ESB recipe advice

[frozennorth]

I researched a bunch of ESB recipes and then crafted my own. Does this sound like an ESB? I plan to brew this Sat.

7 lbs light LME (3 at 60, 4 at flameout)

.5 lbs 80L (steep 30 min 160 pre boil)

.25 lbs 120L (steep 30 min 160 pre boil)

1 lbs golden light DME (flameout)

1 oz magnum (60 min)

1 oz US Goldings (30 min)

1 oz US Goldings (10 min)

1/2 tsp Irish moss (10 min)

Wyeast 1968 English ESB

Ferment at 68.

What do you think? This is technically my 6th brew, but my second in the last 10 years, the fifth being a month ago.

 

[frozennorth]

Sorry, 3 1/2 gallon boil, topping off to 5 gallon in the fermentor.

 

[cubalz]

Subscribed. :beard:

 

[Falcon3]

You may want to up the hops a bit due to the partial boil, but everything else looks pretty good. Nice work.

 

[slymaster]

DME needs to be boiled a bit though. Otherwise, it looks pretty much like an ESB to me. When steeping the grains, I also like to add some Maris Otter base malt. You get more conversion of the starches in the Crystal and it gives a true british malt taste.

 

[frozennorth]

Would you up the flavoring hops or the bitter? Or, both? Thank you for the advice. I shall try both ideas.

 

[slymaster]

Hard to say about bittering as I'm used to make full volume boils. Are you using a software? You should try to hit around 35 ibu. For aroma, I use roughly 1 oz. of hops at 5 min. plus 1 oz. at flameout and whirlpool. I also dry hop 1 oz. for 5 days.

You might want to check one of the recipes I've experimented with. It's a 6 gal batch and I made a partial mash (5.5 pounds of grain) but it's the fastest-drinking batch I made:
http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/443980/fullers-esb-style-ale-partial-mash

 

[frozennorth]

That will work. I am not using software, but plan to get a program on payday. Thank you.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Without running the numbers to check color/gravity/bitterness, etc, I would recommend that you swap the LME and DME. Add the DME at the beginning of the boil. Add ALL of your LME just before flameout. Other than that, you're on the right track.

Now, I like my English beers, and I also like them traditional. So if it were me, I'd use an English pale malt extract. Some shops sell a Maris Otter extract. If you can't get an English extract, you could lower the LME a little bit, add a pound of Maris Otter, as well as a half pound of Biscuit or Victory, in addition to your crystal malts. That'll sort of approximate the right flavor. But you'll have to go longer (an hour) and watch the temperature more closely (I'd target 150 or so) since you'd be mashing, and not just steeping grains for flavor, and you want to make sure the starches get converted.

Even with just using normal extract like you've got it, I would also swap for English crystal malts. The difference in character is really noticeable. And then I'd lose the Magnum and instead us a UK bittering hop, since those hops tend to carry a little flavor from the bittering addition. Target or Challenger would be good. They won't have the AA% of Magum, but high enough. And I'd prefer to use a UK Goldings to US Goldings. I absolutely love East Kent Goldings, but I'm not a fan of the US ones. You could also use any of the other English hops. Willamette would be good for an American hop since it's very close to Fuggles (closer than US Goldings are to UK Goldings in my book).

Now, that's me splitting hairs. I think as you've got it you're on the right track.

 

[frozennorth]

That is a very detailed and thought out response. Thank you. I am heading to the supply store to grab some Maris Otter and Biscuit after work

 

[frozennorth]

After two weeks in the fermenter I am tempted to dry hop this ESB. What do you all think? Does an ESB need to be dry hopped?

 

[slymaster]

If you finally used Goldings or East Kent Goldings, I'd dry hop 1 oz for 7 days with that. That's what I do with my ESB and the aroma is wonderful. You don't need more than that, it's not an IPA ;-)

 

[frozennorth]

I did use East Kent Goldings. Thank you for your help. I shall dry hop this evening and bottle on Sunday. I will let you know how it turns out.

 

[frozennorth]

I ended up adding using one pound of marris otter and half a pound of biscuit. The other changes were to use east kent Goldings and I cut back one pound of extract as well. As I was bottling I took a sample for an OG reading and for a taste. The OG was 1.071, which seemed high to me, and the FG was 1.018, after one month. It tastes bready, which I expected, and almost an oakish/whiskey taste. Any idea where that would come from?

 

[slymaster]

I don't know. Maybe it's the temp and/or lenght of steeping that brought an oaky or astringent taste, maybe it's the caramelly flavor of the extract mixed with the crystal taste that feels like that, maybe it's also the yeast profile or the temp at which you fermented... You could brew this again and never get that taste again. As long as it's good!

 

[jaropkls]

I ended up adding using one pound of marris otter and half a pound of biscuit. The other changes were to use east kent Goldings and I cut back one pound of extract as well. As I was bottling I took a sample for an OG reading and for a taste. The OG was 1.071, which seemed high to me, and the FG was 1.018, after one month. It tastes bready, which I expected, and almost an oakish/whiskey taste. Any idea where that would come from?

Did you do marris otter grain or LME?

 

[frozennorth]

I went with marris otter. I did a BIAB of marris otter and biscuit. It finished higher than I wanted, 1.016, but I will wait until it carbs to make a final judgement.

 

[frozennorth]

This beer is fantastic! Lightly carbed, sweetly malted, with a tangy bitter finish. This going to re-brewed! I used 3 oz of corn sugar to carb.

Funny thing though, the beer from the 12 oz bottles is crystal clear, but the beer from the 22 oz is hazy. I will have to think on that.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Glad it worked out for you!

Are you pouring the 22oz in one swoop, or pouring, then sitting it upright then pouring again?

Also, it could be which order you bottled in, depending on if you kicked up any sediment from the bottom of the fermenter and where it ended up.

 

[dkevinb]

Did you make enough to share?

 

[frozennorth]

There are 12 12oz and on bomber left. Best get walking, it is a long haul.

 

[frozennorth]

The bombers are pour a glass at a time.

 

[dhutchings]

Looks like a good recipe! I'm brewing a "sort-of" Special/Best Bitter right now:

6.6 lbs Maris Otter Extract LME
2 oz East Kent Goldings 60m
4.5 oz of my home grown, harvested that morning hops that I think are Chinook (they were labelled "hops" at the garden centre but the aroma is similar to Chinook) 10m.

3 1/2 gal boil topped to 5 gal

Nottingham yeast.

 

[frozennorth]

Nice. Hope it turns out tasty!

 

[rmyurick]

bomber would take a little longer to clear, due to the height. sounds like a good recipe, although probably more of an "old ale"at that gravity.

 

[frozennorth]

Oh, why did I drink so much of it green?

 

[rmyurick]

next time brew more!

 

[frozennorth]

That is the plan!