Bitter Englishman ESB

[de3isit]

What do you guys think about this recipe? I am planning to brew it next weekend. I am planning a 90 minute boil if it matters.

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 83.3 %
2 lbs Caramel Malt - 50L 6-Row (Briess) (50.0 SRM) Grain 2 16.7 %
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 16.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Mt. Hood [6.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 18.4 IBUs
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 5 10.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 6 6.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) [35.49 ml]

Your input is really appreciated.

 

[Genjin]

Bitters are one of my favorite styles! I would add a half pound of torrified wheat for head retention. Also, if you can get your hands on some English Pale malt or Marris Otter to use as your base you might get more of an English malt character.

Most ESB's have a good hop character and are traditionally dry-hopped in cask. So if it were me I would move the fuggles closer to the end of the boil to enhance aroma and then dry-hop with an ounce or two of EKG for the last five days in the fermenter if you are bottling or in the keg if you are kegging. That would also get your IBUs under 50 which is the upper limit of the style guidelines, if you care about such things

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[Nugent]

I agree with Genjin's advice on moving the late hops closer to the end of the boil. It'd use the Fuggles at 10 mins and at flameout, otherwise you won't get much flavour and just a lot of bitterness.

IMO, you're using far too much caramel malt. I rarely use more than about 5%-7% caramel in a bitter or pale ale. It can make the beer much too cloying and the only dimension of the maltiness will be what the caramel malt brings to it, especially with the WLP002. It's a very fruity yeast, especially at the higher range of fermentation temperatures. I'd use only a 1/2 lb of the crystal and a 1/2lb of torrified wheat, as Genjin said. You might want to up the base malt to make up for less caramel malt. Then, you'll have a lovely bitter.

Good luck.

 

[mux]

+1 on the maris otter

 

[Golddiggie]

Move the 30 minute hop addition to either 5 minutes or at flame out. I would also seriously reduce the 50L caramel malt. IMO, better to add .5-1# of British Crystal II (65L). I'd also change to either UK 2-row or Maris Otter for the base malt. I don't see the need to add any wheat to the recipe.

What temperature are you looking to mash at?
Are you bottling or kegging? If you're kegging, then I would add 1-2oz of either Fuggles or EKG (or 1oz of each) to the keg (in a nylon mesh bag) as it goes into the brew fridge/kegorator/keezer. IME, this will give you great hop flavors/aroma in the batch for the entire keg. Unlike dry hopping and then bottling (where the hops are starting to fade by the time you're actually drinking them).

 

[de3isit]

Here is the changes based on everyone's advise. I am mashing at 154 degrees. I added a a dry hops addition as well. The base malt is what I have in stock and was hoping to use it. If you guys feel it is a bad move I will buy a different base malt.

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 96.0 %
8.0 oz Caramel Malt - 60L 2-Row (Cargill) (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 4.0 %
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 16.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Mt. Hood [6.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 18.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5 6.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 6 2.7 IBUs
1.0 pkg English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) [35.49 ml] Yeast 7 -
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 8 0.0 IBUs

I do appreciate the feedback.

 

[Golddiggie]

I wouldn't say that using US 2-row is a 'bad move' but I don't think it will be a true English ESB. IMO, in order for it to be a true English ESB you need to use English/UK grains, hops and yeast. You have 2 of three (mostly) so you're kind of there. You're using non-UK based bittering hops too.

I do have some English pale ale/ESB recipes but they include all UK malts and [especially] UK/English hops and yeast strains. I know people will disagree with me on these points, but they're my opinions so...

Anyway, it's your brew, so make what you like. Maybe it's a "bitter Englishman" because it has so little English ingredients in him.

BTW, ESB's IBU range is 30-50... You're at just under 44, so not over the range. It is in the range of an English IPA too (40-60).

Have you considered hop bursting the brew? You add all the hops from 20 minutes from the end forward (in increments). You could get more Fuggles (and maybe some EKG) and do it up that way. You'll use more hops that way, but you should also get more flavor/aroma from them. I've had good results using this with brews. I have an English IPA that I do a modified version of that. Modified in that I do add some at 60 minutes, but then at 20, 15, 10, and then 1 minute from the end. I'm considering changing it up a bit and dropping the 60 minute addition and tweaking the rest (and maybe adding a 5 minute addition) to get the IBU's I want.

 

[Genjin]

I just recently did this on an apa that I didn't dry hop. Couldn't believe the results. So much hop flavor. I would second this recommendation!

 

[bigbadal]

with 2 pounds caramel mash on the cool side

 

[de3isit]

I took your advise and moved the hop schedule around. I also switched to Maris Otter instead of 2-row. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs Maris Otter (Crisp) (4.0 SRM) Grain 1 96.0 %
8.0 oz Caramel Malt - 60L 2-Row (Cargill) (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 4.0 %
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 16.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Mt. Hood [6.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 17.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5 6.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 4.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 2.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) [35.49 ml] Yeast 8 -

Thanks for all the great advise.