90 minute esb

[eppo]

So i'm getting ready to brew an ESB for NHC. last year i brewed it and scored a 21, Mostly due to complaints of DMS. I also had issues with bitterness, which was due to my water (high sulphates). At the time i was ending up with less wort and higher gravity wort that i should have, and was adding water to get to the OG that i should have been at. i also believe that my boil wasn't as vigorous as i had done in the past, i turned the heat down a bit to offset my boiloff. So i've been playing with my water volumes and boil off in beersmith, and think i have the water volumes worked out.
My last two beers were JZ's Evil Twin, and an Irish red. they both turned out great. My question is, should i do a 90 minute boil, just to be sure, or should i do a 60 since my last two beers seemed to have turned out well.
will a 90 minute boil cause flavors not to style for an ESB due to the extra melinoidens from the longer boil, or even cause the color to darken enough to bring it out of style? The recipe is the ESB out of BCS (yeah, its not my own, but you have to start somewhere).
My gut feeling is just to do a 60 minute boil, since i think i have fixed my boil volume and boil off issues. but i figured i would ask and see what you guys have done.
thanks for any input.
Joe

 

[soup67]

Go with your gut.

 

[ayoungrad]

Why are you considering a 90 minute boil?

 

[Steelers77]

Why are you considering a 90 minute boil?

I would also like to know. I generally only use 90 min boils for any beer that includes Pilsner malt or for a bigger beer where I want more carmalization (sp?).

ESB: single infusion mash, 60 min boil, done.

 

[Carter1932]

FWIW I just finished brewing an ESB using a 60 minute boil, came out great.

As you mention, 90 min. boil isn't required for the style. DMS shouldn't be an issue if you are not using Pilsner malt. Sometime judges don't always know what they are talking about, or at a minimum misidentify flavors on occasion. I've had complaints of 'chipolte' peppers being added to my beer and not fitting for the style when in fact it was simply Ardennes yeast character they were tasting.

 

[eppo]

I was going to go with a 90 minute boil to make sure i get rid of all the dms. But since it's presence is due to the process, i guess i don't have to. Was just talking it out, wondering if anyone has done a 90 minute ESB.

 

[nassor]

I've been thinking that I'm due for a good ESB next - what's the BCS that you mention?

thanks!

 

[eppo]

The brewing classic styles book by jamil.

 

[indigi]

An easy way to answer a lot of questions you have is to just take a dispassionate look at the question:

My question is, should i do a 90 minute boil, just to be sure, or should i do a 60 since my last two beers seemed to have turned out well.

You're asking if you should continue using a process because it worked well for you and made good beer, or stop using that same process that worked well for you and made good beer.

Seems pretty easy when you think about it that way, no? Especially because last time you used a 60 minute boil on an ESB for a competition, you got dinged for DMS.

To get more specific, melanoidins and caramelly flavors that may develop in a vigorous 90 minute boil are not out of place at all in an ESB and are actually mentioned in the guidelines. Even if they weren't, a bit more malty/sweetness is much, much preferable to DMS, and the amount of points you'd lose for the former would be much fewer than for the latter.