Don't know Ordinary Bitters, ESBs

I do not know much about Ordinary Bitters and ESBs

I will look them up on the website that has the beers detailed by style (site address escapes me at the moment), as well as here, in the recipe section


What would be good commercial examples of these styles?

They are all related. They are considered bitters and are liste as English pale ales.

Brief synopsis.

Ordinary Bitter. Base style. Pale, with some hop bitterness but nowhere near an american style. Not really "bitter" per se, it is more relatively speaking. Balanced between malty and bitter.

Best/Special/Premium Bitter. An ordinary bitter only more so i.e. slightly higher gravity, bitterness, etc.

Extra Special Bitter. Higher still gravity and all that goes with it to make a balanced beer.

Read the link I made above to the BJCP style guidelines for a more in depth explanation.

As far as commercial examples that all depends on where you are and what you can get. To be sure and get an English representation of the styles you most often need to get an import. Many U.S. brewers make these styles however many times they are Americanized versions, i.e. much less balanced, more hoppy.

Timely.

I just brewed 10-gallons of an ordinary bitter three weeks ago and tapped it tonight.

I nice, malty 3.3% session ale. The kind I remember getting at a small pub in Coventry England some 20 years ago.

I also thought it's about time to tap my second keg of Ole Speckled Hen (ESB) as it's going on 3 months old now.

I do so love the English beers.

BierMuncher said:

Timely.

I just brewed 10-gallons of an ordinary bitter three weeks ago and tapped it tonight.

I nice, malty 3.3% session ale. The kind I remember getting at a small pub in Coventry England some 20 years ago.

I also thought it's about time to tap my second keg of Ole Speckled Hen (ESB) as it's going on 3 months old now.

I do so love the English beers.

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Much to my surprise, I really liked the 3.8% ordinary bitter that I brewed a while back. I need to try some ESB's other than Redhook's - I didn't care for that much at all. Any recommendations?

ohiobrewtus said:

Much to my surprise, I really liked the 3.8% ordinary bitter that I brewed a while back. I need to try some ESB's other than Redhook's - I didn't care for that much at all. Any recommendations?

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If you want something different, Orfy's Speckled Hen is pretty tasty. Mash it high (166-ish) for a nice malty beer.

I am getting ready to brew Jamil's ordinary bitter recipe. They had a good pod cast on the style on the "Jamil Show". I think Boddingtons is a Bitter. Just wait for on of the Brits to chime in. - Dirk

derogg said:

I am getting ready to brew Jamil's ordinary bitter recipe...

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That's what I brewed/am drinking.

Tis a good recipe.

Cool. Did you brew it exactly as he did? ( mash temp and time , ingredients) - Dirk

Take a look on the Wiki for British Beer Styles. Lots of info.

Look At my Boddingtons bitter recipe.

derogg said:

Cool. Did you brew it exactly as he did? ( mash temp and time , ingredients) - Dirk

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Yep...exactly.

Mashed at 154. Hit the OG dead on.

when i think of an ESB i always think of the first I had on my 21st birthday, the RedHook ESB.

really good, complex but still (obviously) bitter. i live about an hour west of their portsmouth brewery

BierMuncher said:

If you want something different, Orfy's Speckled Hen is pretty tasty. Mash it high (166-ish) for a nice malty beer.

Click to expand...

Did you mean 156F?

I too second Jamil's bitter. It is my house beer having brewed it numerous times now.

The name bitter makes sense if put into its historical context. It had (and has) more bitterness then its counterparts pale ales and milds. IPA's are relative new comers and reset the bar for bitterness in English beers.

GT

Got Trub? said:

Did you mean 156F?

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Nope. English ales are frequently brewed at the mid 160's range. That's how they brew light ABV beers with heavy malt profiles. "Push the envelope" as Orfy would say...

My favorite is Fuller's ESB. Way better than Red Hook in my opinion.

I'm in the lucky postition of having drank several thousands of pints of the stuff.