... After some experimentation, my AG ESB recipe is as follows:
12 lbs Marris Otter (apx. 94%)
12 oz. Crystal 60 (apx. 6%)
.5 oz. Challenger or Northdown hops at 90 min.
1 oz. EKG at 60 minutes
1 oz. EKG at 10 minutes
.25 oz. EKG dry hop in secondary
Wyeast London Ale 1968 (Stir plate)
pinch of Irish Moss at 10 min.
Water/grain proportion in mash tun: 1 qt/pound
Boil for 90 minutes
Build yeast on stir plate for at least 24 hours
Aerate wort prior to adding yeast
Use a yeast nutrient
Put hops in a filter
I dough in with cold water and raise the temperature using direct heat to 154 before transferring the mash to the mash tun. I adjust the temperature to 152 and hold it for at least an hour, sometimes a little more. I mash out, and fly sparge at 168. For my last batch, my pre-boil gravity reading was 1.042.
Boil is 90 minutes or until I've hit my OG and volume. For my last batch, my OG was 1.053.
Generally I'll ferment at 67F for 7 - 10 days before taking SG readings. Then I transfer to the secondary.
I add .25 oz. EKG hops to the Secondary. Secondary is for about week and then I'll start taking SG readings. Once I've hit my number, I'll add a little gelatin and cold crash for 24 hours. Then I transfer to a keg.
I condition the beer for at least 3 weeks and carbonate at a low psi as per the style. I find the beer drinkable at this point but have noticed that it's at its optimum flavor a couple of weeks later - so I wait if I can.
The beer is nicely balanced with malt and caramel providing a background to the hops, at about 32 - 35 IBU. ABV is about 5.0. The color is a medium to dark copper. The result is an ESB with a slightly lower IBU but still within style guidelines.