Malt, hops, and yeast character should be noticeable in the aroma, flavor, and aftertaste. The finish should be dry to medium-dry, and the beer should retain the sessionable qualities of other bitters, albeit at a respectable alcohol level.

Brewing Ingredients and Methods

Strong bitters and pale ales are made like other British bitters. The base of pale ale malt is common, with small amounts of character grains or sugars included to enhance flavor and color. Any kind of British pale ale malt can be used; don’t think that Maris Otter is a requirement, but those with bready and biscuity flavors are common. Crystal malts can be used in relatively small percentages (often under 5%) to provide additional flavors and darker colors, but so can brewing sugars. Adjuncts such as corn, rice, or wheat can be used as well.

British beers are generally infusion mashed, with some commercial versions still being parti-gyled (making multiple beers from one mash through separate boils and blends). Single infusion mashes as used commonly by American homebrewers are more than sufficient for making most British beers. Bitters are typically dry, so a conversion temperature within a few degrees of 151 °F (66 °C) is common.

While the range of hops is broader than in the past, most judges and consumers expect a British character to the hopping. Varieties like Goldings and Fuggle are traditional, but a range of English hops are available and can be used. There is more experimentation now with modern or American-type hops, but for competition I try to stick with traditional English varieties.

Most hops are added as a bittering addition when brewing strong bitters. This style does not typically have a huge late-hop aroma and flavor, so traditional flavor and aroma hopping techniques can be used. Dry hopping is relatively rare, but can be done (often by adding hop plugs to a cask). This isn’t to say that American craft brewers haven’t been adding more hops near the end of the boil or as dry hop additions, but understand that is not traditional.

Versions meant to evoke Burton-on-Trent can have a more drying, sulfate character, with the water being treated with calcium sulfate, but not all versions of bitter need have a Burton water character. I tend to think this character is better suited to English IPAs, particularly in competition. Using water with more calcium chloride gives a rounder impression, which can enhance the malt flavors. 

British yeast strains are often associated with certain breweries, which can influence your choice. I’m fond of the fruity Fuller’s strain (Wyeast 1968 or White Labs WLP002) as my main English yeast, but I also like Wyeast 1335 (British Ale II) as a balanced yeast. Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III) tends to make a malty beer, while Wyeast 1469 (West Yorkshire Ale) seems minerally to me. Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) can be a bit sulfury but does a great job attenuating. Any of these, or their equivalents from other yeast manufacturers, can work with this style very well.

Homebrew Example

This is a fun recipe with some unusual techniques, so please read carefully. If you are using recipe software, set your mash efficiency to 48% because we are using a no-sparge technique. This involves using a thin mash, running off the entire mash without sparging, then topping off the beer with strike water in the kettle to hit the initial volume. It is best to prepare all brewing liquor with acid and salts rather than just the mash. The flavor quality of the malt will be superior, and is akin to using first runnings from a large brew. However, some grain will be sacrificed in this method; hence, the lower efficiency.

I am using classic English ingredients in the recipe, with the exception of Victory® malt, which is a U.S. malt from Briess designed to enhance the biscuity/toasty English flavor profile that many judges prefer (myself included). My personal preference of maltsters for the base malt and crystal malt is Crisp. I’m using the Fuller’s yeast strain, which gives a nice fruitiness, and is very easy to clear in a cask. Classic English hops are used, with the addition of some late Styrian Golding, a personal favorite.

This was a recipe I originally put together for serving a cask ale at the old Real Ale Festival, where it was served on a hand pump from a pin cask. I was happy to see the beer pour bright after a single glass, once it had been set up in its serving location the night before and stored cold. It was crushed the next day with help of a small gaggle of Englishman who spent the entire festival next to the cask. That’s the kind of validation that works for me. 

Strong Bitter by the Numbers

OG: 1.048–1.060
FG: 1.010–1.016
SRM: 8–18 
IBU: 30–50
ABV: 4.6–6.2%

A fun strong bitter recipe with some unusual techniques, including no-sparge.

In the world of beer styles, Kölsch is remarkable for being a formally defined style with a legally protected appellation within the European Union that limits its production to a specific geographic area. While this definition and recognition is relatively recent, the style has its roots in prior styles that evolved in response to competitive pressures to become the modern crystal-clear pale golden beer often described as “delicate” and “well balanced” with a “soft” finish.

But is this beer an ale or a lager? It’s both, actually, depending on how you define these terms. Germans typically define lagers as beers that have undergone a traditional cold maturation process, while characterizing beers as being either top-fermenting or bottom-fermenting based on the type of yeast used. Ales are considered a type of English beer rather than indicative of the yeast used. In England and the U.S., ales are thought of as top-fermenting beers and lagers are bottom-fermenting beers. But a Kölsch is a top-fermenting beer that has been lagered, much like the German altbier style. I once called these “hybrid beers,” but I think “lagered top-fermented beer” is more accurate and descriptive.

Beer writer Michael Jackson described the style as delicate and refreshing, and suggested that it makes a wonderful aperitif. In its hometown of Cologne (Köln, in German), the beer is served freshly poured from small casks in a tall, narrow, thin-walled 20-centiliter glass known as a stange (pictured to the left). The blue-aproned waiters, known as Köbes, keep them coming until you make them stop by placing your coaster on top of your glass, and track your order often by making tick marks on your coasters (kind of like a dim sum restaurant counting the plates). Yes, it’s as fun as it sounds.

Kölsch is style 5B in the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines, within the Pale Bitter
European Beer category along with the bottom-fermenting lagers leichtbier, helles exportbier (Dortmunder), and Pils. It tends to be not as bitter in the balance as the others in this group, while having a softer finish and a subtle fruitiness the others lack.

History

The city of Cologne has a long history from its founding as a Roman settlement in AD 50. Located on the western bank of the Rhine River in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was an important city in the Holy Roman Empire and the Hanseatic League, eventually becoming the fourth most populous city in Germany. Cologne has a brewing tradition of more than a thousand years, including medieval times when it was brewing Keute (also known as Kuyt) and later gruit. In later industrial times, the beer of the area was known as Wiess (not to be confused with weiss, also known as hefeweizen). Wiess was a more strongly hopped, unfiltered pale beer made with up to 20% wheat. 

Kölsch as we know it today emerged in the early 1900s as a clearer, more balanced version of wiess. The name Kölsch was first used to describe it in 1918, but the name basically means anything from Köln (kind of like how Pilsener means something from Pilsen). While being in a region with a strong top-fermenting tradition, the breweries resisted switching to bottom-fermentation but compromised by adapting the lagering process in response to the growing popularity of Pilsner-style beers. Bottom-fermentation was actually legally prohibited in Cologne, so perhaps the resistance was reinforced through legal protectionism. 

Cologne was heavily bombed in World War II, with over 90% of the city being destroyed (thankfully, the landmark gothic cathedral was spared). Brewing was re-established and the style grew, but not as much as bottom-fermented beer did. This competitive pressure eventually caused the breweries to band together in a brewing association that attempted to protect the style. They developed a Kölsch Konvention — a document signed by over 20 breweries in Cologne and neighboring townships in 1986 — that defined the style and was eventually recognized by the European Union in 1997 as a protected geographic indication (basically, an appellation). 

The protected appellation prevents others within the EU of using the name, although this does not extend to other places in the world. Some may choose to call their beer “Kölsch-style” while others may just call it a Kölsch (or Koelsch, the Anglicized spelling). The protection did not prevent some Köln breweries from closing or consolidating, but there are many still brewing and some bottle their product for export (notably, Reissdorf, Früh, and Gaffel).

Sensory Profile

Eric Warner’s Kölsch book gives a great sensory summary based on his first impressions of the style: “A light golden beer with a thick rocky head that is crystal clear, less malty than a helles, less bitter than a Pilsner, slightly fruitier than either, while being soft, well-balanced, and relatively light in body.” That is just as true today as it was when written in 1998. The Kölsch Konvention simply defines the style as a “light, highly attenuated, hop-accentuated, clear, top-fermenting vollbier.” Vollbier is a German tax class for beer indicating a product brewed from an 11–14 °Plato wort (OG 1.044–1.056) — in other words, a standard or normal beer (literally, it means “full beer”). Most examples actually top out at 12.5 °P (1.050).

Commercial Kölsch examples can have small variations in balance but they tend to be quite even between maltiness and bitterness. I don’t think they have any strong or sharp flavors, with the four major sensory components (maltiness, bitterness, hoppiness, fruitiness) varying in intensity from medium-low to medium-high, with none outright dominating. Commercial producers differentiate their products through small variations in balance, with some being drier, hoppier, and more bitter, while others seem more rounded and sweeter. Commercial versions are traditionally filtered to be crystal clear.

The beer is dry and well-attenuated but still retains a soft finish; it is not crisp, sharp, or biting like some Pilsners. Freshness matters in this style, and it can fade quickly with age. Oxidation can make the bitterness seem harsher, affect the softness and delicate flavor balance, and start bringing in papery flavors. I think it can seem somewhat like a slightly bitter cream ale or a subtle Bavarian Pilsner, if you are looking for comparisons.

The bitterness level is medium to medium-low, with a similar hoppiness that can have typical noble-type qualities (floral, spicy, herbal). The subtle fruity notes can sometimes be perceived as apple, pear, or cherry. The malt is usually Pilsner-like, with a grainy-sweet flavor sometimes with a hint of honey or bread. The flavors should be delicate and balanced, while allowing for some individual brewer variety.

The beer should be attenuated, not sweet, although the malt and fruitiness may give a slight impression of sweetness. The body is typically medium-light, although some can be as high as medium. Carbonation is moderate to moderately high. It should be smooth and soft, while dry, and never should seem heavy or filling. The alcohol range is typical for a vollbier, around 5% ABV or slightly less.

Brewing Ingredients and Methods

The ingredients for a Kölsch are fairly straightforward. It should be mostly pale or Pilsner malt, but can have a small amount of character grain (such as CaraHell®, Carapils®, Vienna, or wheat) to give a deeper color and add some flavor variety. Some sources (such as Warner and Kunze) mention grists of up to 15–20% wheat, but I have not seen this much used in practice. Very few breweries today use wheat (Malzmühle is one that does), and when they do, it is usually less than 5%. Perhaps the wheat level calls back to the earlier unfiltered wiess style, which often did have this amount.

Mashing regimes can vary, but most are step infused (Warner remarked that he was not aware of any Kölsch brewery not step mashing). Single decoction was sometimes used in the past, and a single infusion is viable, but step infusion tends to give the proper fermentability while retaining some body, and without excessive color development. The final gravity should be in the 2 °P (1.008) range, so be careful with methods (and grists) that go much higher. Conversion temperatures in the 143–146 °F (62–63 °C) are appropriate, followed by a rest at 156–159 °F (69–70 °C) and a mashout at 168–176 °F (76–80 °C).

Aroma hops should be traditional German noble hops such as Hallertauer or Tettnanger, but not too late in the boil (maybe with 10–20 minutes remaining). Bittering hops could be Perle, Magnum, or other German noble hops. Warner suggests a level of 16–34 IBUs, but I think most examples are in a narrower range. Personally, I think mid-20s works well. Water should be soft, with low alkalinity, avoiding excessive sulfates that could sharpen the finish.

Traditional Kölsch yeast is a powdery top-fermenting type that often is difficult to fully flocculate. This type of yeast lends itself to higher attenuation, but not so much to clarity unless other means are taken (mechanical or via finings). Common yeast strains are Wyeast 2565 (Kölsch), White Labs WLP029 (Kölsch Ale), or the SafAle K-97 dry ale yeast. Other suppliers sell Kölsch strains, and typically mention Kölsch or German Ale on the label. Confirm it by looking for a highly attenuative ale strain that produces a relatively clean flavor profile.

Fermentation temperatures are cool for ales, traditionally in the 55–59 °F (13–15 °C) range, sometimes higher (but usually not more than 68 °F/20 °C). The beer should be lagered after fermentation is complete, typically for at least a month at near-freezing temperatures. If lagering warmer, the duration will be longer (say, three months at 40 °F/5 °C). If the beer seems sulfury or vinous, it likely needs to be lagered longer.

Homebrew Example

My example shoots for the lower end of the style statistics as I think it is more refreshing that way. I think it’s important to have the right level of attenuation to keep the style from feeling heavy, so you have to keep the OG low as well or the ABV gets out of hand. As a dry beer, I don’t want to push too many IBUs at it, otherwise it will seem too bitter. To keep the finish soft, I’m also avoiding the higher IBUs, adding a touch of light crystal malt, and avoiding sulfates in the water.

My use of a step mash and lower mash conversion temperatures helps achieve the attenuation, but the fermentation and conditioning process also helps encourage the yeast to fully complete their job. I’m using mostly Pilsner malt for its flavor, with a touch of Vienna and CaraHell® to bump up the color, flavor, and body slightly.

My hop choice is a mix of German and American hops that mimic noble characteristics. Using all German noble hops is certainly appropriate, as long as you can source fresh samples. I’m using first wort hopping to keep the bitterness smooth and boost some of the hop flavor. The aroma addition is gentle.

A Kölsch-specific yeast should help with the attenuation and flavor, but don’t let the fermentation temperature rise dramatically. The subtle fruitiness should be natural, not forced through extreme temperatures. The lagering and conditioning phase is important for sulfur reduction and general smoothness – don’t ignore it. If you are shooting for a quick beer to make, maybe choose another style because actual lagering is part of what makes this style special.

Finally, remember that Kölsch should be brilliantly clear, so plan to either fine or filter the beer after it has lagered. I think this also tends to limit the shelf life of the beer, so you might want to drink it like they do in Cologne — fresh with the pints coming one after another. You may find that you have a new summertime house beer.

Kölsch by the Numbers:
OG: 1.044–1.050
FG: 1.007–1.011
SRM: 3.5–5
IBU: 18–30
ABV: 4.4–5.25%