Strong Bitter Common Room ESB

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KingBrianI

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 23, 2008
Messages
3,513
Reaction score
157
Location
Wake Forest, NC
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
Safale S-04
Yeast Starter
no
Batch Size (Gallons)
5.5
Original Gravity
1.054
Final Gravity
1.014
Boiling Time (Minutes)
60
IBU
35.3
Color
10.4
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
21
Tasting Notes
Complex and malty with distinct hop flavor. A deep copper well-balanced quaffer.
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
 
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Sorry about the partially full glass. It was a 16 oz. glass and a 12 oz. bottle. This beer has awesome balance. If you like malty beers you'll love this beer. If you like hoppy beers you'll appreciate this beer though it's no IPA hop bomb. The hop aroma and flavor are pronounced and blend perfectly.
 
wow, I really like how that one looks.... I think I may give something similar a shot with my next ESB.
 
I think I'm going to give your recipe a shot today. I'm heading out to the LHBS today to pick up some stuff and was thinking about doing a bitter or ESB. I like the looks of your recipe, so I think I'm going to pick up the grain bill today and brew this tomorrow. I'll let you know how this come out.

Looking forward to it!
 
I think I'm going to give your recipe a shot today. I'm heading out to the LHBS today to pick up some stuff and was thinking about doing a bitter or ESB. I like the looks of your recipe, so I think I'm going to pick up the grain bill today and brew this tomorrow. I'll let you know how this come out.

Looking forward to it!

awesome! be sure to let us know how it goes!
 
Will do! picked up the grain bil today. Made on slight modification to your recipe and just added a bit of UK biscuit malt. (I'm just a fan of the flavor and wanted a bit in my ESB :) )

Looking forward to my brew day tommarow, and well actually today too! I just started a Belgin wit. :mug:
 
Actually now that I think about it I have a question for you. My LHBS didn't have any EKG in so I picked up some styrian goldings instead. They are a bit higher in Alpha % so I'm wondering if I should use a full oz and a half......

I'm running the recipe through promash atm. We'll see what it calcs for IBU with the sty gold.



....Ok so I'm good running the recipe through promash. All within style guidelines and what not. Looks like this will be fun. I'm a huge fan of ESB's. I've brewed several of them and I'm always looking to try different recipes. I'm all set and I'll definitely let you know how this one comes out!
 
The biscuit malt will be a great addition. Styrian Goldings should work out great too. Just adjust the amount in promash to get about 35 IBU. You could always use any extra for dry hopping or to add to the flame-out addition if you wanted a hoppier nose.
 
I'm replying to this thread so I can find it easier when I go AG, because I will definitely be trying this one. I'm concentrating on ESB for my extracts at the moment, and will continue to do so for my first 2 or 3 AGs. I liked the look of the recipe, especially as I am a Fuggles and EKG nut.

The clincher for me though was the pic. The head and colour are exactly how I remember my pints of ESB from when I was living across the pond. That is one beautiful looking pint! I swear I can taste it if I lick my monitor! :D
 
Laughing Gnome, I got spoiled on good english ale when I took a trip to the UK earlier this year. Since then, I can't seem to have enough of the stuff. I can't imagine how bad the craving would be if I was from the UK! I hope you find the flavor of this ESB to match the color and head in authenticity. If you don't plan on going AG for a while, you could probably subsititute some malt extract (maris otter extract if possible!) for the pale malt and steep the crystal grains for an extract version.
 
Laughing Gnome, I got spoiled on good english ale when I took a trip to the UK earlier this year. Since then, I can't seem to have enough of the stuff. I can't imagine how bad the craving would be if I was from the UK! I hope you find the flavor of this ESB to match the color and head in authenticity. If you don't plan on going AG for a while, you could probably subsititute some malt extract (maris otter extract if possible!) for the pale malt and steep the crystal grains for an extract version.

Actually, I will need to order more extract before I have the gear to go AG, so I will certainly try to do that! I would hope that the AG version would be a bit better if I manage to get it rightish first time, but if not, it would still be an interesting comparison. I like the idea of making comparable brews during my switchover.

PS You are right about the craving. Missing my regular pint is what drove me to the HB obsession.....The commercially bottled and canned versions of what I am used to drinking are a pale comparison to even my worst HB attempt. :(
 
"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."

I love the sound of that, reminds me of The Lord of the Rings or something. I'm brewing an ESB next weekend, extract mind you, and using C-40 and C-120 with Munton's light LME and DME and EKG. Had Fuller's ESB last nite and it was sooo tasty. Cheers.
 
Well I'm heating up my water for my mash right now! I'm super stoked! I took a extended break from brewing due to my job and having no time or energy to brew. So it's a great feeling getting rdy to dough in again!!

Wish my digh cam wasn't ruined at the last lake trip....:( Or I would post some pics for you guys.
 
well everything went well! Only issue was a drop in temp during the mash due to the fact the I think I didn't heat up my MLT enough. No big deal though as it was only a few degrees and it was only at the last 20 minutes of the mash. It's going well this morning with great airlock activity. Smells sweet and delicious!

Let you know how it tastes in a month or so!

Cheers,
 
UPDATE

So just wanted to let you know how it turned out, wish I hadn't dunked my dig camera in the lake last trip or I would post a pic. :(

So it turned out great. Simple recipe, good very quaffable beer. I really can't point out any flaws. Good simple great tasting beer! I will add that I changed your recipe by just a bit. By adding some biscuit malt and I believe I used a couple different crystal malts than your original recipe. Mine looks a lot like your although in your pic, your beer seems to have a bit more of a reddish tone to it. Mine is more of a medium copper.

I would recommend the recipe its good for simplicity and good on the wallet. I believe I did this batch for less than $25 bucks.

Cheers,
 
I have never brewed an ESB, but the desire is growing inside me to brew one. This recipe looks great. I wanted to know, would aromatic malt be a good addition to this recipe? Also, for head retention and body, would dexterin malt need to be added?
 
I have never brewed an ESB, but the desire is growing inside me to brew one. This recipe looks great. I wanted to know, would aromatic malt be a good addition to this recipe? Also, for head retention and body, would dexterin malt need to be added?

Adding aromatic and dextrin malt (carapils) wouldn't hurt the beer at all. The aromatic would give it a bit more maltiness. They would take the recipe away from being simple and traditional though. The aromatic isn't a traditional english malt and the carapils isn't necessary. The mouthfeel is already good when mashed at 154. Head retention is very similar to that of traditional ESBs as it is now. It pours with about a half inch head that dissipates to form a nice thin foam just on the top of the beer that lasts all the way to the bottom of the glass. Having said that, feel free to change the recipe any way you want, that's half the fun of brewing!
 
The recipe looks great, so I wouldn't think about changing it. I guess I was just inquiring about how different malts might alter the ESB. I understand that Biscuit malt would give a toasty bready taste, or Victory malt might give that warm nutty characteristic. I guess my final question would be proportions of the extra malt like biscuit or victory. At which point do you know you've proportioned it out enough not to overdue it in a recipe? At which point do you know you haven't add too much and turned it into a brown ale?
 
If you search for the characteritics of a particular malt, you'll usually find suggestions on the maximum amount to add before it becomes overbearing. For instance, crystal malts should usually be limited to 10% of the overall grain bill. Four to eight ounces of biscuit or victory malt could be added to recipe to give it that nutty, toasted flavor without becoming overwhelming. If you have beersmith or some other recipe calculator, you can enter in whatever additions you'd like to add and it will show you the color as well as how it compares to the style you're aiming for. If you don't have brewing software, I like TastyBrew.com | Recipe Calculation to calculate recipes when I'm on a computer without beersmith.
 
Hate to revive an old thread, but I brewed this yesterday, and I must say it was the best brew session I've ever had. I did mess up on the crystal malts, using half a pound of each instead of .25 & .75, so it'll be a little darker.

Also, S-04 is a monster! After 4 hours I had to change the airlock (twice), then attach a blow-off hose. And the huge chunks of yeast rolling around the wort is insane! It's not pretty, but it's pretty darn cool.
 
Glad it went well for you! S-04 is indeed voracious. I've had it ferment a beer out in 2 days before. Let it sit for 3 weeks though so it can clean up the beer. Keep us updated!
 
Brewed this today. I used some biscuit malt, mashed a bit hotter (156), and used Wyeast 1275(Thames Valley). If if it tastes 1/2 as good as that picture looks, then this may become a staple, here. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Edit: I subbed the Fuggles out for Willamette, too. I had about 1/2 pound of Willamette already.
 
Brewed this today. I used some biscuit malt, mashed a bit hotter (156), and used Wyeast 1275(Thames Valley). If if it tastes 1/2 as good as that picture looks, then this may become a staple, here. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Edit: I subbed the Fuggles out for Willamette, too. I had about 1/2 pound of Willamette already.

Sounds good! How much biscuit did you use? Thames Valley is a good attenuator so mashing hotter was a good idea. I have problems getting that yeast to clear though. Guess I should use isinglass or gelatin with it. Anyway, hope it turns out great!
 
4 oz biscuit malt. I heard that 1275 doesn't clear very well(whenever I see -med low floc I cry a little), so I'll probably fine it with isinglass and crash cool it in a secondary.
 
4 oz biscuit should be perfect! I've gone straight from primary to a keg with 1275 several times, then cooled to serving temps and it seems like the first 1/3 of the keg is always cloudy. If you fine before kegging, you'll probably prevent that.
 
just want to make sure i understand the first wort hopping and the hops at flameout.

First wort hopping is just throwing the hops in after my first runnings from the MLT, right? Do i need to remove them after i start the boil or do they stay in?

How long do i leave the hops in after flame out? Until i reach pitching temps?
 
just want to make sure i understand the first wort hopping and the hops at flameout.

First wort hopping is just throwing the hops in after my first runnings from the MLT, right? Do i need to remove them after i start the boil or do they stay in?

How long do i leave the hops in after flame out? Until i reach pitching temps?

You've got the right idea. Put the FWH addition hops in your kettle and drain the first runnings right on top. Leave them in there for the rest of the boil and remove them at the same time you would always remove hops, either whirlpooling the cooled wort or filtering when transferring to the carboy.
 
This may be another dumb question, but i just want to make sure i understand. DO you start heating your wort with the hops added as soon as you collect your first runnings? I see that the FWH is listed as 60 min, as well. Or does that just indicate you leave it in for the whole 60 minute boil?
 
Proceed as you always do only you'll have the hops in the kettle with your wort until you begin to heat it. No need to rush it onto the burner. Once it begins to boil, then set your timer for 60 minutes just like a normal boil. Hope that clears it up!
 
So this cleared up nicely(after secondary and fining) Its developing a nice crisp flavor with a good floral taste from those EKGs. Its been bottled for about two weeks and I've been tossing random bottles in the fridge and "sampling" them every once in a while. I've seen the flavor progress, the first ones seemed like the flavors hadn't "melded", but its coming along great, now!

P1000798.jpg


still clearing up a bit, I imagine after another month in the fridge, its gonna be excellent.
 
Thanks, its interesting how much of the EKGs come out in this with that first wort hopping. Its got a decent bitterness, but you still really get the flavor from the hops, I imagine if they were just boiled for the 60 minutes it wouldn't have pulled that character. It almost seems like a 15-20 minute addition. Thank you for the recipe...I'm gonna brew it again!
 
Just put 5 gallons into the fermenter (have some problems with figuring out proper volumes). Missed the mash temp a bit, in the 157 area. I think it was because i put my grains in the preheated MLT a bit earlier than usual and i think it raised the temp of the grain bed too much. I also had trouble hitting my mash out, but all in all i think it should be a good beer.
 
One other question, what temp does one try to ferment this at? I've never used this yeast before.

Thanks
 
Just put 5 gallons into the fermenter (have some problems with figuring out proper volumes). Missed the mash temp a bit, in the 157 area. I think it was because i put my grains in the preheated MLT a bit earlier than usual and i think it raised the temp of the grain bed too much. I also had trouble hitting my mash out, but all in all i think it should be a good beer.

Awesome! I'm sure it will turn out great!

One other question, what temp does one try to ferment this at? I've never used this yeast before.

Thanks

If you're using S-04 you can ferment it between 64-68. Don't take it much higher than that though, since I've found S-04 to throw some off flavors when above 70. It does produce some nice English esters right between 66-68 though. The airlock will smell really good on this one!
 
Just took a few more shots of this one. I'm running out, I need to brew it up again soon!

Notice it drops crystal clear, even without finings (when using s-04 or wlp002/wy1968). There is some condensation on the glass here.
DSC_0548.jpg


And the head becomes a smooth, silky froth that floats on top of the beer all the way to the bottom of the glass.
DSC_0555.jpg
 
your photos are making my mouth water. It also makes me sad since mine was only brewed yesterday and i still have 20 days to wait... so sad
 
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