billpa

Recipes 

Actually my first brew period Im looking to brew an ESB. Here is my recipe.

Güden ESB
8-C Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)



Size: 5 gal
Efficiency: 65.0%
Attenuation: 74.0%
Calories: 193.89 per 12 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.058 (1.048 - 1.060)
|=====================#==========|
Terminal Gravity: 1.015 (1.010 - 1.016)
|=====================#==========|
Color: 13.7 (6.0 - 18.0)
|==================#=============|
Alcohol: 5.64% (4.6% - 6.2%)
|==================#=============|
Bitterness: 44.56 (30.0 - 50.0)
|===================#============|

Ingredients:
4.0 lbs Maris Otter
0.5 lbs Victory® Malt
0.5 lbs Special Roast Malt
4 lbs Dry Amber
.5 oz Target (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
1 oz Challenger (8.0%) - added during boil, boiled 30 min
.5 oz Fuggle (4.75%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
1 ea WYeast 1275 Thames Valley Ale


A couple of questions I had as well if anybody can help me out. I'm doing the partial mash in a 3 gallon cooler. It has a false bottom. Should I bring the water up to temp, put it in the cooler and then add the grains? Also, regarding efficiency, I kind of just guessed 65%. Im sure I will get a better estimation when I do my first brew. Is that too high of an estimation for a noob like myself? Im planning on doing a single infusion mash. I might drain a few quarts out after mash is complete, bring that to a boil, and then add that back into the tun for a mash-out...then drain and sparge. Planning on mashing in with 6 quarts of water and sparging with 6 quarts leaving me with roughly 3 gallons total to boil.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
billpa

david_42

Recipes 

Heat the water to about 180F, put it in the cooler for 20 minutes. Adjust to strike temp if necessary & add grains.

You'll need about 8 quarts for sparging, because you'll lose some of the first running to the grain.

65% is a good place to start.

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treehouse

Recipes 

65% efficiency is realistic. I get about 60% + and I don't really sparge very well using the mesh bag method of Homer Simpson Mashing. Just don't forget to add a little Irish Moss. The recipe sounds very tasty...I have never used grains made from Otters (hair might be a problem), but I have used the Victory malt with plain old 2-row with great success.

billpa

Recipes 

Thanks alot for your suggestions guys. I will let you know how it turns out!