The most popular draft beer in England, Bitter, despite its astringent name, has less hop flavor (bitterness) than pale ale. Bitter is known in England as a session beer, which means it has a flavor people do not tire of when they are having a few, and the alcohol content is not so strong as to numb the brain during the drinking session, as the social custom in England requires that everyone in the group buy a round of 20 ounce pints smooth malty beer, balanced with a noticeable but not strong English hop bitterness. Bitter is traditionally served on draft, as the lower carbonation levels inherent in draft beer best showcase its smooth character. Alcohol: 4.5%, IBU's 31.
Includes 6.5 lbs. of our blended malt extract, English Golding hops, 125 ml of liquid ale yeast, and corn sugar for carbonation. Makes 5 gallons with a starting gravity of at least 1.044. Ease of Brewing: Beginner
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One of the best everyday beers!
Pros: I have been making this beer for several years and have never had a bad batch. Very consistant taste, color and carbonation. Liquid yeast packs have never failed. William's customer service is excellant! Takes care of order problems immediately.
Cons: none
Williams kit earns 3rd place at National AHA event
Pros: My fourth batch while still learning brewing was the William's English Bitter kit which I entered into the AHA National competition in 1990 and placed 3rd. I have spent quite a few years brewing full grain, but I have returned to extract brewing and this kit is as good as ever. Consistently a great beer.
English Bitter
Pros: True to form, nice malty flavor with the english hop flavors hovering just behind the malt. First time William's kit brewer. Very pleased with the outcome and will definately brew it again. My wife is English and was surprised that the yanks could get that close.
Cons: If you want to stay true to the style then batch carbonation with provided corn sugar will lead to over-carbonation (for this style) which makes the beer much crisper than traditional flater bitter's. I might try do bottle with less sugar next time.
English Bitter
Pros: Excellent beer, everyone who has sampled it claims it is as good as they had in England.
Cons: The kegs don’t last as long as other brews.
Great beer, but stronger than expected
Pros: This was a great tasting beer with a nice mild flavor as advertised. One word of caution though, my starting gravity was 1.072 and my finishing gravity was 1.020 netting an abv of 6.8% - perhaps my starting measurement was off, but the effects sure felt like 6+% - no complaintes here though :-)
Cons: I bottled half my batch in a mini 2.5 keg and the remainder in 22oz bottle. This beer tasted better with the lower carbonation (in mini keg) rather than in the bottle.