Bitter, Ordinary Recipe from Weyermann® Almanac

Weyermann® Almanac Beer Recipe

Beer recipe: Helles, Barke Variation

Beer recipe: Bitter, Ordinary

We are lucky enough to have been granted permission to share this Ordinary Bitter beer recipe from the Weyermann® Almanac of World Beers with our audience. Please try them out, enjoy and feel free to tag or contact Weyermann® with your finished brew.

We are lucky enough to have been granted permission to share this Helles Barke® variation beer recipe from the Weyermann® Almanac of World Beers with our audience. Please try them out, enjoy and feel free to tag or contact Weyermann® with your finished brew.

Hops in the Beer recipe

The Ordinary Bitter recipe offers two distinct hop combinations that influence its flavour and aroma. Each option creates a different take on this classic English beer style.

Traditional English Hop Option

The first hop option uses Goldings for bittering and aroma, with Fuggles for flavour. Goldings deliver a soft, floral bitterness with mild spice, enhancing the malt backbone without overpowering it. Fuggles add an earthy depth and subtle woody tones. Together, these hops create a smooth and balanced Ordinary Bitter that reflects the authentic British pub experience. This combination works beautifully with the caramel notes of the malt base, producing a refined, drinkable ale.

Modern Hop Option

The second hop option modernises the Ordinary Bitter. It features El Dorado® for bittering and Azacca® for flavour and aroma. El Dorado® contributes clean bitterness with hints of stone fruit. Azacca® brings tropical and citrus aromas, adding vibrancy to the beer. This option gives the Ordinary Bitter a fresh, contemporary twist while keeping its traditional drinkability.

MALT in the beer recipe

IIn spite of the name “Bitter,” the family of Ordinary, Best, and Extra Special Bitters are actually fairly mild session ales. They evolved shortly after the 1790s, when the first truly hop-bitter English ale, the India Pale Ale (IPA), was brewed, initially in London and later also in Burton-on-Trent, for the British colonies in what are now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. By the 1830s, large English breweries adopted their IPAs also for their domestic markets, but they reduced the beers’ hop loading. This was the genesis of Bitters as a pale ale style. There is arguably no real distinction between a Bitter and a Pale Ale, however, in common usage—though not consistently so—the term Pale Ale is more often applied to the ale’s bottled version and the term Bitter, to its draft cousin.

The Ordinary Bitter recipe uses a balanced mix of Weyermann® malts that shape its body, colour, and flavour. Weyermann® Pale Ale Malt provides a smooth, biscuity sweetness and strong enzymatic power, forming the beer’s golden-amber base. Weyermann® CARAHELL® adds honey-like sweetness, fuller body, and improved foam stability, keeping the beer easy to drink. Weyermann® CARARED® enhances colour with red tones and gentle caramel depth, while Weyermann® CARAFA® Type 2 adds light roasted notes and subtle darkness without bitterness. Together, these malts create a rounded, flavourful Ordinary Bitter with layers of toffee, biscuit, and soft roasted character, traditional yet full of charm.