If you have brewed a few batches already and want to try London Bitter, this is a straightforward, all-grain route to it. The backbone is Pale malt, with Challenger 7% doing most of the work in the boil.
Recipe at a Glance
Recipe at a Glance
| Style | London Bitter |
| Batch Size | 5 gallons (19L) |
| Boil Time | 60-90 minutes |
| Original Gravity | 1.035-1.045 |
| Final Gravity | 1.008-1.012 |
| ABV | 3.5-4.5% |
| IBU | 25-35 |
| SRM | 6-12 (amber) |
| Difficulty | Beginner to Intermediate |
Brew Day, Step by Step
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1
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Mash · ~60 min Mash the grain bill, led by Pale malt, at a steady temperature to build the fermentable sugars this style needs. Sparge slowly so you do not lose efficiency. |
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2
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Boil · ~60-90 min Bring the wort to a boil and work through the hop schedule, starting with Challenger 7%. This is also where you will add any fining agent for a clearer finished beer. |
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3
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Ferment · 18C (64F) Pitch Wyeast 1318 London Ale III once the wort has cooled to fermentation temperature and hold it steady. Primary fermentation is the most active week, do not rush it. |
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4
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Condition · 3 weeks at 12C (54F) Rack to secondary (or leave in primary if your recipe calls for it) and let the beer round out at a cool, steady temperature. This step does more for the final flavor than people expect. |
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5
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Package · 1 day, then wait Bottle or keg once gravity has held steady for a few days in a row. Give it time to carbonate and, for bigger styles, additional time to mellow before your first taste. |
That’s the shape of brew day and the weeks after it. For the exact grain bill, hop schedule, and full step-by-step instructions with amounts, use the recipe card below.
What You Will Need
Sourcing your own ingredients locally is always fine, but if you want to skip a homebrew store trip, here is what’s in stock in our shop right now:
- Base and specialty grain: Grains & Adjuncts (e.g. Briess 2- Row Brewers Malt 1.8L – 10 lb)
- Bittering and aroma hops: Brewing Hops (e.g. Amarillo Pellet Hops 3 oz)
- Yeast: Brewing Yeast (e.g. Voss Kveik Ale Yeast – 11 g (Pack of 5))
- Secondary fermenter for conditioning: Fermenters & Carboys (e.g. FastRack Drilled Rubber Stopper (#10-3 Pieces))
- Priming sugar for bottling: Priming Sugar (e.g. Brewmaster – AD310 Corn Sugar (lb))
- General kit and tools: Homebrew Equipment (e.g. 12.5Ft. Wort Chiller with Copper Coil)
- Pour it right when it’s ready: a tulip glass shows off the color and holds the aroma better than a straight pint glass
Serve It Right
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A London Bitter is best served in a pint or nonic, it fits the body and carbonation of this style better than a straight pint glass. Here is one from our shop: |
Ingredients & Gear for This Batch
Grain / Adjuncts |
Hops |
Yeast |
Fermenter |
Priming Sugar |
Equipment Regular 5/16″ Auto Siphon 24″ Length with 8 feet of Tubing, clear |
Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions
London Bitter
Equipment
- 1 Large pot for boiling
- 1 Mash tun or large pot with strainer
- 1 Fermenting vessel
- 1 Bottling bucket or kegging system
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Hydrometer
Ingredients
For the Mash – Liquor 11 Litres (19½ Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 65 °c/149 °F
- 8.13 lb Pale malt Quantity 4kg
- 14 oz Medium crystal malt Quantity 396g
For the Boil – 27 Litres (47½ Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 10 mins
- 1 oz (Hops) Challenger 7% When to add – At start of boil (IBU 20.3)
- ⅓ oz (Hops) Fuggle 4.5% When to add – For last 15 mins of boil (IBU 1.8)
- ¼ oz (Hops) Golding 5.5% When to add – At turn off (IBU 0.0)
- 1 tsp Protofloc Other – When to add – For last 15 mins of boil
To Ferment – 18°C (64°F) – Conditioning 4 weeks at 12°C (°F)
- 1 Wyeast 1318 London Ale III
Instructions
- Begin by heating 11 litres of water in a large pot until it reaches a temperature of 65°C (149°F).
- Once the water has reached the correct temperature, add the pale malt and medium crystal malt to the mash tun or large pot with strainer. Mix thoroughly to ensure the grains are fully wetted.
- Pour the hot water over the grains and stir thoroughly, making sure there are no dry spots. Cover the mash tun or pot and let it sit for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, drain the wort from the mash tun or pot into a large pot for boiling.
- Bring the wort to a boil, then add the Challenger hops at the start of the boil. Let it boil for 50 minutes.
- After 50 minutes, add the Fuggle hops and Protofloc and let it boil for an additional 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the Golding hops. Let it steep for 5 minutes.
- Chill the wort as quickly as possible to a temperature of 18°C (64°F).
- Once the wort has cooled, transfer it to a fermenting vessel and add the Wyeast 1318 London Ale III yeast.
- Seal the fermenting vessel and let the beer ferment at a temperature of 18°C (64°F) for 4 weeks.
- After 4 weeks, transfer the beer to a bottling bucket or kegging system and carbonate to your desired level.
- Let the beer condition for 4 weeks at a temperature of 12°C (54°F) before serving.
Get the fermentation temperature right on London Bitter and most of the rest of the process takes care of itself.
What Makes London Bitter the Style It Is
London Bitter sits in a well-established style family, and the version most homebrewers land on today reflects decades of small adjustments by brewers chasing balance rather than novelty.
Expect a beer that leans on pale malt and challenger 7% once it is finished conditioning. Wyeast 1318 London Ale III is the yeast strain behind that profile, so keep an eye on your fermentation temperature.
Style Characteristics at a Glance
- ABV: 3.5-4.5%
- Bitterness: 25-35 IBU
- Color: 6-12 (amber)
- Serving temp: 50-55F (10-13C)
- Glassware: a pint or nonic
- Food pairings: pies, roast dinners, mild cheeses
Common Questions
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes, the grain bill and hop schedule scale linearly with batch size. Just make sure your equipment, mash tun and boil kettle both, can actually handle the volume you are scaling to.
What is the biggest mistake homebrewers make with this style?
Rushing the schedule. Pulling a beer off yeast too early or skipping conditioning time is the most common way to shortchange a recipe like this one.
Can I substitute a different yeast strain?
You can, but expect the flavor profile to shift. Stick close to the same yeast family (English ale, American ale, Belgian, lager, etc.) if you want a result close to what this recipe is aiming for.
This recipe is for adults of legal drinking age. Please brew and drink responsibly, and always sanitize your equipment thoroughly to avoid infection.
