Biscuit Flavor

[rodwha]

Foster's ESB was one of the first non lager beers I tried and liked. I've tried to brew an ESB with this kind of flavor but never got what I was after so I changed gears and went for an American amber.

I brewed this up late January and recently tried an early sample but still didn't get a nice biscuity flavor I was hoping for.

I'm considering trying some British base malt next time, but I'm uncertain as to how far I can take Special Roast as I figured I may have been pushing it with a pound in this last recipe.

This is what I did for a 5.25 gal batch:

7.75 lbs 2-row
1 lb Special Roast
0.5 lb carafoam
0.375 lb C 90
0.25 lb C 20
1 oz Willamette (4.5%) @ 70/21/7 mins
US-05

Any suggestions for an upfront biscuit flavor?

 

[WrQth]

Biscuit malt

 

[rodwha]

Special Roast is supposed to have a more biscuity flavor than the Belgian malt, which I first tried, though also in a smaller portion.

 

[Citizen86]

What about Maris Otter instead of 2-row?

 

[rodwha]

That's one of the various British grains I'm considering. Not sure which of them would be more pronounced.

 

[kadozen]

Definitely go with MO in an ESB. My specialty malts are Victory, Biscuit, 45 and 120. The MO really pulls the beer together and anchors all that malty dryness.

Edit: Any reason you're going with S-05 for your yeast? I mean, it will still make a tasty beer for sure. Myself who is in no way an expert on the subject, just love how some of the more expressive english strains do in an ESB.

 

[rodwha]

I moved on to an American amber instead.

I had initially used WLP-001 and 1202 but having lost track of use and moving I decided to start over. Prior to that I switched to dry and found I actually liked US-05 over 001 by far. And so I decided to keep this one going after washing the yeast cake.

 

[kadozen]

Oh snap, in that case definitely nothing wrong with S-05. The whole bitter family of beers are easily my favorite style, the MO makes em. Let us know when you go at them again

 

[Snubnoze707]

That's one of the various British grains I'm considering. Not sure which of them would be more pronounced.

Thomas Fawcett MO

 

[Bosh]

If you want toasty biscuit carabrown has it stronger than anything else I've tasted.

 

[bigdaddybrew]

I second biscuit malt.

 

[LKABrewer]

You will get more biscuity malt flavors with a less attenuating English yeast.

 

[Snubnoze707]

You will get more biscuity malt flavors with a less attenuating English yeast.

Very good point. Yeast is going to play a big roll in bringing out that malt character.

 

[rodwha]

I haven't drank this beer in some time and popped one open now. Nice biscuity flavor!

Next time I'll use a different base malt.

 

[rodwha]

Considering swapping out the crystal for honey malt. Who doesn't like honey on a biscuit?

I've worked up a revision using Optic in place of 2-row and 3/4 lb of honey malt in a 5.25 gal batch.