Strong Bitter Common Room ESB

Brewer's Friend 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
mithion said:
1968 should work on this beer, but it definitely requires a bit of tweaking. My experience was the same as previous 1968 users, ie. the beer ended up too sweet. 1968 is also hugely malty and will obscure the delicate hopping schedule used here. It is commonly reported that S-04 is the Whitbread strain and is characterized as mildly malty and slightly fruity by Wyeast. To use 1968 for this recipe, I would do three things to make it work.

1) Mash really low: I'd probably go to 150 or even 148F.
2) Up the bittering hop a bit to improve the balance between malt and bitterness.
3) Use a good pale ale water profile to showcase the bitterness.

My 2 cents. Of course, Brian is king and thus he has last say :p
Click to expand...

All good suggestions! I've actually recommended the lower mash temp somewhere in this thread for people using 1968.
 
I have done a couple extract batches and have the equipment for AG. I think I would like to give this one a shot, you all have given it a ton of positive feedback. As I don't have a solid grip on what all the little things in the reciepe do, is there anything at all else that I will need in the way of ingredients other than what comes in the kit from Brewmaster?
 
Hmm, good question.

I always use half a whirlfloc-t tablet in the last 10 minutes of the boil to facilitate protein coagulation and a clearer beer. So definitely use that. I also always throw in a half teaspoon of wyeast yeast nutrient blend at the same time. I don't know if it really helps the yeast or not but it makes me feel better. Some kind of anti-foam drops could also be helpful if you don't want to have to worry about boil-over. Camden tablets are good for adding to your water if you don't filter it (and even if you do filter it) to get rid of any chlorine and chloramine (use 1/4 tablet per 5 gallons). If you're using a liquid yeast some DME for a starter.

Oh, and this one's important: some homebrew to drink while brewing!

I think that's about it for extra stuff I use. Good luck with the brew!

Edit: oops, forgot to add that you might want some CaCl2 and CaSO4 to use to adjust your water profile. Or some 5 star 5.2 stabilizer if you're worried about mash pH and don't want to mess with adding salts.
 
This grain bill is basically the same as most of the ESB I brew. I'm going to use your hop schedule for my ESB this Saturday. I've always used goldings exclusively and a full boil addition. I'm going to keep the 1000% goldings but use the FWH instead of the full boil addition. I'm hoping this brings the recipe to the next level and puts more focus on the hop flavor and aroma.

I'll let you all know how it compares. Looking forward to it.
 
jmo88 said:
This grain bill is basically the same as most of the ESB I brew. I'm going to use your hop schedule for my ESB this Saturday. I've always used goldings exclusively and a full boil addition. I'm going to keep the 1000% goldings but use the FWH instead of the full boil addition. I'm hoping this brings the recipe to the next level and puts more focus on the hop flavor and aroma.

I'll let you all know how it compares. Looking forward to it.
Click to expand...

Awesome. Can't wait for the review.
 
I am using a slightly modified version of this recipe for my no boil AG experiment. I reduced the crystal just a bit and added 4oz of biscuit malt. hopefully it will work
 
I made a partial mash version of this a month ago; replaced about half of the pale malt with extra light dme and used US crystal instead of UK. Looking forward to bottling soon; probably won't be as authentic as the original recipe is going for but the samples taste great.
 
Brewed this up last night. I've been a member for almost three years and this is the first HBT recipe I've tried! I usually look in our database and branch off from there based on my personal likes. I was tempted to add a little victory or biscuit but figured what the hell! I've never made an ESB and every time I'm in a micro I always try one if they have one because it's usually a style that I like. Other than decreasing the MO for my system's efficiency I made no changes to the grain bill or the yeast. I did double the two (lower AA%) fuggle additions to more closely match the IBU and also because I didn't feel the need to re-seal 1/2 oz. of hops and I hate wasting them. Everything was going good until after the boil. I was ~1/4 gallon over and .003 below the target gravity. I managed to UNDER boil outside in the mid-twenties! Damn, it was looking so good. Obviously at this point I know to not sweat it but I thought I'd share what I found to be ironic. Just got home and she's singing along at ~65 degrees. Planning on serving this on Jan. 8th for our Utopias brewday so a full assesment will come after that. Thanks for the recipe!!
 
I just cracked open a bottle of my second batch of this. I think it might be one of my best ever. Creamy head, fantastic lace, smooth and full bodied, with a nice bitter note towards the end. I would have been happy with more aromas up front, but it might get there with some age. I used special B instead of the extra dark, and a quarter of biscuit.
 
cuinrearview said:
Brewed this up last night. I've been a member for almost three years and this is the first HBT recipe I've tried! I usually look in our database and branch off from there based on my personal likes. I was tempted to add a little victory or biscuit but figured what the hell! I've never made an ESB and every time I'm in a micro I always try one if they have one because it's usually a style that I like. Other than decreasing the MO for my system's efficiency I made no changes to the grain bill or the yeast. I did double the two (lower AA%) fuggle additions to more closely match the IBU and also because I didn't feel the need to re-seal 1/2 oz. of hops and I hate wasting them. Everything was going good until after the boil. I was ~1/4 gallon over and .003 below the target gravity. I managed to UNDER boil outside in the mid-twenties! Damn, it was looking so good. Obviously at this point I know to not sweat it but I thought I'd share what I found to be ironic. Just got home and she's singing along at ~65 degrees. Planning on serving this on Jan. 8th for our Utopias brewday so a full assesment will come after that. Thanks for the recipe!!
Click to expand...

Awesome, sounds like you're going to have a good brewday in January!

avibayer said:
I just cracked open a bottle of my second batch of this. I think it might be one of my best ever. Creamy head, fantastic lace, smooth and full bodied, with a nice bitter note towards the end. I would have been happy with more aromas up front, but it might get there with some age. I used special B instead of the extra dark, and a quarter of biscuit.
Click to expand...

Nice! Sounds good.:tank:
 
I was meaning to thank you for posting this recipe! It was the best beer I've brewed to date! I added an ounce of chocolate, and went with just EKG. Everyone loved it
 
I'm borrowing your hopping schedule for my Cornucopia ESB. I laid hands on some brand new Delta hops (you can get them at HopsDirect now- 6% AA Fuggle/Cascade cross that's more earthy/spicy than citrusy).

8lb Maris Otter
1lb Medium Crystal (50-65L)
1lb Biscuit

Mash at 152 and ferment with WLP023.
 
How does this compare substituting the WL Burton Ale strain as opposed to S-04? Going to brew this one this upcoming week and was wondering the differences before I make this one.
 
The burton ale yeast will have a lot more character, especially fruity esters. It would work really well and I highly recommend it for this beer.
 
I brewed this one with half and half marris O and American 2 row. The specialty malts really make it shine. Well done!

Jan 28 edit: I opened one up a lil early and really, those imported malts make all the difference in a beer like this. Wow!
 
I just pitched the yeast into my first batch of Common Room ESB. I did a partial mash using Death Brewer's stove top method. My ingredients were -

3 lb Golden Light DME (added half at beginning and half at end to get my IBUs close)
5 lb Marris Otter
0.75 lb 60L
0.25 lb 120L (this was the darkest the LHBS had)
0.5 lb Biscuit

I upped the late hop additions to get rid of the extra 1/2 oz of Fuggles.
Also, the LHBS had no s-04, so I have gone with the 1968 yeast. I mashed my grains around 150 so hopefully the yeast will get it down to target gravity.

I will update in 6 weeks. Looking forward to this one!
 
After 1 week in primary, I am down to 1.015. My original gravity was 1.054 so my attenuation with the 1968 was at the upper range of the yeast strain.

I will leave this in primary for at least another week, but already it is crystal clear and it tastes delicious!
 
KingBrian, this is a great beer. Just tried one after 10 days in the bottle and it is awesome. Well done my friend, well done. :mug:
 
I'm brewing this one Sunday. My LHBS only had regular 2 row and didn't have s-04. Being a newb I grabbed s-05 and I'm hoping for the best. LOL
 
I brewed this back on 2/18/11. I let it sit in a primary for 19 days. Racked to a keg primed with corn sugar for 5 days then hooked up CO2. The beer had a slight hint of sweetness (presumably) due to the corn sugar not fermenting out. This sweetness is very acceptable! The beer was nice and malty, slight bitter finish and slightly sweet. It tasted kind of similar to Hobgoblin to me. Must brew again! I hope my family and friends like it as much as I do. If they don't then screw 'em! More for me. I like this one a lot.
 
I wanted to add that as I'm drinking a glass of this as I type, it reminds me of Two Brothers Bitter End Pale Ale but not as bitter. I'm enjoying this one quite a bit. Great recipe, KB!
 
KingBrian1 - do you treat the water or aim for a particular water profile? My water is very hard with high alkalinity, so with no dark grains I will treat with CRS then raise the SO4 with gypsum - half in the mash, half in the boil.
 
BOBTHEukBREWER said:
KingBrian1 - do you treat the water or aim for a particular water profile? My water is very hard with high alkalinity, so with no dark grains I will treat with CRS then raise the SO4 with gypsum - half in the mash, half in the boil.
Click to expand...

I do treat the water to get Ca+ between 50-80 ppm and a sulfate to chloride ratio of 2:1. Do whatever you need to get your mash pH in the correct range.
 
KingBrianI said:
I do treat the water to get Ca+ between 50-80 ppm and a sulfate to chloride ratio of 2:1. Do whatever you need to get your mash pH in the correct range.
Click to expand...

Just to be sure, a S04:Cl ratio of 2:1 means it'll accentuate the "bitterness" correct? (Usually I see the number posted as Cl:S04) which would be the opposite as a Cl:S04 ratio of 2:1 is "malty/very malty".

Looking at my notes from my last ESB I did indeed lean towards bitterness in about the same way, but sometimes I wonder if I should aim for something more balanced in an English ESB...

Interesting recipe! Thanks for posting!

Kal
 
kal said:
Just to be sure, a S04:Cl ratio of 2:1 means it'll accentuate the "bitterness" correct? (Usually I see the number posted as Cl:S04) which would be the opposite as a Cl:S04 ratio of 2:1 is "malty/very malty".

Looking at my notes from my last ESB I did indeed lean towards bitterness in about the same way, but sometimes I wonder if I should aim for something more balanced in an English ESB...

Interesting recipe! Thanks for posting!

Kal
Click to expand...

Correct, 2 times as much sulfate as chloride. But really it comes down to personal preference and anyone making the recipe can balance it in whatever direction they prefer.
 
KingBrianI said:
Correct, 2 times as much sulfate as chloride. But really it comes down to personal preference and anyone making the recipe can balance it in whatever direction they prefer.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I think I'll keep it as 2 time as much sulfate as chloride - same as last ESB (a clone of Fullers ESB). It works out perfectly.

Kal
 
Brewed this one last night. This will be my third AG batch and it's my first ESB. My initial gravity ended up a little high (1.057) but I don't think that will hurt the brew. I ended up just short of 5 gallons after the boil. I'm still in the trial and error phase but have not made a batch that isn't good yet. This is the first one that I hit over on the OG, I have been under on my first two so I think I'm getting it figured out. Will let you know how it goes in about 25 days. Also forgot the Irish moss but I don't mind it being a bit cloudy.
 
kal said:
Thanks! I think I'll keep it as 2 time as much sulfate as chloride - same as last ESB (a clone of Fullers ESB). It works out perfectly.

Kal
Click to expand...

I am thinking of brewing this ESB but have never treated water before. Can you give me some direction on how to do this or show me a link?
 
barleywade said:
I am thinking of brewing this ESB but have never treated water before. Can you give me some direction on how to do this or show me a link?
Click to expand...

For what it's worth, I used good old unfiltered Chicago (Lake Michigan) tap water without any treatment. Came out great IMHO.
 
I'm brewing up a slight variation of this today, as a matter of fact strike water is heating up now. One small change, I'm substituting WGV for EKG, I had it on hand and figured I'd save a few bucks on the brew day. I'll try to post some pictures of the brew later on.

Thanks for the recipe KBI :mug:

Curt
 
Ok, I've had one person (besides me) try this ESB and they liked a lot also. I've been inviting people to come over and have a beer or four with me but everyone is busy. I'm afraid that once they actually manage to make it over it will be all gone. I'm brewing this again in a couple of weeks.
 
kingbrian, have you brewed this awesome recipe using S-05 instead of S-04? I know that S-05 is not anywhere as malty as S-05 but I was curious what it would taste like. I may have to try it out myself but just wanted to know if anybody has tried it already. thanks.
 
bmason1623 said:
kingbrian, have you brewed this awesome recipe using S-05 instead of S-04? I know that S-05 is not anywhere as malty as S-05 but I was curious what it would taste like. I may have to try it out myself but just wanted to know if anybody has tried it already. thanks.
Click to expand...
US-05 would provide considerably less yeast imparted flavours that are usually typical for an ESB. The fruityness and esters would be greatly reduced.

The US-05 should also attenuate more, creating a drier beer. US-04 would (should) leave a bit more residual sweetness which is also commonplace in most ESBs.

In the end of course, feel free to experiment! I typically always brew 10 gallons and have often done split fermentations with 2 different yeast types just to get a handle on exactly what the various yeasties do.

Kal
 
Secondary is generally not required with today's good yeasts. I only use a secondary the way breweries do it as a "brite" tank to clear the beer up before packaging.

Fermentation time is not important, measure your gravity to know when it's done. Don't go by time. Every yeast is different and temperature plays a large role too. S-04 tends to finish much faster than 21 days but there's no harm in leaving it for 21 days.

Kal
 

Similar threads

H
Citrusy Pale Ale to clean out the freezer
Replies
7
Views
776
lumpher
lumpher
Zippy123
Feedback on recipe to split mash for two different beers
Replies
2
Views
415
Zippy123
Zippy123
D
First Recipe: 1 Gallon Maris Otter / Goldings SMaSH (Comments, suggestions?)
Replies
6
Views
353
Northern_Brewer
Northern_Brewer
PashMaddle
Brew day #2 is done.
Replies
22
Views
1K
lumpher
lumpher
Gadjobrinus
Festbier - first lager back in.
Replies
17
Views
1K
Brooothru
Brooothru
BrewSwag 300

Latest posts

Back
Top