Strong Bitter Common Room ESB

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Gotcha. I'm using a 10 gallon cooler, just calculated general heat loss on 5 gallons of 170 degree water... lost about 4 degrees over an hour, opened the lid twice, as I could by stirring.

BeerSmith is suggesting that I mash at 166.3, step down to 152 for 60 mins. Also to sparge at 168. Will probably 2-step batch, total of 3.38 gallons. Grain will probably be room temp, around 68-70.

I'm sure you meant strike at 166 and mash at 152. You do NOT want to mash at 166.
 
If I'm reading it correctly (according to BeerSmiths calculations based on the grain temp): Heat strike water to 166* and add to MT, then add grains and step-down temp should hit 152*, then begin mash for 60 mins.

Unless that's not at all what it means...

Also, going to put a cap on my questions as they're cluttering this thread.
 
If I'm reading it correctly (according to BeerSmiths calculations based on the grain temp): Heat strike water to 166* and add to MT, then add grains and step-down temp should hit 152*, then begin mash for 60 mins.

Unless that's not at all what it means...

That's right. It's just the terminology that confused things. Mash temp is what you end up at -- your target for the mash itself. Strike temp is the higher number (with my setup I also strike at 166F to mash at 152F for most batches).

Just make sure to stir like crazy at first and get some readings from different spots in the mash to make sure you're really on target with the temp.
 
LHBS doesn't carry Safale and I don't want to pitch onto the yeast cake of the British IPA I am bottling tomorrow that used S-04 so I picked up WY1968.

I went 10lbs 2-row, 8oz. 40L, 4 oz. 120L and 4 oz. biscuit. Used my cereal killer grain mill for the first time tonight and will be brewing tomorrow. Sticking to same hops as the original recipe.

Well I brewed this up two weeks ago. OG was 1.052 and checked just now and it's at 1.013. I would say it's finished. Hydro sample was much lighter than I was hoping, probably from using c40 and c120. It has a bit more of a hop bite than I would have hoped for in this style. I accidentally forgot to FWH and tossed the 1.5oz in after it got to boil and was in for 60. We will see how it is once it's had a chance to get carbed up and I will report back.
 
Well I brewed this up two weeks ago. OG was 1.052 and checked just now and it's at 1.013. I would say it's finished. Hydro sample was much lighter than I was hoping, probably from using c40 and c120. It has a bit more of a hop bite than I would have hoped for in this style. I accidentally forgot to FWH and tossed the 1.5oz in after it got to boil and was in for 60. We will see how it is once it's had a chance to get carbed up and I will report back.

I made the same mistake with the FWH, totally forgot, the them in at 60 min
 
Brewed this today as my first AG batch... so far everything seems good. Hit ~77% efficiency according to BeerSmith.

Like many beginners I ran into issues. First, getting the mash temp correct. Even with preheating the MLT, it registered as 151, so I had to add some hot, then some cold, and it took way too long to hit the right mark. Then of course the temp dropped about 6 degrees (according to the thermometer, although I'm a bit skeptical about that)

Got 1.050 pre-boil, 1.060 post boil. Looked good, tasted good, we'll see how this goes.

Edit: Also had to use Willamette for Fuggle, and threw .25 tsp of Irish moss in.
 
This was a lot of firsts for me: first time brewing an ESB, first time using FWH and first time entering a competition. I brewed this on 12/1/12 and submitted it for the Midwinter Hombrew Competition on 1/2/13. It was still young at the time and I was just hoping for a critique. Meanwhile it continued to improve and yesterday it took silver in the English pale ale category with a score of 45.
I followed the recipe exactly with adjustments for efficiency and hit 1056 OG and 1010 FG. The appearance was just like the OPs picture even though beersmith predicts a pale straw color with possible green tinge?
I rarely want to brew a recipe twice since there are so many styles I haven't brewed yet but this one will be a regular.
Thanks for the great recipe.
 
This was a lot of firsts for me: first time brewing an ESB, first time using FWH and first time entering a competition. I brewed this on 12/1/12 and submitted it for the Midwinter Hombrew Competition on 1/2/13. It was still young at the time and I was just hoping for a critique. Meanwhile it continued to improve and yesterday it took silver in the English pale ale category with a score of 45.
I followed the recipe exactly with adjustments for efficiency and hit 1056 OG and 1010 FG. The appearance was just like the OPs picture even though beersmith predicts a pale straw color with possible green tinge?
I rarely want to brew a recipe twice since there are so many styles I haven't brewed yet but this one will be a regular.
Thanks for the great recipe.

Glad you liked it! :mug:
 
I bottled on Saturday and I am itching to crack one open. I will hold out til this weekend to see where it is at. In the bottle, I would have to say this is the clearest batch I have made yet.
 
Bottled yesterday, I'm really excited for this one!

The color was lighter though, more akin to what beersmith predicted. Bummer. Any ideas why? I used almost all British crystals and MO (also got rid of a bit (1 ounce) of American C120). Would a dash (0.5-1oz) of British chocolate for color hurt this recipe? Anyways, no worries it's delicious (even warm and flat out of the hydro sample).

Thanks Brian!

-Brian

P.S. your recipes are bomb, I can't decide which one of them to do next!
 
Bottled yesterday, I'm really excited for this one!

The color was lighter though, more akin to what beersmith predicted. Bummer. Any ideas why? I used almost all British crystals and MO (also got rid of a bit (1 ounce) of American C120). Would a dash (0.5-1oz) of British chocolate for color hurt this recipe? Anyways, no worries it's delicious (even warm and flat out of the hydro sample).

Thanks Brian!

-Brian

P.S. your recipes are bomb, I can't decide which one of them to do next!

A lot of things could cause the lighter color like the particular batch of crystal malt you used, the intensity of your boil, lighting, and the presence of yeast in the sample. If you decide to make it again, adding a touch of chocolate malt would give you a little color without much flavor. It's something I do in lots of my beers and works really well.
 
Just brewed this yesterday. I used Wyeast London ESB yeast with target mash temperature of 152*. I ended up a little low at 150*, hopefully it won't dry out too much. Looking forward to trying it!

Oh, and I also almost doubled the aroma hops, used 12 grams of each just because that's how much was left in my packet of EKG after measuring out the FWH & the 20 minute so I matched it with the fuggles. This is my first time FWH'ing too.
 
I brought a six pack of this to a luncheon yesterday. Two of the ladies there claimed that they didn’t like beer much and only drink Coors Light when they do. They proceeded to drink all six beers and was amazed at how good it was. This was a defining moment in my brewing career. Thanks KingBrian!
 
I brought a six pack of this to a luncheon yesterday. Two of the ladies there claimed that they didn’t like beer much and only drink Coors Light when they do. They proceeded to drink all six beers and was amazed at how good it was. This was a defining moment in my brewing career. Thanks KingBrian!

:mug:
 
Just brewed this yesterday. I used Wyeast London ESB yeast with target mash temperature of 152*. I ended up a little low at 150*, hopefully it won't dry out too much. Looking forward to trying it!

Oh, and I also almost doubled the aroma hops, used 12 grams of each just because that's how much was left in my packet of EKG after measuring out the FWH & the 20 minute so I matched it with the fuggles. This is my first time FWH'ing too.

This is obviously just a matter of personal taste but I actually prefer my ESBs a little on the lighter bodied side. This makes the requisite low carbonation profile seem more "peppy" and more easily digestible. There's nothing worse than an undercarbed, lightly hopped pint of malt IMHO. If I wanted that I would just drink a Budweiser Black Crown :D
 
I brewed this a few months back and it was my second kegged beer. I am not really sure why, but it tasted incredibly yeasty. I racked off of primary and secondary. When I dumped the last half of the keg, there was not a considerably amount of yeast left in the bottom. Not really sure what I did wrong. Besides tasting like liquid yeast, it did taste alright though. I think I will personally stick with Orfy's Hobgoblin clone as it is exactly my type of beer. Might give this one a rebrew in the future though.
 
I'm drinking this right now and I gotta say, it's by far the best beer I've brewed to date. Thanks Brian, great recipe!
 
Does this one take a long time to clear up? I used Wyeast London ESB. It has been a month in the keg. Still very cloudy. Tastes good.
 
Does this one take a long time to clear up? I used Wyeast London ESB. It has been a month in the keg. Still very cloudy. Tastes good.

That yeast is a high floccer and is supposed to create a very clear beer. Interesting that yours and gcdowd's are cloudy. How long has it been in refrigeration and how many pints have you drawn off of it?
 
I've had mine in the keg about two weeks and have pulled about 4 pints. I will admit that it was super clear when I racked it. Either way, I attribute it to chill haze and it will probably go away eventually.
 
hogwash said:
That yeast is a high floccer and is supposed to create a very clear beer. Interesting that yours and gcdowd's are cloudy. How long has it been in refrigeration and how many pints have you drawn off of it?

I think it's the protein haze not yeast. Mine is also hazy, even after having bottles that have been in the fridge for months. I used Wyeast 1728 which always clears well for me.
 
That yeast is a high floccer and is supposed to create a very clear beer. Interesting that yours and gcdowd's are cloudy. How long has it been in refrigeration and how many pints have you drawn off of it?

It has been in the fridge about a month. Tried about 5 pints so far. I am ok with it taking longer but as you said it is a high floc yeast and I was expecting it to be clear by now. I will wait and see.
 
This looks to be my next brew based on the overwhelming love here. Anyone have thoughts on throwing in a couple handfuls of flaked oats?
 
This looks to be my next brew based on the overwhelming love here. Anyone have thoughts on throwing in a couple handfuls of flaked oats?

I use a little bit of flaked oats and flaked wheat in my ESB. Out of respect for someone else's recipe thread I won't post it here but if you're interested I'll PM it to you.
 
I sampled mine yesterday after a week in primary and it was at 1.018, which I'll take if it doesn't drop anymore. The interesting thing was it had a distinctive diacetyl flavor, buttery just like they say. I used the Wyeast London ESB yeast which they say needs a thorough diacetyl rest so I'm not worried about it. I'll just leave it for another couple two three weeks. I thought it was kind of cool because I have never tasted it before, to my knowledge. It was very clear that's what I was tasting.

Beyond the diacetyl it was a very nice color and I think it's going to be good one. Thanks KB!
 
I sampled mine yesterday after a week in primary and it was at 1.018, which I'll take if it doesn't drop anymore. The interesting thing was it had a distinctive diacetyl flavor, buttery just like they say. I used the Wyeast London ESB yeast which they say needs a thorough diacetyl rest so I'm not worried about it. I'll just leave it for another couple two three weeks. I thought it was kind of cool because I have never tasted it before, to my knowledge. It was very clear that's what I was tasting.

Beyond the diacetyl it was a very nice color and I think it's going to be good one. Thanks KB!

Mine had the diacetyl too, very distinct. Another week in primary and it'll go away. None left in mine
 
I use a little bit of flaked oats and flaked wheat in my ESB. Out of respect for someone else's recipe thread I won't post it here but if you're interested I'll PM it to you.

Yes please, that would be helpful. I'm curious how a small amount might affect the clarity of this beer so it would be good to see what quantities you've used in yours.
 
Made this at the weekend. I do BIAB and but am new and have only done 1 so far. I calculated a 60% efficiency on my last batch so for this I added some extra grain to compensate and to hopefully hit the OG. Anyway, I got a little extra effciency than I reckoned for and got an OG of 1.060. So either I improved my technique or I mis judged the efficiency of my last batch......hard to say.

I added a few extra hops to use up the bag and brought an addition forward slightly so maybe that will be nicely balanced out by any residual sweetness from the higher OG/sugar content......

Ferementation is very strong and blown out about 1.5qts wort/beer :( I need a bigger Carboy...!

Ill post back to let you know how it all turns out

AyupBrewingCo


Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
10.00 lb UK Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (1.4 SRM) Grain 90.91 %
0.75 lb UK Medium Crystal 50-65L (56.5 SRM) Grain 6.82 %
0.25 lb UK Dark Crystal 135-165L (150.0 SRM) Grain 2.27 %
1.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 30.4 IBU
0.25 oz Fuggles [4.00 %] (20 min) Hops 2.0 IBU
0.25 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] (20 min) Hops 2.8 IBU
0.25 oz Fuggles [4.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.25 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] (0 min) Hops -
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.054 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.054 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.17 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.21 %
Bitterness: 35.3 IBU Calories: 241 cal/pint
Est Color: 10.4 SRM Color: Color


Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 13.75 qt of water at 173.3 F 154.0 F
10 min Mash Out Add 8.00 qt of water at 198.3 F 168.0 F
Sparge with enough water to achieve desired boil volume.


This beer was formulated with the goal of recreating a very traditional ESB with authentic British ingredients. Keeping the grain bill as simple as possible and balancing the malt and hops has produced an easy to make authentic English ale.

It is named for the fact that I can easily imagine a beer very similar to this being drunk in large tankards in the common room of inns by weary travellers in your favorite fantasy novel. Whether washing down a roasted chicken or being enjoyed by itself with friends, I hope you get similar feelings when drinking this ale.

Order the recipe from BMW here: http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/recipe/96cd746d/kingbriani-common-room-esb
 
What do people carb this beer too? Im doing bottles.

Thanks


Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
10.00 lb UK Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (1.4 SRM) Grain 90.91 %
0.75 lb UK Medium Crystal 50-65L (56.5 SRM) Grain 6.82 %
0.25 lb UK Dark Crystal 135-165L (150.0 SRM) Grain 2.27 %
1.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 30.4 IBU
0.25 oz Fuggles [4.00 %] (20 min) Hops 2.0 IBU
0.25 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] (20 min) Hops 2.8 IBU
0.25 oz Fuggles [4.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.25 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] (0 min) Hops -
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.054 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.054 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.17 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.21 %
Bitterness: 35.3 IBU Calories: 241 cal/pint
Est Color: 10.4 SRM Color: Color


Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 13.75 qt of water at 173.3 F 154.0 F
10 min Mash Out Add 8.00 qt of water at 198.3 F 168.0 F
Sparge with enough water to achieve desired boil volume.


This beer was formulated with the goal of recreating a very traditional ESB with authentic British ingredients. Keeping the grain bill as simple as possible and balancing the malt and hops has produced an easy to make authentic English ale.

It is named for the fact that I can easily imagine a beer very similar to this being drunk in large tankards in the common room of inns by weary travellers in your favorite fantasy novel. Whether washing down a roasted chicken or being enjoyed by itself with friends, I hope you get similar feelings when drinking this ale.

Order the recipe from BMW here: http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/recipe/96cd746d/kingbriani-common-room-esb
 
This would be brewing today, but I had to put two "special request" beers in the fermenters first. Maybe next week....Am going to use Optic malt for the UK 2-row, otherwise adhering sedulously to the recipe....as I always do the first time I try a recipe. Still trying to find that "ESB magic" after several recipes haven't really done it. I have found that a "Fuller's ESB clone".....isn't. I've gotten a bit more adept at water treatment, though, and this may be the year!
 
Brewed 3 gallons of this today and,It was my first brew day in 6 months.I have read this thread 3 times now i think and everytime the OP's first pic makes me want to brew.The brewday was the best i have ever had and the mash smelled sooo good.i changed the yeast to WLP 023 Burton ale.and i just can't wait to taste it.
 
I just killed my first keg of this a couple of days ago and will definitely brew this again. I was a little worried about whether I was going to really like it very much when I first tasted it when it wasn't fully carbed. Once carbed the difference was huge and the keg did not last long. A nice, tasty, easy beer to drink. Thanks for the recipe.
 
Well, I've made up my mind I'm doing this batch next; enough of "special request" beers. Now all I have to do is wait for Orfy's Mild Mannered Ale to finish, so I can free up a fermenter. I always follow a recipe to the letter the first time....since the malt wasn't really specified except for "UK 2-row," I treated myself to 10 lb of Fawcett's Optic, and am going with that. Since I brew with RO water, with this beer I'll treat it with a teaspoon each of calcium chloride and gypsum.
 
Brewing my first batch of this today. Mash was maybe a tad high, nothing that's likely to be noticed. Boil going as we speak......I even remembered the FWH, which I have sometimes forgotten in other beers. Full 6.5 gal boil, very nice 1.05X SG.
 
Brewing my first batch of this today. Mash was maybe a tad high, nothing that's likely to be notices. Boil going as we speak......I even remembered the FWH, which I have sometimes forgotten in other beers. Full 6.5 gal boil, very nice 1.05X SG.

I definitely forgot my FWH, but threw them in as the wort was coming to a boil. This beer is excellent, by far the best I've made so far.
 
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