Brakspear Bitter – All Grain Recipe Kit

Long before being a home brewer, if like me you grew up drinking in and around Oxfordshire or Berkshire, chances are Brakspear Bitter was part of the furniture. For me (Stiffo), this was one of the beers that genuinely changed everything — the pint that showed me beer could be savoured, appreciated and understood, not just drunk. It sparked my love for traditional cask ale and proper regional brewing character.

Now you can recreate that heritage at home with this Brakspear Bitter All Grain Recipe Kit, designed to capture the balance and drinkability of this classic Thames Valley bitter for all home brewers.

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Flavour Profile

Expect a bright amber pint with:

• Soft marmalade and gentle orange hop character

• Subtle fruity esters

• A firm but balanced bitterness

• A clean, refreshing finish that invites the next mouthful

This is classic British cask-style bitter — sessionable, characterful and rooted in regional brewing tradition.

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Yeast Options – Please Read

Yeast is NOT included with this kit as standard.

You are free to choose whichever yeast strain best suits your preference and brewing setup.

If you wish to stay stylistically close to the historic Henley character, you may choose one of the Brewlab Thames Valley yeast slopes (available separately). These strains are known for producing a light fruitiness with a clean finish, echoing the profile long associated with Brakspear’s beers.

If selecting a Brewlab yeast slope, please review our dedicated video guide here on preparing and propagating slopes before brewing, as they require a different handling process compared to dried or liquid yeast.

Alternatively, any quality English ale yeast — dried or liquid — will work well in this recipe and allow you to tailor the ester profile to your own preference.

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Optional: Drop Fermentation Method

Historically, Brakspear became famous for its “double drop” fermentation system — a method that physically moved the beer partway through fermentation to encourage healthy yeast activity and shape flavour.

While completely optional, adventurous home brewers may choose to replicate a simplified version of this technique.

How to Perform a Simple Home Brew “Drop”:

1. Ferment as normal and allow the beer to reach high kräusen (typically around 36–48 hours after pitching, depending on temperature and yeast).

2. Transfer the actively fermenting beer into a second sanitised fermenter.

3. Leave behind the thick kräusen and settled trub in the original vessel.

4. Allow fermentation to complete in the second vessel.

This process intentionally reintroduces oxygen mid-fermentation and carries forward the most active yeast in suspension. It is not the same as a traditional secondary transfer of finished beer.

⚠️ Please note: This method carries some oxidation risk if poorly timed or executed. It is recommended for experienced brewers comfortable managing fermentation carefully.

You can, of course, ferment conventionally in a single vessel and still produce an excellent example of this beer.

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Why Brew This Kit?

• Tribute to a historic Henley brewery

• Traditional British bitter profile

• Perfect for cask-style serving, keg or bottle conditioning

• Optional historical fermentation method for those who want to experiment

Whether you’re reconnecting with your own beer roots or discovering a Thames Valley classic for the first time, this kit allows you to brew a true heritage bitter with flexibility to make it your own.

Brew it traditionally. Brew it experimentally. But most importantly — brew it properly and enjoy it fresh.

 

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Ingredients Included

Simpsons Best Pale Ale Malt
Simpsons Crystal T50
Simpsons Black Malt

Total Grain Bill 3660g

Challenger T90 Pellets (48 grams)
Goldings (East Kent Goldings) T90 Pellets (20 grams)
Spray Dried Malt Extract – Light – 115g (1 packs) – to use for growing your yeast slope

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Method

Beer Style (main): British Ales
Beer Style (sub): Ordinary Bitter
Batch Size: 23L
Original Gravity: 1.035
Final Gravity: 1.008
ABV %: 3.7
IBU: 38

THE MASH
Temperature °C: 66
Length (mins): 60
Out temp °C: 75
Out time (mins): 10

THE BOIL
Boil time (mins): 60min

Additions and timing:

48g of Challenger Hops @ 60mins
8g of Goldings Hops @ 0mins

Add yeast nutrient and kettle finings 15mins before the end of the boil

Secondary additions and timing:

Add 12g of Goldings Hops to your Fermenter as a Dry Hop addition after 7 days of fermentation.

Yeast: Your choice, but we suggest a Brewlab Yeast Slope
Fermentation temperature/steps: 20c – 7-10 days

Comments:

If using a yeast slope from Brewlab – this requires a starter to be made. We have included a packet of dry malt extract for you to use to create your yeast starte. Please ensure you have fully reviewed our instructions and video on how to build a yeast starter before brewing this recipe.